Photo Francesco Ungaro

In a time when agility and adaptability are crucial, one Engineering Department at a global organization embarked on a journey to revisit their foundations and their management practices, while crafting a path for their future. Our collaborative work aimed at infusing agility, align under a shared vision, and build a collective roadmap.

The initiative was born from a clear recognition of needs –a foundational step in every transformation project. The department sought not only to enhance its agility to navigate the surrounding change but also to rally the large Engineering managers community around a shared vision that would guide their collective efforts in a changing market. They were under intense pressure while new competitors were changing the very way they had been conducting their business for decades.

Solid grounds allow for higher ambitions

The journey was progressively crafted within our co-design team (part client, part consultant): such a transformation really starts during the first co-design meeting, as it creates space for intention and ways of working that will impact the outcome. The participation of some of the Executive Team members to the co-design team reflects both the importance of the project and the involvement of the leaders.

An initial workshop with the Engineering Managers set the stage for their ambition: together  and step by step, they crafted the vision for the entire department. With our guidance, they used collaborative methods of course, including some that were less logical than what engineers are used to! The workshop also allowed for the leaders to make sure that the Department’s performance plan would integrate seamlessly with the overarching group strategy. That’s how a collaborative seminar produces an actionable outcome rather than a futureless “shopping list”.

Increasingly inclusive circles

The initiative then gained momentum with the second step: a comprehensive Management Seminar building on the Managers production. Now guided by their department’s vision and diving into the dimensions of the transformation, the managers were in a position to co-create a relevant 2-year roadmap for themselves. They integrated their corporate product rationale, and clarified the roles and interfaces that would help improve their collective performance. In turn, feeling more secure in their roles gave them more impact with their teams.

Beyond the very practical production of a roadmap, the transformation journey touched upon several pivotal themes:

  • Higher common goals
  • Working methods and organizational processes
  • Scope, roles and responsibilities
  • Contributions and expectations across teams
  • Clear decision-making

Both the outcomes and the collaborative methods equipped the teams not only paved the way for action, they also make them feel stronger in a more dynamic environment. The development of concrete action plans translated the shared vision into actionable steps. Combined with clear scopes, roles and responsibilities, the plans not only accelerated teamwork but also ensured seamless cooperation across teams.

The transformative journey of the Engineering Department shows how shared vision and collaboration can serve as powerful catalysts for change. This case study showcases how embracing new ways of working together can create an environment where agility, innovation and growth happen. It underscores the potential within every organization and how to build on it.

Co-Dynamics creates a space to partner with organizations on their journey toward transformation, allowing them to craft solutions that resonate with their unique challenges and aspirations in the long term. This story of transformation is but one example of how, with the right mindset and collaborative tools, every team can become more resilient, agile, and unified to reach their specific ambitions.

Avant que vous ne quittiez cette page : j’ai montré à l’IA mes articles précéents (pour donner une idée du contenu et de mon style), les objectifs, méthodes et calendrier de la mission, et j’ai repris la version qu’il a produite. Pour être honnête, c’était un test qui méritait d’être fait pour un article de blog, cependant je n’ai pas été très impressionnée par la version de l’IA et je continue à écrire ce contenu moi-même. Je demande parfois à l’IA un meilleur titre ou un synonyme, mais le ton et l’essentiel de l’expression restent et resteront les miens ! J’espère que vous apprécier l’authenticité et la spontanéité autant que moi.