Building a Cohesive Operations Team Across a Complex Institution

Several of our client’s operational departments were brought together under a single leadership portfolio after an organizational restructuring. Each team had a strong history of serving the institution, but had previously operated with their own priorities and ways of working.

The new leadership team realized that simply changing the organizational chart would not create a unified division. Success would require leaders and employees to develop a shared understanding of one another’s work, build stronger relationships across functional areas, and create a common culture that supported collaboration across a broad and diverse portfolio.

The division partnered with us to complete a six-month engagement designed to align leaders, strengthen cross-functional collaboration, and build a shared sense of identity across more than 400 employees.

• How do we unite multiple operational departments under one shared vision?
• How do we build trust across teams that have historically worked independently?
• How do we help employees understand how each function contributes to the institution’s success?
• How do we break down silos and encourage greater collaboration across a large and diverse portfolio?
• How do we create consistency in leadership while respecting the unique expertise of each department?
• How do we engage hundreds of employees in a meaningful way throughout the change?

We worked with the division’s leadership team to establish a shared vision for the future, clarify leadership expectations, and identify the behaviours required to lead as one integrated operations team.

To bring that vision to life across the broader division, we designed a leadership series centred around our Paper Planes Simulation, an interactive experience that demonstrates the importance of communication, systems thinking, continuous improvement, and cross-functional collaboration.

We facilitated a series of Paper Planes Simulation sessions with more than 400 employees over six months, creating opportunities for leaders and staff from different departments to work together, better understand one another’s roles, and experience firsthand how collaboration improves organizational performance.

As part of this process, we:

• Facilitated a leadership series for divisional leaders to establish a common leadership approach. 
• Delivered multiple Paper Planes Simulation sessions for more than 400 employees across the division. 
• Created opportunities for cross-functional teams to learn and solve problems together. 
• Helped employees understand how individual departments contribute to the broader institutional mission.
• Provided opportunities for conversations that strengthened trust, relationships, and collaboration across the portfolio. 
• Reinforced practical tools and behaviours that leaders could continue to apply to improve teamwork and operational effectiveness after the engagement.

Using the insights and tools gained during the Leadership Studio, the division:

• Created a stronger sense of unity across previously independent operational departments.
• Increased understanding of the roles, challenges, and contributions of teams across the portfolio.
• Strengthened collaboration and communication across functional boundaries.
• Established a shared leadership language and common expectations for working together.
• Reduced siloed thinking by helping employees see the division as one interconnected system.
• Built stronger relationships across more than 400 employees through shared learning experiences.
• Created a foundation for ongoing collaboration and continuous improvement as one integrated operations division.