Health Care
The Problem
For several years, Canada has faced a surge of overdoses due to opioid use. In 2017, Health Canada launched the Substance Use and Addiction Program to address the opioid crisis plaguing the country. The government announced funding for innovative projects with a focus on surveillance, education and training as well as the development of best practices in medication assisted treatment of non cancer related pain. The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada received a grant to develop a curriculum of bilingual online courses to be integrated to into existing Canadian undergraduate medical education and available to all 17 medical schools.
The analysis
Our Team was tasked with reviewing the findings of the initial scan and extend it to identify national and international best practice in medical education and competency framework for pain treatment and identifying standards for continuing education outcome and evaluation metrics.
The goal
In order to reach the desired outcome, the AFMC needed to have access to current frameworks and educational programs with respect to what was already in place and provide reliable evidence for the future development of a national standardized educational program.
The results
Employing a triangulated methodology, the research team identified content and curricula from various academic sites, public organizations and published literature. The team also developed a methodological framework by which to categorize the relevance, pertinence and comprehensiveness of pain programs and identified the best fit for AFMC and its collaborators.
Information Technology
The Problem
A common issue and roadblock that undermines the efficiencies within the information technology sector is the management of rapid growth and retaining quality of both the product or service and the people. In this case, an organization was facing this problem of rapid growth, and their collective efforts to maintain quality and a collaborative environment were failing due limited resources that contributed to a lack of interprofessional understanding and effective collaboration.
The analysis
Through in-depth analysis, Cohaesio identified a key obstacle for organizational effectiveness and retention, stemmed from its Human Resource processes and its ability to adapt and evolve as the organization rapidly grew. A balance of technical know-how and shared strategic objectives were missing, leading to mis-alignment between staff and a lack of a clear destination. An unclear diagnosis of the local market was also apparent, adding to the view that a performing team with technical competencies was a minimum requirement; however, a collective vision was now necessary.
The goal
Install and build a performing team with the required technical competencies, and build the collective vision that all staff supported.
The results
With our integrated view of Human Resource processes, experience of Information Technologies and systems implementation, and analyses of the strategic objectives and competitive market, our experts oversaw the implementation of a high-performance team to respond efficiently and effectively to the rapid growth period of the organization.
Manufacturing
The problem
Your people are the life-blood of your organization and its success is a direct reflection of the collective intelligence and collaborative focus of the team. When your people become unbalanced and misaligned, this leads to compounding problems across the organization. Listening to your people and understanding when key interprofessional teams have become misaligned or unbalanced is key skill leaders must demonstrate. Listening is not about the response but about the understanding of the obstacles between people as well as the context, enabling calculated and targeted interventions to improve performance. In this case, communication issues and misalignment had led to a key member of the team taking stress-leave. Upon the return of this key member, the organization had to identify the issues and challenges for this member and with their team, in order to effectively enhance performance, or – if necessary – justify replace this key member.
The analysis
Our team was tasked with analyzing the communications between and among the team members, including the professional who had taken stress leave. It became apparent that the communications about issues and challenges with upper management were not being shared transparently, nor being addressed effectively and that there was space to improve for both for all levels of the organization.
The goal
Successfully re-integrate the staff member, improve the overall team performance and initiate an open-communication and collaborative mindset across the organization.
The results
Individual coaching and discussion with key people in the organization about communication and instilling a collaborative mindset across the people-base led to the successful re-integration of the employee. Moreover, the team-based approach that was implemented prevented future issues arising, and contributed to enhance performance for all stakeholders.
Aerospace
The problem
During a business transformation project, an Aerospace company was looking to successfully implement a system which would enable the organization to streamline processes and improve efficiencies. A significant budget was approved to purchase a software system and build a project team to bring the organization to a successful transformation.
The analysis
Our team was tasked to put in place a structure which would optimize the success rate of the project. After reviewing the existing team in place, we elaborated a new structure which would address all fields in the program in an efficient manner and established processes and procedures to optimize delivery.
The goal
Implement a new system within the timeline and approved budget to improve the organization’s efficiencies.
The results
A quick and efficient recruitment and integration of new team members was required while instilling an environment where trust and communication were paramount. By adapting the communications to the relational maturity that had developed between all parties from varying levels in the organization, our team was able to develop a trust relationship with the executive team and the rest of the organization allowing for an open and frank communication.
Forestry/Mining
A common problem
The behavioural alignment between your people is one of the largest factors in organizational success yet, surprisingly, this is where we as consultants, see a lot of businesses struggle. Unlocking effective collaboration and the collective intelligence of your people will create substantial opportunity for change and results.
The analysis
Behavioural change is initiated on an individual level but in order to be successful, must extend to the entire organization. Cohaesio analyses and diagnoses the behaviour and attitudes of your people to understand the space between them as to how unified they really are including at covert hidden levels. ‘It is not what’s written on the walls, but whispered in the halls’ exemplifies the depth of our analysis and the mindset Cohaesio brings to your organization.
