PVA’s engagement activities during Covid-19 now have the capability to be done either remotely or on-site, or a combination of both, while always practicing the required safety protocols highlighted below
Example of remote activities can include the following elements of PVA’s Approach and Change Management Methodology
PVA resources spend on average 150 hours with our Client’s Front-Line Managers as it relates to their management training and one-on-one coaching and mentoring activities.
PVA’s is driving maximum Covid-19 protection to our employees and Clients by ensuring compliance to the following prevention activities:
PVA’s engagements during Covid-19 are being done remotely wherever possible, and where not possible, then practicing the following:
PVA’s process, Approach and Change Management Methodology deliver tangible, measurable and sustainable performance improvements to our Client’s operational efficiencies, capacities, and capabilities through our expertise in:
These are perpetuated through the implementation of a “Culture of Continuous Improvement”. Through PVA’s formal Problem Resolution Program (PRP), our Clients are ensured that an effective mechanism is installed in their organization to continuously identify and resolve operational problems, and that all employees and managers are trained to permanently eradicate repetitive operational problems through the full participation and engagement of our Client’s organization.
In addition, PVA’s process is designed to instill and ensure sustainability through the following three (3) specific activities: PVA’s Continuous Improvement Coordinator Program; PVA’s Sustainment Phase (SP); and PVA’s Audit Process.
PVA’s Change Management process, as driven through our Approach and Change Management Methodology, is focused on three fundamental tenets:
Our Approach and Change Management Methodology for managing the change process revolves around four key proprietary steps:
Our proprietary tools and techniques follow the best practices related to the works of Kotter, Deming, Drucker and Juran, as well as the concepts of Lean, Kaizen, and Six-Sigma.
As a result, we have successfully implemented hundreds of corporate wide business transformations in many industries and in their different functional areas using our proprietary techniques. Our Approach and Change Management Methodology is an all-encompassing process designed to drive the identification, development, and implementation of Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) and metrics, Management Operating Systems (MOS), proactive behaviors, and improved operational processes, procedures and methods.
We deliver sustainable results to your organization as a result of the following unique aspects of our Approach and Change Management Methodology:
PVA does this through our Assessment Process. This process is designed to help us better understand your business processes, the organizational environment, and the existing culture while identifying what level of opportunity exists in the various departments. A business case is then developed that provides all of the elements necessary to make this determination.
In fact there are many differences. One major difference between PVA and all of these programs is that PVA is recognized for our proven Approach and Change Management Methodology, and for our ability to change the behaviors of Front-Line management. Our training, one-on-one coaching and mentoring has consistently delivered tangible, measurable and sustainable results to our satisfied Clients.
In addition, programs such as Lean, Kanban, Six Sigma, TQM, etc. focus on specific methods and techniques but do not address the behavioral changes required from Front-Line management as they relate to recovering and sustaining improvement opportunities. These other programs do not all include the development of the proper Management Operating System elements that are required to manage these approaches, and they do not all look at every aspect of the process such as line balancing and bottleneck reduction.
Generally a Lean approach focuses on process alone but does not address Front-Line management and supervisory skills nor the Management Operating System tools and techniques an organization requires to identify and resolve variance to plan and operating problems.
PVA’s Approach and Change Management Methodology provides an all-encompassing structure and sustainable approach with a focus on employee engagement; training, one-on-one coaching and mentoring of Managers and Supervisors; implementation of effective Management Operating Systems; and ensuring that the results are perpetuated by a fully engaged organization driven by accountability.
PVA defines “implementation” as “The full utilization of the installed disciplines related to behavioral models, Management Operating Systems, Key Performance Indicators, and processes, procedures and methods, that will result in driving significant costs out of the business in measurable and sustainable ways, while continually focusing on attaining and improving upon cultural norms, and safety, quality and service level requirements.”
During an “installation”, PVA optimizes our Client’s operational efficiencies, capacities, and capabilities through measurable and sustainable improvements in:
PVA’s core strength lies in our organization’s capabilities in implementing changes related to enhanced behaviors, Management Operating Systems, Key Performance Indicators, and processes / procedures / methods through our Client’s personnel. This is done through a very hands-on and interactive approach to create awareness, ownership, buy-in and accountability throughout our Client’s organization to the change initiative and activities.
PVA’s exclusive on-the-floor, one-on-one coaching and mentoring in the workplace is situational in nature, and ensures that the acquired classroom training knowledge is applied immediately in the Front Line Managers’ and Supervisors’ work environments, that the levels of active supervision are increased, and that the new behaviors deliver tangible, measurable and sustainable results. PVA’s one-on-one coaching and mentoring is augmented by our proprietary situational coaching techniques as found in our “38 Point Supervisory Coaching Follow-Up Checklist” and “30 Point Manager Coaching Follow-Up Checklist” tools.
