Michael D. Uva, Managing Director, Head of European Investment Banking, Morgan Stanley
“I personally found the Complexity Solutions approach refreshing and thought provoking. I have also spoken with most of the participants who also feel that the commitment to the process paid off in terms of expanding their understanding of the business, the key issues we face, and the possible actions we should take. Most importantly, we are in the process of following up on the plan we constructed to implement the various ideas that came out of the workshop in an impactful way.”
Joe Fitzgerald, US Dept of Energy
“I am pleased with the work. It was an unprecedented program. The
result is breaking many precedents both in time and in the nature of regulation. The whole department feels included in ways they never have before. We are not experiencing the usual ‘pushback’ and resistance from within even though we are opening new territory. We are experiencing unprecedented progress and should have the public rule out in a month or two. (From Oct to Apr is a record by far!) We built relationships through the exercise with the external world and they keep coming back to help us explain and work things internally (which is new)”
Mike Harris, CEO, Egg (UK internet bank)
“In practice the sessions were a significant struggle for people — the level of intensity and rigor was a challenge for many although some loved it. The output however was universally regarded as excellent, we have a level of shared understanding and ‘open-eyed commitment’ that didn't exist before and which is at a level rare in my experience. Most of the executives (about 10 of the group) regarded it as time extremely well spent, with many conversations that were desperately needed being had for the first time. The proof will be results over the next 6 months but it is already clear that there is a significant shift in the organization's context. New and aligned priorities have emerged and the budgeting and detailed planning process (which should have been horrible this year) has gone unusually smoothly and easily as a result.”
Bruce G. Orr, Vice President, OrganoSilicones Group, Witco Specialty Fluids (now Crompton Corporation)
“With these results in hand I would strongly recommend other business leaders to seriously consider using (Complexity Solutions) to assist them in dealing with complex, difficult business issues.”
John Messier, President, GTE Government Systems
“I can personally attest to the fact that the Complexity Solutions process worked for us. I can also strongly commend Bill Rodger for his insights and talent in helping organizations make the tough decisions required to prosper and grow.”
Nancy Johansen, Director of Communications, The Trust Companies Association of Canada
“You were right to believe that the strategic planning process would work with this diverse group of industry representatives. The various exercises enabled us to work our way through a complex and controversial problem and come to a consensus that all participants could support.”
Paul Giddens, Georgia Pacific
“The facilitated computer assisted process drove the participants through a rigorous clarification of the problem, development of alternatives and action plan development. Immediate and cost effective application of the process for any major project or team based issue. Very focussed, results oriented work.”
Wayne East, Vice President, Systems, National Grocers
“As you know, most people felt at the outset that the task given us was impossible. The session clarified the goals, generated a team spirit plus a ‘can-do’ attitude. Our project was completed on schedule and was considered a great success by management.”
Jim Ware, VP R&D, TrusJoist (the R&D division of Weyhauser)
“The bigger, more complex and difficult the issue, the bigger the advantage your technique has over other approaches for dealing with it.”
Herb Vinnicombe, CIO, Lucent Technologies. (Lucent CIO / IBM Global Technologies)
“We have achieved more in two days with this process than our two companies have achieved in the past two years.”