CLIENT: Young Women Empowered (Y-WE)
SERVICE: Organizational Design Consulting
Impact Driven Non-Profit Preparing For Next Decade of Success
Approaching their 10-year anniversary, Y-WE wanted to take time to develop a shared commitment to a plan for the next 10 years, as well as addressing interpersonal challenges among the staff. Due to some staff turnover and strategic confusion, there was an opportunity to clarify roles and expectations, streamline operations, cultivate strategic clarity and promote generative communication, among all Y-WE staff and leadership.
How We Helped
We crafted a human centered approach including strategic and operational consulting, coaching, and focused capacity building workshops.
Listen & Learn
The first step was to conduct a comprehensive SWOT assessment and organizational survey to develop a common understanding of the internal and external environment and generate buy-in to the statement of work.
A consulting report was crafted based on an assessment of the data collected and feedback provided. These recommendations were presented to the organization and board and focus areas were agreed upon for the next two phases of work.
Strengthen Culture
Three individual coaching sessions were provided to each member of the Y-WE executive and program leadership teams. These sessions provided a safe space for employees to surface and address challenges and opportunities, for their individual growth and development, and to listen for suggestions.
A communication workshop was conducted to teach staff how to effectively give and receive feedback, and to practice these tools and techniques in a safe environment.
Create The Future
Once we finished the rounds of individual coaching sessions, we worked with Y-WE leadership to understand the data collected and develop an operational plan that incorporated goals that came from the discovery phase and the recommendations document. This plan was prioritized and arranged into a sequence over 2 years.
The final step of our consulting journey was to facilitate a shared vision workshop using LEGO® Serious Play® to collectively create a compelling narrative that each employee could envision, feel and describe.
Outcomes
Our work with Y-WE laid a strong foundation that helped supercharge their impact and income over the next two years.
01. At the conclusion of our work with Y-WE, there was an increased feeling of engagement and renewed purpose among staff and leadership.
02. Participants reported feeling a refreshed intention and better environment for giving and receiving honest feedback, as well as new feedback tools.
03. Both Executive Directors moved from feeling stuck and unfulfilled in their roles to shifting their roles and contributing more fully. This led to an increase in fundraising and operational cash reserves.
“Working with Spille:Play improved the health of our organization through sustaining, transforming and building a culture of honesty and transparency around what was working and not working. This paved the pathway for the ongoing success of the co-director model at Y-WE, which continues to evolve and become more sustainable. Jyoti helped us switch roles both mentally and emotionally, by understanding our passions and desires, and tactically by creating a new organizational chart and outcomes.”
—Rose Edwards, Co Executive Director, Y-WE