PVA resources spend on average 150 hours with our Client’s Front-Line Managers as it relates to their management training and one-on-one coaching and mentoring activities.
YES. We have completed hundreds of projects in all types of Industries across North America and Europe. We may have worked in similar environments to yours. We work through your Front-Line Managers to organize your highly technical people. Our skill set complements yet does not compete with your team.
There never is a perfect time, but keep in mind these 3 things:
We are experts at optimizing processes by changing behaviors at the point of execution. ISO programs only standardize and document your current processes. It does not challenge and optimize your processes. Keep in mind that we will also train, coach and mentor your management team, implement an employee involvement program, work with you to optimize your methods and procedures, and implement a Management Operating System (MOS) resulting in significant productivity gains. A significant part of PVA’s MOS is a structured Problem Resolution Program (PRP) which drives timely and continuous opportunity resolution, thus ensuring that our Client’s organizations sustain the operational and financial benefits.
YES. PVA’s Approach and Change Management Methodology can be used in any environment where there are systems, processes, people, and Front-Line Managers responsible for their management. Some non-manufacturing examples where PVA has successfully implemented our Approach and Change Management Methodology include:
We work extensively in non-manufacturing environments and are well recognized for our ability to deliver tangible and sustainable results in these environments
The short answer is YES, however we rarely see self-directed work teams anymore. Companies have found that even within the team, a leader emerges (a Supervisor of sorts) that makes decisions and solves problems, which in of itself tends to negate the whole purpose of the team concept. If there were self-directed work teams that functioned properly we would work with the Manager to which the teams reported (much the same as a Supervisor), ensuring training and coaching on problem identification and resolution occurs with all members of the self-directed team.
Our expertise complements many other training initiatives. The strength of PVA’s Approach and Change Management Methodology lies in our proven ability to “change behaviors at the point of execution” ©. We accomplish this through our on-site training, one-on-one coaching and mentoring that optimizes retention by creating new behaviors throughout our Clients’ organization.
During our analysis and assessment process we would identify the current needs of your management team as those needs apply to your current training programs and what PVA would provide in terms of additional training, one-on-one coaching and mentoring, as we do not have off-the-shelf programs. We would look to meld the two programs together to cover all of your organization’s needs while providing the all-important one-on-one coaching and mentoring in the workplace.
Of the total projects completed, approximately 80% of them have been conducted in unionized environments.
In fact, the PVA’s Change Management Methodology is transparent with the Union and improves the effectiveness of the communication between the Management Group and the Union.
At PVA, our projects are highly participative and prioritize employee input and involvement. Our Project Teams work through our Client’s resources to engage their employees in the change process. In addition, our proven PVA Approach and Change Management Methodology prioritizes open and honest communication throughout the project and at all levels of the organization. The result is an improvement in employee morale, engagement, and enthusiasm throughout the workplace.
In general terms, your Management Team (Front-Line Management through to Executives) can expect bi-weekly training Workshops and daily exposure to their Coach (i.e. PVA Team Member) to which they have been assigned.
We apply our PVA Approach and Change Management Methodology 100% “on-the-job” and within our Client’s work environment. The project schedule is adapted to our Clients’ unique business environment and work schedules.
Our projects vary by the size, areas in-scope and complexity of each organization, however a typical project timeline ranges from 25 weeks to 40 weeks in calendar time.
Changing an organization’s culture, and ensuring that the improvements are embraced and that measurable results are achieved, takes time in terms of engaging the workforce, completing the work with and through your people, and ensuring long term sustainability of the improvements.
Yes, our process, Approach and Change Management Methodology works with companies both large and small.
Training, coaching and mentoring is done during the regular work hours. PVA’s team will integrate our activities within the course of your organization’s daily activities. With the individual coaching and mentoring, Supervisors and Managers will change their behaviors progressively to become more proactive. One of the main reasons for the improvements found in their respective areas is due to the Supervisors and Managers changing their behavior and not working harder nor longer.
Very little of your Supervisors and Managers time will be required out of their work environment, other than during our initial communication meetings. Our time conducting observations will be in the workplace with them and their direct reports, and they will continue to manage their respective areas as they would normally.
For each engagement undertaken by PVA, a Project Team is identified based on their industry experience and skill sets to maximize the overall productivity and process improvement requirements for the project with our Client. PVA’s operational teams assigned to Project’s with our Client’s organizations are made up of a diverse and experienced group of professionals from various educational and professional backgrounds. PVA’s team includes individuals from all business sectors, with educational backgrounds ranging from Bachelors in Commerce, to Engineers and to MBA’s, to name a few.
