Project Snapshot and Results

Applied Information Sciences (AIS) is a technology services company founded in 1982 and based out of Reston, VA. In 2018, AIS found itself at the forefront of a new chapter of growth. Such growth, focused on cloud migration services at that time, had proven advantageous albeit presented challenges surrounding stakeholder management, talent acquisition and development.

To tackle these challenges, AIS partnered with WAYFIND to launch a series of employee working groups each chartered to frame a designated challenge, research approaches for solutioning and present fresh opportunities along with implementation recommendations to executive leadership. 

WAYFIND facilitated working group kickoffs where employees formed teams and explored their respective challenges. In orienting to the work and one another, the group unpacked their past visually by mapping a shared corporate history. We then introduced new tools and a framework for teaming successfully at a distance and midst competing priorities over the coming months; teams began developing goals and plans with executive leaders that cheered them on and celebrated their progress. WAYFIND facilitated and coached each team, offering support throughout the steep learning curve of self-management. WAYFIND consulted on talent management and organization development issues. WAYFIND also introduced consent-based decision-making and design thinking along the journey of each team. WAYFIND visually took notes to capture the knowledge of the team along the way. 

Our partnership with AIS introduced employee-driven business strategies to address each challenge and gave new insights into ways of teaming and working across the organization.

Project Snapshot and Results

Shenandoah University, established in 1875, is a private, nationally recognized university that blends professional career experiences with liberal education. University leadership regularly convene their Divisions for yearly reflection, celebration and collaborative planning. Throughout the years of 2019 and 2020, a Division of Shenandoah University gathered for the usual annual planning exercise but with new focus on building stronger teaming relationships given recent shifts in staffing and emerging leadership transitions. 

Division leaders partnered with WAYFIND for the visual planning, design and facilitation of two offsite experiences. The first offsite accomplished the establishment of clear, memorable goals in alignment with the direction of the University, the reset of and renewal for each staff member surrounding their essential intent of purpose, contribution and value, and empowerment across all staff to press operations forward with reduced supervision. The Division collectively framed an “ethos” or set of values and rhythms to underpin how to work together within the context of the University and its culture. 

The first facilitation experience served to build forward momentum in calibrating well with new operating rhythms, improved group dynamics and a more inclusive work environment. The second facilitation furthered team development efforts through the utility of the Everything DiSC assessment and behavioral style model. Through the lens of DiSC, the Division explored individual and group patterns of behavior, and leveraged that knowledge to improve their professional relationships and performance.  

Partnership with Shenandoah University successfully achieved the desired outcomes of the Division and much more. Beyond getting the work done, staff members personally reclaimed their purpose and renewed passion for their work which led to increased engagement and initiative. With tools such as DiSC, the Division gained new awareness and understanding of themselves and one another which has fostered better relationships at work and in their lives.

Project Snapshot and Results

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) upholds its mission of ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce by offering leadership development courses and services to Federal, state, local and international governments. One such training, a Single-Agency customized offering for a component of the Department of Defense, required live visual notetaking (or graphic recording) services during facilitated delivery. 

OPM partnered with WAYFIND for the preparation, planning and delivery of live graphic recording during scheduled classes. WAYFIND graphic recorders met with program facilitators and organizers to deeply understand the program context, participant composition, materials and logistics. These planning meetings with independent review and chart template preparation resulted in highly effective visual capture that facilitated lasting learning for program participants.  WAYFIND ultimately developed comprehensive knowledge walls and information displays of visual artifacts during the class offerings, and conducted chart reviews prior to each class start and end. WAYFIND provided high resolution digitized versions of all artifacts for participant distribution; in closing, WAYFIND engaged in lessons learned to highlight best practices and documented improvement recommendations for future delivery on behalf of the program. 

Our partnership with OPM visualized the continuous big picture view of learning across each three-day class offering. Visual notetaking services reportedly increased participant engagement in the experience and created a lasting record of the group learning and memory.