When Toyota announced its relocation from California to Texas in 2014, I was reporting directly to the head of one of the largest divisions in the company, responsible for communications, strategic planning, and financial reporting.
The news came as a shock, and employees were suddenly faced with the choice of staying in California, close to family and a year-round outdoor lifestyle, but they would be forced to change careers, or moving to Texas with its more reasonable cost of living and the promise of continued career stability. Either way, this was going to be a significant change, and the anxiety was palpable. At various points throughout the transition, I spent hours each week in my office with the door closed having heart-to-heart talks with tearful colleagues and mentees who were struggling with their decision.
I was asked to lead the move, from the division’s organizational restructure, to planning the transition, and finally the relocation, hiring, and onboarding of hundreds of employees. One of my responsibilities was communication strategy, and I struggled to find the right message for our employee meetings. How can we be straightforward and unequivocal about the move, yet acknowledge and address the anxiety many were feeling? I searched for an outside consultant who had been through a similar corporate restructure and relocation, so that we could hear first-hand from someone who had been through a similar change. I wanted our employees to hear from that person that they survived, we would survive, and everything was going to be okay. But I could not find that person.
So I decided that when the move was over, I could be that consultant, offering my newly found expertise in managing change, as well as my years of practice in strategic planning, organizational development, supply chain planning, and program management in the Toyota Way.
Forte Management Consulting helps leaders navigate the critical components of change management:
- Corporate restructure
- Hiring and onboarding strategy
- Relocation planning
- Knowledge capture and transfer
- Team member well-being and coaching
And if your organization is stable but ready to elevate its game, we support leaders in:
- Strategic planning
- Organizational development
- Supply chain/operational planning
- Operational and financial reporting
- Process improvement
- Leadership development/coaching
- Diversity and inclusion strategy
- Communication strategy
With minimal overhead, we are able to offer our clients extremely competitive rates given our decades of professional experience leading inside of one of the most respected companies in the world.
We look forward to meeting you and engaging together in effective change and improved performance.
Amy