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- Chapter Differences<\/strong> – There was great diversity in the size of individual chapters, their priorities, and needs. Chapters ranged from small teams of 3-5 people to an office of 100 people or more. A centralized solution would need to consider a wide variety of perspectives.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
To be able to grant more wishes to more children, Make-A-Wish needed to take advantage of the similarities between chapters to create a standardized solution that would save time and money while ensuring the unique delivery of each child\u2019s one true wish. At the same time, they needed to account for the differences inherent in the independent nature of individual chapters.<\/p>\n
The success of this initiative would rest on Make-A-Wish America earning the trust and support of the individual chapters.<\/p>\n
Gaining Chapter Trust and Support<\/h2>\n
In basic terms, Make-A-Wish was facing a situation common to all organizations- they needed to implement changes to help the organization achieve its goals. By utilizing a proactive approach with proven change management tools and methods, they transformed an initiative that could have been met with anxiety and resistance into a transformative experience that helped build better communication and relationships across the organization. They are a great example of how to apply ADKAR-based change management methods the right way. (For more information on change management and the ADKAR model, download Managing Technology Change for Enterprise Nonprofits here<\/a>)<\/p>\n
Creating Awareness<\/h3>\n
For the first step, Make-A-Wish America had to develop clear reasons and messaging for why each chapter should support this project. They crafted a specific vision statement that connected it directly to the core mission of Make\u2013A-Wish. By using a common, clear goal, they were able to explain individual stages to stakeholders including C-level leadership, board members, and chapter staff.\u00a0 This project vision was present and visible for every meeting from the beginning\u00a0and repeated over and over again. It was beneficial for the Make-A-Wish team as well as our consulting team to have the mission of what we were striving to do front and center at all times. Everyone understood all the work we did came back to this central goal.<\/p>\n
Project Vision<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
Implement a centralized wish management software solution that will increase the efficiency of staff and volunteers, improve communication and collaboration, and provide enhanced reporting capabilities, reducing wish process timelines so that current chapter staff can grant more wishes.<\/span><\/p>\n
Project Objectives<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
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- Increase total number of wishes granted<\/span>\n
- \n
- Decrease resource time (hours) required to grant a wish<\/span><\/li>\n
- Decrease overall length of time from inquiry through wish completion<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Increase efficiency of staff and volunteers<\/span>\n
- \n
- Reduce manual processes<\/span><\/li>\n
- Reduce duplicate data entry<\/span><\/li>\n
- Decrease processes that require paper<\/span><\/li>\n
- Provide a central online repository for audit purposes – reduce paper<\/span><\/li>\n
- Improve efficiency of Medical Eligibility and Authorization approval processes<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Improve communication and collaboration<\/span><\/li>\n
- Provide enhanced reporting capabilities<\/span>\n
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- Provide the ability to report on specific pieces of the wish process to look for future process improvements and efficiency gains<\/span><\/li>\n
- Provide better information for Medical Outreach to manage referrals\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
To expand the awareness of the vision and goal, the Make-A-Wish America team visited local chapters socializing the idea, gaining input and feedback on the project. The team was encouraged to provide their own insights that would benefit the project, making their ideas part of the eventual solution. It was key make everyone aware of the project vision in a more personal setting before the official kickoff.<\/p>\n
Creating Desire<\/h3>\n
Often times, when you think about the concept of creating desire on an individual basis, it’s illustrated by the phrase “What’s in it for me?” The next step for Make-A-Wish America was to address this question and explain the benefits of the proposed system to the people who would be using it. \u00a0They met with individuals from various chapters to talk through how this change will benefit their particular chapter, department, and even position in that office.\u00a0 Since the benefits of the proposed system for a staff person at one of the largest chapters is very different from the benefits for a chapter that has three staff members in the entire office, it was essential to take the time to address each chapter\u2019s unique needs and concerns.<\/p>\n
Make-A-Wish America also created desire and support for the transition by involving individual chapters in the initial design process.\u00a0 It was impossible to get the feedback and involvement of all 60-plus offices, so the national office selected a group of 13 that represented large, medium and small chapters.\u00a0 These chapters represented the diversity of needs across the organization, and could speak for their colleagues with similar challenges.\u00a0 With a representative group in place, Make-A-Wish America and Heller hosted a series of participatory design workshops focused on two specific goals:<\/p>\n
