These stories highlight specific work, and are not intended to fully describe the work VanArsdal and Associates can do in any one category.

For more information, please contact Al VanArsdal at info@helpingchange.com

The First Story
The Second Story
The Third Story

Strategic Change Leadership: The First Story

Al was engaged as an internal consultant to work with the executive team of a healthcare system to create a new organization in the 1990’s, as the healthcare environment shifted radically and the pressures for cost and quality performance became tantamount. Over seven years, these results were achieved:

– Development of a culture of customer focus
– Change resilience in the leadership and staff – the ability to survive and thrive in the face of continuous and rapid change., as evidenced by the successful completion of a merger after the consulting engagement ended.
– Executives’ improved capability to lead through change – make tough decisions with compassion and wisdom, be a more effective team in strategy-making and execution
– A redesign of patient care and supporting processes resulting in increased customer satisfaction and economic performance ($10 million in recurring costs taken out of the system.)
– Establishment of leadership development, compensation and rewards processes, quality management processes and strategic planning that contributed to organizational capability and resilience.

Five years after Al left the organization, the CEO remarked that “Al helped us establish the foundation for thriving in this chaotic environment – he helped us sustain our success through the years. Much of what you see going on now is the result of his work with us.”

The organization continues to be the leader in healthcare delivery in their region and market.

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Strategic Change Leadership: The Second Story

Al and his associates are assisting in the transformation of an institution of higher education. The President of this private non-profit university, a continuing but marginally effective player in the upper Mid-West region, is intending to effect a transformation into a high quality institution that will transform student’s lives. The President engaged VanArsdal & Associates to help guide the transformation, most importantly in the cultural and human dynamics involved with such a change.

The work so far has included the following components (in this organization, Jim Collins ‘Good to Great’ research is being used as a key part of the ‘strategic change roadmap’ the organization is following):

- Establishment of the right leadership team – people wired for success, and willing to be ‘on the bus’ and lead the change.
- Dialogue and debate resulting in a clear focus and identity (‘hedgehog’ in Collins’ terms) that guide all actions and decisions throughout the University.
- Fundamental redesign of the organization, to enable ‘the hedgehog’ to be fulfilled – Marketing, Recruitment, Admissions, Academics, Operations, Financial Aid, Finance, Human Resources – and allow people to focus on changing students’ lives through career-focused education and jobs.
- Development of the strategic, people, and operational processes critical to successfully unifying three formerly disparate regions across two states – and the culture necessary to bind them together.
- Building of a ‘theory in use’ of how key variables work together to achieve success – a foundation for effective measurement and oversight.
- On-going coaching with the President and other senior leaders to help them understand and shift their impact on the organization, and their ability to lead through the transformation.
- Facilitation and process consultation with the Cabinet to improve their joint effectiveness in leading through the change.
- Using whole-scale approaches (‘getting the whole system in the room’) in the planning process to create alignment and commitment to the new direction.

This is an on-going story, and a long-term engagement for VanArsdal & Associates. After two years, the President believes the foundation is set, and the University is poised to produce outstanding results (helping students ‘start, stay, and succeed’, supported by economic health and viability).

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Strategic Change Leadership: The Third Story

VanArsdal and Associates was engaged by the newly-appointed Executive Director of a large teaching hospital to facilitate senior leadership through a four-month strategic planning process. The work began with some assessment done by interviewing key administrative and physician leaders to define the change agenda, and then in a day’s work with the executive team to define long-term strategic goals.

A large-scale meeting of seventy leaders from all areas of the hospital and clinics was held. After hearing and understanding the thoughts and data behind the formation of the strategic goals, the group developed and committed to shorter-term tactical plans.

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