11.1. Workshop Overview

The first half of the workshop was designed to help participants understand the new BizTech strategy and the specific role they would play in implementing it. We asked the executives who reported directly to Bill to take turns leading this part of the workshop to demonstrate that the entire management team supported the new strategy. Because some of these business leaders had been with BizTech for many years, their opinions carried more weight with long-term employees. Bill also wanted to give his direct reports experience in presenting the strategy to prepare them for future presentations they would make to clients and other stakeholders. In their presentations, the leaders made the overarching business case for the strategy, explaining in very concrete terms the need for a different way of working at BizTech. They also spelled out the need for individuals to move beyond their established teams and patterns of interaction, and pushed them to articulate exactly how they would need to alter their approaches to work and workplace interactions to contribute to the strategy.

Members of the organization development team facilitated the second half of the workshop, which was devoted to fostering the different patterns of collaboration required for end-to-end product integration. In this session, we shared recent research demonstrating the importance of robust social networks for individual and organizational performance. We then engaged participants in analyzing their own personal networks by reviewing their PNA reports and considering those networks relative to the vision and strategy. Finally, each participant created an individual action plan for developing relationships that would lead to improved collaboration and product integration.

The day concluded with a happy hour, which provided a relaxed environment for continuing to connect with others.