Past Project Samples
ELG has a long list of consulting and advisory engagements aimed at assessing and improving organizational performance. Following are a few examples:
ELG provided the primary senior advisory services to that team, including training them on the approach and skills required for a comprehensive cultural assessment. ELG traveled with the core team to help gather critical inputs as part of the effort. ELG’s work included designing and conducting large (100-person) collaborative working sessions to ensure comprehensive and diverse inputs, plus Air Force-wide support for change.
After that assessment phase, ELG played the lead role in developing the strategic solution framework delivered to General Goldfein. Solutions are now being implemented by Air Force leadership.
For a very readable summary of that work, see “A Model of Air Force Squadron Vitality,” lead article in Air & Space Power Journal, Winter 2018.
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS Under the direction of US Naval Information Forces’ Commander and Deputy Commander, ELG developed an Information Warfare Enterprise (IWE) Strategic Direction Framework to guide the development of strategic communications planning.The benefits of this framework include clarifying IWE purpose and the distinct role of each IWE entity; aligning IWE leadership to IWE purpose; and insight into enablers and barriers to IWE success.
The Stakeholder Engagement and Communication Planning phase delivered a detailed communications and high-touch engagement plan. It is anchored in clear and objective outcomes tailored for each stakeholder group.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT ELG instructors have designed and delivered over 500 seminars, including one on how to design and deliver seminars. ELG instructors have performed in a variety of academic settings. For example, for over 10 years, both ELG principals served as curriculum advisors to the Center for Executive Education at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, where they also taught senior executive classes on strategic planning and execution, and related leadership topics.
An ELG instructor co-designed and was lead faculty member for the award-winning University of Denver/US West masters- level certificate program in project management.
ELG instructors taught for the Haas School of Business (University of California, Berkeley), the Daniels School of Business and University College (University of Denver), Marylhurst College (Oregon), Joint Special Operations University, and others.
ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT A leading technology innovator, a Fortune 500 company, was attempting a joint project with two other companies. The project would produce an important advance in product design and performance. The project could boost all three companies’ revenues, but only if the project could hit critical market windows. This would require efficient processes, effective collaboration, and strong ethical behavior in order to ensure each organization’s intellectual property was preserved. Unfortunately, foot dragging and stove piping by middle managers in all three companies threatened to undermine the entire effort.
The Vice President of Engineering asked ELG to assess the situation and recommend improvements. Through interviews and observation, ELG examined organizational issues and process design, and then designed steps to remedy the situation.
The companies executed ELG’s recommendations and later reported a consequent cut in projected product development cycle time by 51%, which netted increased revenues of over $100MM. This multi-company project succeeded, and ELG’s recommendations were carried forward on other projects, as well.
ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENTS US Air Force-wide Airmen who were manning ICBM silos had been caught cheating on their monthly exams; a fifth of that workforce was suspended during the resulting investigation. Global Strike Command leadership asked ELG to help assess the cause. ELG designed and led the project’s kick-off, which included training Air Force’s own assessment team.
In addition, ELG conducted a cultural assessment that informed survey questions and produced preliminary findings and recommendations as input to solution development. The Air Force’s final findings and recommendations, published March 27, 2014, are consistent with ELG’s input. The cheating stopped. (This work stemmed from ELG’s success in helping Commander, US Submarine Forces, reduce the number of untoward “incidents” that submarines were having at the time.)
TARGETED STRATEGIC SOLUTION The US Coast Guard (USCG) had a problem: a major class of ships – 378 cutters – had long served the Coast Guard well but was due for replacement. However, procurement of the 378s’ replacement had been delayed, and repairs to the aging vessels were becoming increasingly difficult, costly, and often impossible — seriously threatening mission capability.
Commander, Coast Guard, Pacific Area was charged with ensuring that USCG could meet its mission commitments while awaiting the replacements ships. Under his direction, ELG helped develop and implement a strategy and execution discipline for aligning financial and manpower resources to match capabilities to missions. The resulting cascade of precise accountabilities bought the time required for acquisition of the new cutter class. No missions were sacrificed while awaiting the new class of ships.
