From Pilot to National Standard: Helping Teams Share What Works

Know Good Consulting engagement: a temporary contract leadership role, covering for a leader on leave at a large national organization.

“Our full team benefited from the sessions.”

The challenge

The organization had consistent job descriptions and performance measures across the country. How teams actually did the work varied widely from place to place. There was no shared way for teams to collaborate, so clients had different experiences depending on which location they dealt with.

The organization needed a common approach that would set every worker up for success and give every client the same high standard of care.

Starting small

I began with a pilot in one Western Canadian region: about 20 capable development staff across five locations, each with its own way of working.

I brought the team together for an immersive retreat. A mix of structured and open sessions let people share what was working, build stronger working relationships and design feedback loops that would last.

The pilot worked well, and the organization asked me to take it national.

Taking it national

Using what we learned in the pilot, I adapted the approach for the national rollout:

1. Focused on people’s motivations, so the changes made sense to the people doing the work.
2. Aligned how teams told the organization’s story, so clients heard one consistent voice.
3. Built simple tools to speed up onboarding for new hires and support the growth of experienced staff.
4. Made it last by building regular knowledge-sharing sessions into the national calendar.

The outcome

After the rollout, the organization reported a measurable increase in productivity across all development staff – more than 100 people. Client satisfaction rose, especially among national clients, who now received the same standard of care at every location.

New hires felt supported from day one, and experienced staff saw a clearer path to grow their careers within the organization.

Try this

Ask three people on your team to describe how they handle the same everyday task. Where their answers differ, you’ve found your first conversation about what works best.

Be well.