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- Understand the current wish processes for chapters of all sizes<\/li>\n
- Agree on a standard process that would benefit all chapters regardless of size<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
To get the chapter representatives prepared and engaged, Heller followed our established workshop structure:<\/p>\n
1. Establish a basic process outline<\/h4>\n
To start, Heller Consulting interviewed the national office and certain chapter offices on the current process. It was important to establish a baseline perspective for what they did now, and how they understood their desired future state. We distilled this information and drafted a \u2018straw model\u2019 model of current and future processes. In these workshops we\u2019ve found it very productive to revise and refine from a basic structure than to start fresh with each stakeholder.<\/p>\n
2. Prepare the chapters for the workshops<\/h4>\n
Leading up to the onsite workshops, we administered a survey to gauge how the staff viewed the upcoming initiative and if they supported the idea. We also wanted their perspective on what they felt would be the biggest challenges. We then delivered quite a bit of homework for the chapter staff to complete. They were assigned to read through a 53-page document and contribute comments and changes so they would be prepared for the coming workshop. By assigning this large time commitment, we assured them that their input was valued and necessary for the success of the project. This effort helped to build trust between the national office and individual chapters.<\/p>\n
3. Meet with the chapters<\/h4>\n
The participatory design sessions started with remote kick off meetings to introduce the vision, roles and responsibilities, and the path to get there. It was important to each chapter to understand that no decisions had been made yet, but that changes were coming and we wanted their input.<\/p>\n
The actual day of the participatory design session started and ended with a lot of energy and enthusiasm and after working through the homework, the chapters were well prepared.\u00a0 Individuals were placed in groups of 5 and each group was tasked to review and design a part of the process.\u00a0 There were various locations spread amongst two conference rooms with tables representing each part of the process.\u00a0 A facilitator, partnered with a subject matter expert, led each table and was in charge of collecting and documenting the results of the group efforts.\u00a0 The day was spent full of conversation, redesigning, pages of print outs and mark ups, white boarding of new ideas and changes, and furiously capturing notes.\u00a0\u00a0 It was a full and exhausting day, but the end result was that people were fully engaged and offered many improvements to the process.\u00a0 Chapter staff got to exchange stories, share ideas, and got to know each other better.\u00a0 Together, they became fully invested in the success of the project and built strong cooperative relationships with other chapter members.<\/p>\n
Conclusion and Top Tips for Success<\/h2>\n
By including individual chapters in the preliminary solution development process, Make-A-Wish America established a relationship of trust and mutual respect from the beginning of the project. This bond will be essential throughout the project, and will help all stakeholders take ownership of their eventual shared success. For me, it was exciting to see the passion of the individual chapters focused into an initiative that will serve the entire organization.<\/p>\n
If you are planning an initiative that will bring changes to your organization, here are some tips that will help you communicate with your own team, whether they are local or remote.<\/p>\n
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- Learn from previous projects. People will always remember. Repeat what was successful and change what wasn\u2019t. Reference that in your new project what you are repeating and avoiding. People are excited to support change that learns from the past.<\/li>\n
- In-person visits are important. It may be expensive, but the initial face to face, informal meetings are critical to develop relationships and trust.<\/li>\n
- Participatory design workshops are successful when participants are set up for success with background and preparation materials. Make sure everyone\u2019s time and effort is respected and utilized.<\/li>\n
- Establish a consistent message from leadership with clear goals and repeat it often. Define the reasons for the change, and work together to figure out solutions.<\/li>\n
- Leverage consultants as experienced and objective third-party facilitators. At Heller, we strive to enable organizations to succeed\u00a0and guide them through the process. We make sure that the work and achievements were properly acknowledged as stemming from Make-A-Wish, while also advising on best practices from our 20 years of client successes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
For more information and resources<\/h2>\n
If you are considering a technology initiative at your organization, be sure to download the resources below. They have helpful tips and strategies to get your project started and maintain momentum for the most impact to your mission. If you have any questions, please contact us<\/a>. We are happy to share our experience and resources.<\/p>\n
- Provide better information for Medical Outreach to manage referrals\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Reduce duplicate data entry<\/span><\/li>\n
- Decrease overall length of time from inquiry through wish completion<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Decrease resource time (hours) required to grant a wish<\/span><\/li>\n
- Increase total number of wishes granted<\/span>\n
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