The results
By first analyzing your people and their interactions, we can tailor individual coaching, interactive workshops, and multiple formats of interventions to enhance insight, ownership, self- and other-understanding, and thereby focus on the collective intelligence and engagement. Aligning the expectations of and between your people at every level alongside the company’s expectations and creating a collaborative, open, environment fosters significant and lasting results in every organization this effort is deployed.
Academia
The problem
In academic settings, faculty and scholars historically develop their own unique means to approach teaching, research, and/or writing, and were individually lauded for doing so. However academic departments worldwide are under intense pressure to behave as an integrated team in order to adapt to 21st Century realities, and to be efficient and competitive. Cohaesio was tasked with diagnosing why the shared performance across a academic department’s faculty was suboptimal and at times, combative, in order to unlock their collective potential as a team.
The analysis
Communication among the faculty scholars was scarce and predominantly virtual, thereby avoiding accountability. Questioning was seen as taboo. Administrative efforts to transform the faculty’s individually-focused attitudes and behaviours led to an ‘I don’t know where to start” or even “What? but why?” mentality. A lack of shared purpose and united vision for their future was holding them back from achieving their potential.
The goal
Engage and optimize the collective intelligence of the department
The results
Following an in-depth analysis of the issues and challenges faced by the faculty to work as a team, Cohaesio coached individuals and thereafter designed and facilitated an intense department self-awareness workshop. Faculty participants were expertly guided to share their opinions and fears triggering a collective “AHA” moment. This experience facilitated a substantive step forward in better understanding of themselves and each other, in owning their strengths and challenges, and identifying concretely how to collaborate for the betterment of the department’s future. A powerful outcome was how the faculty as a collective re-imagined their department brand identity as “Greening and Feeding the World”.
Not-for-profit
The problem
In the Environment and Conservation sector, conservationists are skilled scientists who are deeply passionate and committed to their cause. Their devotion can however lead to inflexibility, perceived arrogance, and isolation that in turn undermines project efficiencies between the scientists and the communications-outreach staff, operational and management teams. Cohaesio was tasked with diagnosing the roadblocks to interprofessional collaboration, to address the friction within and between teams, to build appreciation of the different styles and approaches of conservationists and communications-outreach staff, in order to unlock the collective potential of the organization.
The analysis
Direct communication between scientists and their communications-outreach counterparts was scarce, and generally regarded as futile and inefficient. The resultant isolation enabled ego and individual opinions on projects to persist, contributed to task overlap and project inefficiencies, and contributed to confusion for external stakeholders. Management had implemented a transformation initiative requiring scientists and communications-outreach to collaborate on all projects, but performance and attitudinal change was mixed at best.
The goal
Facilitate understanding of the strengths of scientists and communication-outreach professionals in order to enhance trust, and to develop a collaborative approach to projects.
The results
Cohaesio analysed the management-led transformation initiative, the reception of the transformation by the staff, as well as diagnosed the respective communication styles of scientists, communication-outreach staff, and managers. With these insights, Cohaesio designed a series of interactive workshops with real-world project-based scenarios. We focused on building self- and other-awareness in formats that built understanding and respect. All stakeholders reported better understanding of their counterparts and identified concrete practical steps to collaboratively undertake projects. Following these workshops, Cohaesio developed a team-based Decision-Making Algorithm for the teams to apply to future projects.
Government sectors
In response to pandemic-provoked lock-down in March 2020, organizations globally were forced to rapidly shift to a remote-work environment. This abrupt business disruption required rapid integration of technology, infrastructure, and processes. Moreover it triggered substantive stress and concerns for management and team resiliency.
The Problem
Executives for a national para-governmental organization suspected an increase in stress among their staff, disruptive perceptions of inequity in work responsibility, and decreasing productivity. They identified the organization’s management team as key to intervene with staff, and sought to enhance the managers’ awareness, insights and judgement to address stress and build resiliency for the virtual work environment.
The analysis
Cohaesio conducted an assessment of the issues and challenges experienced by the management team since the lockdown, including confidential pre-post surveys. We identified areas of confidence and competence, as well as concerns regarding stress management, team motivation, and work-life balance.
The solution
Cohaesio adapted its evidence-based training series “Cultivating Resilient Leaders and Teams” to foster and promote the skills to be effective, responsive and resilient in the face of adversity, to the needs and concerns identified by our analysis, and deployed four (4) interactive, virtual 1-hour training sessions with the management team. The training included information, tips and tools to identify stress, healthy vs unhealthy coping, and means to promote resiliency, as well as evidence-based techniques to optimize management in the virtual environment, including performance management & appraisal instruments.
The results
Managers actively engaged in the training sessions, and in the confidential post-evaluations reported:
- 100% “satisfied with the overall quality and format of this training series”
- 100% “content is relevant to my work.”
- 90% “would you recommend the training to peers or colleagues”
- Great facilitators, able to connect with everyone on the call and ensure that even the quiet ones participated 😉
- Very engaged and dynamic! They know what they are talking about and excellent facilitators
In addition to the satisfaction and increased knowledge and skills of the management team, Cohaesio provided clear and pragmatic recommendations to the Executives and Human Resources for targeted follow-up tactics and methods to further enhance staff, leaders, and organizational resiliency.