Category Case Studies

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.

Client success story. Project completed 2019.

“It works better than I ever imagined.”

The challenge

Our client, a highly respected industry expert, was ready to turn decades of experience into a new venture. They had built an effective predictive scoring system on paper – a tool that, once digitized and made widely available, could reduce risk and costs for businesses and the people who work in them.

The challenge was turning a lifetime of knowledge into a secure, easy-to-use online platform, and building a brand to launch it.

Our approach

Turning a binder full of complex calculations into working code takes care. So we started by building a shared language, so the expert and the developers meant the same thing when they talked about every question, score and result.

Working closely together, we mapped the purpose of every question and outcome. At the same time, we developed the brand so the finished product would carry the right message.

Building it

1. Secure hosting. We arranged trusted third-party hosting to protect our client’s data.
2. A clear user experience. We designed the app’s interface, the flow of questions and the way the final reports are presented.
3. Thorough testing. We tested every possible combination of responses before launch.
4. A full website. We built a professional site with membership tiers, online payments and event registration.

The outcome

The product launched on schedule. Our client earned recognition from professional associations for the app and its related training events. Today, the tool is used in multiple locations, including inside a major global company.

Try this

Write down one thing you know how to do that others regularly ask you about. Then ask: could a checklist, a scoring tool or a simple app share that knowledge while you sleep?

Be well.

Client success story from my consulting practice, before it became Know Good Consulting. Project completed around 2004.

“Our customers and staff were happier than ever.”

The challenge

Our client, an international brand and a leading maker of high-end consumer products, needed to raise closing rates and make its sales process more efficient. Timelines were tight, squeezed between product launches and peak shopping seasons.

The brand didn’t own its stores. Everything depended on training programs delivered to sales teams at authorized third-party retailers.

Our approach

We started by getting to know the brand through its customers’ eyes, using sales and market data to understand why it was so popular with certain groups of buyers.

Then we reviewed the training guides retail partners were using. They relied on a common industry habit: “assume the sale.” Customers felt pressured and left out of their own decision, and the result was people walking away mid-sale and a high rate of returns. The opportunity was clear – see the customer as a person first.

Shifting from “we” to “they”

We built a program that took brand and retail sales reps through practical exercises showing how a customer’s own motivations shape how quickly they decide and how happy they stay with their purchase.

The conversation moved from “me” and “we” to “they.” Every rep learned to:

1. Build genuine rapport with each customer.
2. Find the need behind the question quickly.
3. Tell stories that connect product features to what matters to that customer.

We also worked with sales managers and leadership to set new performance measures, so every team member had support to grow.

The outcome

The first rollout reached one national retail partner and all of the brand’s field reps. Within a year, the program became the required standard for every authorized retailer.

Retailers reported fewer returns and higher customer satisfaction. Sales cycles shortened a little less than hoped at the national level, but that was more than made up by higher average purchases. Customers who felt heard spent more and returned less – and everyone involved came out ahead.

Try this

Read your own sales script or training guide as if you were the customer. Count how many sentences are about the product and how many are about the person buying it.

Be well.

Client success story. Project completed 2022.

“It screams Thank You! while helping people.”

The challenge

Our client, a regional charity, was exploring a traditional donor wall. They had two problems: very little public wall space to recognize donors, and the need for something their staff could update easily and affordably. They needed recognition with room to grow.

Our approach

First, we worked with the client, their partners and their landlord to secure a highly visible spot at the main entrance. Then we designed a digital display built to catch attention and share clear, compelling messages with everyone who walked through the doors.

We managed the purchase and secure installation of the screens from start to finish, and built simple templates so staff could update donor recognition, campaign messages and program information themselves.

Learning and improving

The first version was well received. But watching people in the space, we noticed most guests were only glancing at the screens.

So we released a second version with more engaging content. Glances turned into real attention, with people reading and watching for as long as they were in the area.

The outcome

The screens say far more than “thank you.” They show genuine gratitude to supporters, help guests learn how to access programs and give people an easy way to donate while they’re watching.

Our client strengthened donor stewardship and lowered the long-term cost of recognition. Most importantly, the screens helped more local families find their way to services that changed their lives.

Try this

Stand in your own lobby or entrance for ten minutes and watch what people look at. Whatever holds their attention is your best place to say thank you – and to show them where help is.

Be well.

Client success story. Project completed 2023.

“With Conor’s help, we clearly understood our capacity and needs.”

The challenge

Our client, a local organization with provincial reach, was carrying out an ambitious strategic and board development plan. Board members were leaving, and key seats sat empty.

Their annual board survey showed high satisfaction, but leaders sensed it wasn’t telling the whole story. They were worried about blind spots and gaps in the board’s makeup, and they needed a clear picture of the board’s real capacity so members could work more efficiently and collaboratively.

Our approach

We started by meeting with the board’s executive to understand the group’s dynamics and its most pressing challenges. From there, we designed a custom approach with three ways of gathering insight:

1. Group discussions with the full board.
2. One-on-one conversations with individual members.
3. A customized online survey built around the questions this board needed answered.

Engaging people in several ways produced a large volume of honest, reliable and useful information.

The outcome

From planning to final report, the project took less than seven weeks.

The board received a detailed map of its skills across operations, oversight, governance and finance, along with a clear picture of each member’s communication preferences and available capacity.

With that insight, the organization refined its internal processes and focused its recruitment on filling specific skills gaps. The client called the survey “transformational” – for the first time, they fully understood their capacity and their needs.

Try this

Look at your last board survey. Does it tell you what skills your board has, what capacity members have to give and how they prefer to communicate? If it only measures satisfaction, there’s more to learn.

Be well.