All PVA employees go through a continuous and rigorous training program designed to ensure consistency of application of PVA’s processes, policies, procedures, and ethical governance standards with our Clients. In order to ensure this, an integral component of PVA’s process is regular internal reviews related to the performance of our people, and the attainment of our commitments to our Clients. In order to maintain the application of our internal standards of excellence, PVA does not use third party Sub-Contractors on any of our Client engagements.
Among PVA’s group of knowledgeable management consultants we also have a number of Subject Matter Experts that support the project teams. These individuals each average over years of operational consulting experience in a wide variety of industries and project scenarios.
We have your employees participate in the project by having them help us, and their management team, map out and critique your processes in detail. They will also assess each process by highlighting “what prevents them from having the perfect day”. Once all of the opportunities have been documented and quantified, employees will be asked to participate in problem solving teams to help resolve those problems through PVA’s Problem Resolution Program (PRP).
We are recognized for implementing successful training, coaching and mentoring programs through our Client’s management teams. These Programs result in their Supervisors and Managers being the best that they can be. Their success is our success.
However, in those situations where progress is not at the expected level, individual coaching and mentoring plans are developed and “owned” by all required parties, thereby improving the likelihood of their success.
Most companies are working on improving. We are and have worked with a number of Clients in this situation, and we were able to help them achieve and exceed their goals much faster through our training, one-on-one coaching and mentoring of their management team, and involving their employees in the process, while building the accountability and ownership to ensure perpetuation of the results.
Some of our Clients have had less than successful experiences in the past, but by talking with some of our references, and by going through our analysis process, it became clear to them that our proposal made sense. They subsequently engaged PVA and their projects were extremely successful, and now they are references for PVA and speak highly of us.
Times have changed, and for some of our Clients it was a first and very beneficial experience when they partnered with PVA. We would discuss the challenges your organization is facing so that we could understand how we would best approach the organization to see if it makes sense to you to undertake a project with PVA.
The good news is that you do not need to budget an initiative like ours as we will generate savings and positive cash flow as we progress. Normally a project pays for itself by the end of the project’s Sustainment Phase.
We work with our Client’s operational and financial Management Teams to develop a mutually agreed upon measurement and evaluation methodology. This methodology leads to the development of Management Operating System elements that represent and quantify the financial impact of operational decisions and trends.
All PVA projects ensure that the specific organizational requirements related to activities such as safety, housekeeping, customer service, etc. are part of the Management Operating Systems and Key Performance Indicators that we develop as part of our Change Management process.
Our installation activities typically result in improvements to safety, productivity, quality, and customer service requirements as our Approach and Change Management Methodology is designed to increase organizational awareness, ownership, buy-in, and accountability to these operational criteria. We also ensure that these criteria are paramount in discussions between management and employees, and that discussions occur on a frequent and timely basis.
As a result, we typically see improvements in items such as safety incidents per thousand ratios, housekeeping scores, and customer service grades during our projects, while our Client’s achieve significant improvements in their cost structures.
While each Client requires the development and implementation of specific and customized KPI’s related to their business model and improvement requirements, the following are a sampling of typical KPI’s that PVA could utilize:
PVA has a proven track record for delivering tangible, measurable and sustainable results. The operational and financial targets set at the beginning of our projects are consistently attained by our Clients.
There are some other results that we will deliver to your organization. The combined changes will translate into a cultural shift that positions your organization to be more competitive and responsive to changing business trends. In addition, we will develop and train the future leaders of your organization.
In order for our Client’s to achieve all of the operational improvements and financial benefits available to them it is imperative that the whole organization embraces and is actively engaged in the PVA project and the various changes resulting from our Approach and Change Management Methodology. While the specific roles, responsibilities and accountabilities will vary at the different levels within the organizational hierarchy, the following are the key expectations that PVA would have:
At PVA, 60% of the work that we do is the direct result of previous success with the same Client. The vast majority of our Clients act as References and Referrals while sharing with potential Clients their success with PVA.
The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that we install with our Clients are classic operating indicators that follow industry norms. We then provide the necessary training, one-on-one coaching and mentoring at all organizational levels to ensure that the measures and metrics are being effectively applied within the work environment. Emphasis is always placed on the effective and clear communication of these measures and metrics throughout the entire organization.
Topics covered in One-On-One Coaching Sessions usually mirror the ones that were reviewed in the training sessions. The one-on-one coaching happens typically also on a tactical level on the application of the concepts covered during the training session.
There are great benefits to mixing Supervisors and Managers from different departments as it helps with Organizational Alignment and it breaks down the possibility of any communication barriers.
We will hold multiple workshops to accommodate different departments in separate sessions.
Face-to-face is definitely the highly preferred method of training delivery, however it is possible to attend some of the sessions remotely via video conference. This is especially true during the Covid-19 pandemics requirements of social distancing.
A make-up session will be provided to make sure Supervisors and Managers are all on the same page.
Usually 6 to 8.