Creating collaborative work systems in global company

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Leadership development and strategic mentoring: Aligning internal stakeholders across organizational boundaries

Challenge: Trusted advisor to senior leaders and the CEO of a global manufacturing company ($500 million and 3,000 employees at time of engagement)

Mindy Gewirtz helped to create collaborative work systems and align internal stakeholders after a natural disaster destroyed significant sectors of the business. Worked with the Executive Team and Divisional leaders to design and implement collaborative work systems throughout the organization.

Solution: Mindy helped CEO and senior leadership to develop a strategy and redesign organizational structure and process for transitioning to collaborative work systems and a 24/7 operation.

• Facilitated executive team meetings to clarify vision and strategy, resolving cross-boundary conflicts and strengthening leadership.
• Developed and facilitated joint Union/Management Team to support business culture change and effectively manage quality of work life issues.
• Developed and facilitated cross-functional Divisional Leadership Teams, Manufacturing Ops Teams, Plant Leadership and Supply Chain Teams.
• Led consulting team of ten that designed, delivered and evaluated division-wide leadership development training for senior and middle level managers, supervisors and operators.
• Provided strategic mentoring to executives to support initiatives.
• Developed 360 degree appraisal process, and conducted shift work-lifestyle workshops for employees and management to improve quality of work life.
• Designed and implemented employee and community needs assessments regarding work-family initiatives.

Results: Multi-year systemic culture change and organizational redesign initiative transitioned company from a hierarchical to a collaborative work system. Management processes and production floor processes realigned with a yearly ROI of $400K. Helped company design and implement transition to a 24/7 operation with zero union grievances, eliminating overtime expenditures and increasing productivity.

Tags: collaborative work systems, culture change, Executive Team, global manufacturing company, redesign organizational structure