Got An Organizational Problem You Need to Fix Fast?
We’ve got Solutions
Together, We Will Uncover the Base Issues, Fix Them, and Give You The Framework to Implement Change In Any Situation
As a leader, you commit to your company to deliver what’s requested on time and within budget. But right now, you need some help with that. There’s been a significant change, and you have a big problem to fix—fast.
Something's in your way, and your team is looking to you for support, direction, and motivation. In short, they are looking to you for leadership.
A new technology
A new process
A new contract
A new board member
You may have tried to figure it out on your own, but you keep drawing a blank. Perhaps you’re leading more than one team, and you don’t have the resources–be they mental, physical, or emotional–to devote to both. Maybe you just haven’t had the time to devote to this particular issue.
For whatever reason, you're not sure you're up to fixing this one on your own.
Until recently, you would have gathered everyone in a room and announced, “We’re not leaving until we figure this out!” But you can’t do that anymore. Time zones, remote work, and connectivity have changed the face of collaboration. And your problem-solving has to change, too.
The deadline keeps getting closer, and the solution feels light years away.
But you don’t want to look like The Leader Who Can’t Figure It Out. You need someone to come in, show you what needs to be done, help you do it, and make you the show’s star at the end.
And that’s precisely what we can do. We’ll use creative problem-solving, outcome-driven collaboration techniques, and the ThinkUP Framework™ to get your team back on track to achieving their goals—on time and within budget.
And Given Your Deadline, Traditional Problem Solving Approaches May Not Work
Most training and traditional problem-solving programs are generalized, teaching in broad enough strokes that they could be applied to just about any problem. Sometimes, they can take weeks or even months to disseminate through a company fully. Scheduling is a hassle, and the team is away from their work for too long. And at the end, you don’t get a solution; you’re given strategies to solve the problem—which you still have.
And often, when someone has a problem, they ask for help with a specific solution. But we both know if it is not the correct solution for the root problem, you end up with a lot of extra work and confusion.
What we do is different
We help you look at the whole issue with fresh eyes to help you identify the underlying problems. We address the situation you’re working with and the context you’re working in—and deliver you the ideal outcome by taking the most effective path to your goal.
While our ThinkUP Framework™ can be applied to any issue, we don’t just teach the Framework. Instead, we help you implement it with your team first, so you can see it in motion and handle your immediate burning issue—fast.
This hands-on problem-solving approach will give you and your team what you need to address your immediate issue.
Plus, we take care of the logistics, including scheduling, documentation, and process guides. At the end of our time together (we’ll hand it all over to you so you’ve got everything you need to move forward). You’ll get a record of your progress, including links or downloads for any of the collaborative digital tools we used to capture your thinking.
Here are three ways to fix your problem...fast
The Quick Start Momentum Builder is an excellent choice for teams with a problem that needs to be solved immediately and works exceptionally well for remote teams who need more time or the ability to invest in a longer solution process.
In this option, we work together to identify the issue your team is facing, find an appropriate solution, and build a path to achieving it quickly. We’ll work with your team of up to 8 people in virtual workshops, spending up to a day with them, scheduled at your convenience – book the entire day or schedule shorter sessions over time.
Afterward, we meet with you to debrief the engagement, capture lessons learned, review your next steps, and answer any questions you have so that you continue to gain momentum. You’ll get a complete record of what you said, your goals, and your next steps to achieve them.
And don’t worry about the tech or admin—we take care of everything. From scheduling meetings to coordinating documentation, we take the weight off your shoulders.
For more information and to compare each problem-solving solutions package, visit this link.
When our education client came to us, they needed clarification on what needed to be done. A new funding proposal regarding Structural Readiness had stalled them out, and they needed to get unstuck fast.
After a short call to get the outline on paper, we sprung into action. Janice took responsibility for designing and managing the engagement process with the team and facilitating a virtual workshop to engage the group in aligning their work with the proposal’s goals.
We managed the entire process from our side, including scheduling through creative problem-solving to documentation—which allowed the client to fully engage with her team and gain their trust in her leadership while also gaining confidence in herself and her abilities.
“When I stepped into the leadership role on my team, I needed to be sure that my team and I had clarity on the status, next steps, and priorities for a critical shared project. With Janice’s help, we were able to navigate a genuinely collaborative strategic planning process, leveraging everyone’s expertise and insight so that we could meet our mandate. The team gained a new appreciation for the progress of our project and increased confidence in our ability to move forward. And I gained clarity on where to focus my attention as the leader. Thank you, Janice!”
—Heather Watts, Manager, Education Coordination Office
For more information and to compare each problem-solving solutions package, visit this link.
The Quick Start Momentum Builder starts at $5,000 USD.
For more information and to compare each problem-solving solutions package, visit this link.
When there’s more ground to cover or more than one issue to solve, the Comprehensive Problem Solving Package can help you.
Just like in the Momentum Builder, we work together to identify the issues your team is facing, find an appropriate solution, and create a plan to achieve it, but we take it further with this option.
The Comprehensive Problem Solving package gives you up to four days of problem-solving support and workshops for your team and cross-functional group.
Janice will take your larger team through a creative problem-solving process, using our ThinkUP Framework™ and materials tailor-made for your team’s needs to help you work through your problem and achieve your goal — whatever that may be.
Throughout your workshops, we’ll work with your team to clarify the immediate issue, generate ideas on possible solutions, develop a workable plan, and then help you implement that solution.
And after your sessions are over, we’ll share documentation on every step with you so you have a record of your progress. This documentation includes links or downloads for any of the collaborative digital tools we used to capture your thinking and a clear outline of your ongoing plan and next steps.
For more information and to compare each problem-solving solutions package, visit this link.
