>>>How do transformation clients talk about us?

Jill Rebman VP US Division, Manulife Financial:

There once was a consultant named Eileen
Who on process redesign, was quite keen
She showed us the way
To enter the fray
And achieve results that are supreme

Lynda Abshoff, AVP and Brenda Hancock, AVP Canadian Division, Manulife Financial:

We'd like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for your effort and support during the 3 year planning process. Without your effort, hard work and commitment to the quality of the process, we would not have been as successful as we have been. This is a new process for the organization and involved a large number of people from every aspect of our business. It is challenging and with your help, we have made significant improvements on the process of providing the management team with information to make some tough decisions.

Project CPR Process Redesign Update, Customer Service Representative, US Division, Manulife Financial:

So let me set the scene … it's now the middle of August, call volumes are through the roof, vacations and turnover have created a staff shortage, no new tools and I'm still on a team with no name!!! Enter Eileen - Guru of Process Redesign. I still remember our first meeting, she's presenting and I'm thinking to myself - what kinda accent is that?

After I managed to focus on what she was presenting, I realized that she had a pretty good plan and if it worked could really provide some much needed relief… it could even make .. dare I say it … efficient! Don't think that Eileen's presentation was an easy sell by any means.. we gave her the third degree: What kind of successes have you had in the past?

What kind of impact will this have on the employees? on our managers? What kind of resource commitment/time frame is required? What makes your approach more successful than your competition? And the big question for me: Have you ever seen this sort of initiative fail? I think I was convinced when she said that in her over 20 years of experience, she has never been involved in a process redesign that didn't have some measure of success!

I think our team was convinced when she was willing to teach us her methodology so that we could empower ourselves to make our own changes in the future. And the rest, my friends is history… well almost…I couldn't end without my unsolicited opinion. I think the most challenging thing for me was taking that leap of faith - after all it's not every day that we are asked to abandon all reservations and open ourselves to uncharted territory. Especially for me; I spend so much energy formulating these grand plans, that I often don't have any energy left to execute them.

Taking one step at a time is a valid choice that many of us overlook because we fear the unknown. The pilot team members have really impressed me, day to day tasks have become real challenges and nothing has been consistent! Yet they continue to try… slowly but surely, they are drawing the maps - moving us in a direction I think we are all proud of.

As a CSR, I would have wanted to move in this direction: it was so frustrating to make a promise to a client I couldn't keep and pester my peers in order to meet deadlines. As a member of the larger business community, I appreciate that better processes are imperative to our continued survival in a highly competitive environment.