INCREASING INDIVIDUAL PRODUCTIVITY by bringing the right tools to bear at the right time typically adds ten times the value to a knOwhere® driven event relative to a typical meeting. Improved group dynamics and enhanced commitment produced in the event persist long after, multiplying the value of the event several times simply by eliminating barriers to action and accelerating implementation.

PARTICIPANTS commonly report that the knOwhere experience is guiding while being wide-ranging; focused while being holistic; fast paced while being relaxed; energizing while being productive. They participate with a sense of freedom to be, think and act themselves; they forge lasting new relationships with team members grounded in shared perspectives and commitments. They leave with a confidence that the solution is theirs and achievable; they leave ready for action, with a sense of competence that they have taken the full measure of complexity in their work and have developed a superb solution in which they won't be stung by unintended consequences.

sUPPLY CHAIN OPTIMIZATION by developing strong working alliances across organizational borders. knOwhere events are scalable. Low-cost events can be held for small projects in which only hundreds of thousands of dollars are at stake in supply chain optimizing; full events or series of events can be designed for large projects with tens of millions at stake. Either way, the benefit of knOwhere engagement is many times the cost.

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PLANNING AND EXECUTING A MERGER. A three-day Designshop® Process is the perfect event to bring, employees, customers, suppliers, and other key constituencies of both companies together with advising bankers, lawyers, and consultants to jointly develop a compelling business case for the merger. By satisfying multiple agendas, high momentum is created and the chances of a successful combination escalates. Continuing one-on-one dialog with the corporate leadership accountable for the merger ensures Group Genius™ is created, rather than destroyed, by the merger. Effective, synergistic relationshipsmare developed among key departments. Multimedia products document results.. A permanent, knOwhere-style customer on-site facility for hosting the merger project team is available to ensure continued success.

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DEVELOPING AND EXECUTING A SPINOUT. Develop the optimal business model for the spin out, map the key projects, and launch action in a three-day Designshop®. This combined with a Wiring Organizations for Success Workshop(sm) produces a complete design for operating the new organization. The core of the organization is housed in a CyberCenter, into which key information flows efficiently and is displayed evocatively. CyberCenters contain workspace, communications links, and processes so that the right people milk the greatest value from that information and devise/test and define creative company alternatives.

ESTABLISHING STRONG WORKING ALLIANCES across organizational borders. The three-day Designshop is optimal for bringing diverse constituencies together to create and commit to common, mutually beneficial goals that will accomplish multiple agendas in complex situations.

HIGH IMPACT SALES / MARKETING EVENTS. When companies wish to really get inside their customers heads, they design and host events that effectively surface customer needs and concerns, strongly deliver key messages about their own products and services, and jointly design and test high-value solutions that result in committed sales.

DEVELOPING BENCHMARK SCENARIOS. knOwhere's one or two-day Radar Screens or three-day Weak Signal® Research Processes are designed to scan and interpret world events from diverse viewpoints and in context with the whole system of causes and effects. Both these events develop action plans to help the participant's organization anticipate possible futures and act to create the desired impacts. knOwhere offers regular Radar Screens and/or Weak Signal Research sessions to its associates, focused on topics of widespread interest and importance to the group. In addition, a company may sponsor an event of this type focused on its own interests, seeded with diverse viewpoints, skills, and experience from knOwhere's network of critical thinkers and doers.

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FORMULATING OVERALL ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY. Develop a robust strategy in the face of complex, fast changing business environments. The strategy of the event-recursive cycles of scan/focus/act™ -is designed to identify critical information, interpret it from diverse perspectives, formulate strategies, and test them for fitness. The customer take-away is a complete strategy, including a comprehensive action plan for implementation. As implementation proceeds and results are generated, customers return for shorter sessions to learn from the results and iterate ever more effective action plans.

TACTICAL DECISION MAKING. Organizations faced with stark choices in uncertain environments test the alternatives rigorously against multiple perspectives and agendas. For example, a major international mining company faced with a decision to hold, advance, or abandon a technically superb project in a politically unstable country prepared multiple scenarios for the future of the country, then brought their key technical, financial, risk management, and commercial people together with key executives to examine the alternatives from all perspectives, map the consequences of each choice, and formulate a low-cost action plan that maximized chance of success across the broadest range of scenarios.
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PROJECT DESIGN AND OPTIMIZATION. Complicated projects with diverse inputs, parallel or sequenced activity, and high impact can benefit from a one or two-day event focused on optimization. By gathering all key players and working together to squeeze every wasted day and dollar safely out of the project plan and launch it with widespread enthusiasm and high velocity. The team then periodically reassembles to track its progress, iterate further improvements, or refocus on critical deliverables. In a multimillion dollar project, where each day lost to delay means thousands or millions of dollars a day in extra cost or forgone revenue, the investment of a couple of days and the cost of a two-day Zoomtrax® Process generates high return.

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EXPLORATION OF NEW TERRITORY. Companies faced with rapidly changing business conditions they need to thoroughly understand if they intend to thrive may engage knOwhere in a Walkabout. Walkabouts are designed as learning journeys during which the customers people visit diverse organizations, locations and people critical to the understanding of the new territory. They gather priceless direct experience of what is coming at them. They are facilitated in applying their Group Genius to interpreting the implications for their own organization. And they return home in action applying their new wisdom to generating maximum advantage going forward. knOwhere's Palo Alto location is superbly located to host walkabouts exploring the New Economy and technology advances. In addition, more logistically complicated events can be designed to explore any topic.
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BUILDING A NEW HEADQUARTERS. Companies typically build new headquarters when they undergo a state-change-rapid growth, major acquisition or divestment, windfall success, or new strategy. A DesignShop helps the company evaluate just what has happened during that state-change and evaluate the likely consequences for future headquarters needs. A Wiring Organizations for Success Workshop helps the company build a facility customized for optimal delivery of its new strategy using Group Genius principles. Out of a total facility cost of millions or tens of millions, the additional cost to design and build this optimized core environment is trivial.

Wiring an Organization for Success...