After months of developing a new sales tool, our consultancy client was anxious to launch it to their global sales team. Their ability to realize the anticipated benefits for driving growth and customer value was directly tied to how their sales team adopted this new tool.
At first, they thought a short training event to introduce the tool to the sales team would be sufficient. But after a strategy call, they realized they were dealing with a much more complex issue and needed to think more broadly about what implementing this new tool meant, not just to the sales team but also to their leadership and customer relationships. Training would only get them part of the way there.
But the client didn’t have the bandwidth or time to solve this problem – and after all the effort involved in developing the tool, they wanted to avoid a failure in launching.
Janice took the reins and guided the entire process. She clarified the requirements in a strategy session, gathered all the necessary background data and helped the client articulate the ideal outcomes and success factors.
Using a creative problem-solving process to guide the effort, Janice framed a change process for the organization to achieve their goals. Then she engaged the right stakeholders at the right time so they each understood the big picture of what I wanted to achieve, the end goal for the organization, and their roles and responsibilities in the process.
The sales team was engaged in helping solve the problem of driving the desired results, the sales leaders were involved in helping to lead the implementation and align it to their existing sales management practices, and the marketing team was engaged in setting the stage and sharing correct details with the sales team. Janice also designed a highly interactive two-hour workshop in which all stakeholders participated. Each of the sales teams had the opportunity to explore options and develop an initial solution for how they would adopt and pilot the new sales tool.
Ultimately, every stakeholder had clarity on the next steps, how their efforts would contribute to organizational learning, and when there would be opportunities for sharing ideas and insights across the sales and marketing organization.
Over the next three months, using the process and Framework Janice shared, the client was able to focus on the pilot, keep the salespeople engaged in being part of the solution, and learn how to best achieve their goals.
“Birches Group is extremely pleased with our work with Janice. It was a true collaboration effort. From identifying our core issues to brainstorming solutions and executing an interactive workshop with our Marketing, Sales, and Client Services teams, she provided everyone with much-needed guidance and perspective to rethink our existing processes and have everyone contribute towards an attainable goal. We look forward to more opportunities to learn and collaborate with Janice.”
—Warren Heaps, Developing Markets Compensation Expert, Birches Group
For more information and to compare each problem-solving solutions package, visit this link.
The Comprehensive Problem Solving Package starts at $9,500 USD.
For more information and to compare each problem-solving solutions package, visit this link.
For complex issues with profound long-term implications for you and your team, the Premium Problem Solving Package is the ideal option.
In addition to working with you, your team, and your extended stakeholders to tackle the problem head-on with creative problem-solving and our ThinkUP Framework™ method, this package includes several additional benefits for you as a leader. You’ll still receive the next-step plans, an outline of all the collaborative tools and resources we’ve uncovered or used during our time together, and a detailed plan of attack for working through each aspect of your challenge.
You will also receive a consolidated reporting package with highlights and an Executive Briefing to help you manage up and get organizational buy-in for your necessary actions.
Our team will work with you to provide coaching, change management and support to implement your action plan. We’ll also conduct a follow-up meeting to check in with you and ensure you’re in the best position possible to achieve ongoing success and progress toward your goals.
For more information and to compare each problem-solving solutions package, visit this link.
An engineering team with our National Postal Service client had initiated a pilot project focused on continuous improvement for letter mail and package handling and sorting. The original goal was to maximize the use of machines and avoid unnecessary capital engagements.
The pilot project resulted in some unanticipated findings—including opportunities to streamline how people in the plants leveraged standard work and how plant supervisors and managers worked with their teams.
Suddenly what was thought to be a machine issue became a change opportunity for the work environment that was more about how the people worked with each other and the machines.
The engineers tasked with figuring out how to replicate the pilot experience across the country realized they were now leading a change project—the success of which was highly dependent on stakeholder engagement and cross-functional collaboration.
They needed help identifying critical success factors and lessons learned from the pilot to develop a stakeholder engagement and project management approach that could be applied successfully in each plant.
With that in mind, the team refocused on the creative collaboration process and, over the following weeks, came together and assessed not only how to replicate the results they wanted to see—but also to expand on the results themselves for even more impact.
“Janice led the team through the ThinkUP Framework™to clarify the situation, generate and prioritize ideas, develop a solution for moving forward and identify an initial set of next steps to move the solution to implementation before seamlessly rolling out the new processes and expectations nationwide.
She further guided a process that helped us overcome the constraints we were facing, leveraging team members as available so that we could keep moving forward. She led us through a 4-step problem-solving effort that kept us focused on the right things, guiding us in clarifying the situation, brainstorming options for moving forward, developing a highly effective and workable solution, and structuring a go-forward plan that allowed us to get stakeholder buy-in quickly.”
—M. M., Director, National Plant Process Engineering
For more information and to compare each problem-solving solutions package, visit this link.
The Premium Problem Solving Package starts at $16,500 USD.
For more information and to compare each problem-solving solutions package, visit this link.
About Janice Francisco
For over 15 years, Janice Francisco has helped leaders, teams and businesses approach challenges and solve problems more effectively, together. She’s worked with over 500 teams to help them transform how they work with others, adapt to evolving circumstances, and deliver outstanding results.
The inventor of the ThinkUP Framework™ and the Innovative Instructional Systems Design Method™ Janice has an MSc in Creativity and Change Leadership and provides Strategic Advisory, Learning, Creative Problem Solving Facilitation and Executive Coaching services to achieve organizational and leadership development outcomes, enable change, streamline collaboration and build high-performing, innovative and resilient team cultures.
A decisive navigator, and a pragmatic integrator who brings tireless creativity and forthright dialogue to a global clientele, Janice has worked across many industries and business functions, with start-ups, SMEs, large organizations, governments, Crown Corporations and non-profits.
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