Today, Inward is celebrating our sixteenth anniversary. It is hard to believe that we’ve come so far and achieved so much.
In 1998,
Inward found its roots supporting the well-known consulting firm, Arthur D.
Little, whose clients were going through major transformation, process redesign
and reengineering. I was encouraged to start a new kind of consulting firm at
the insistence of the late Dr. Michael Hammer, who was the creator of the
reengineering movement. Back then he said that 50% of all the major
reengineering and ERP implementations were failing and nearly 80% of failure
was due to too much political infighting and internal constituencies not
embracing change. He strongly recommended, based on my advertising agency background,
that I come up with a methodology that could be persuasive to enroll employees
to embrace change and reengineering. After establishing an academic framework
and process we were off and running.
Over time, our
services have evolved from change management communications to employee brand
engagement, internal branding, and team alignment. We offer services such as mission
and values alignment, external brand positioning and market research. We help
companies like Walmart, HP, Zurich Financial Insurance and McDonald’s align the
behaviors and attitudes of their employees with their brand promises and values
so they can create positive customer experiences.
Last year we
opened a 2,600 square foot creative studio in Bentonville, Arkansas, and hired
some exceptionally creative talent. We also launched a quarterly publication of
thought leadership called Looking Inward, which has grown in circulation and been
cited by clients and the press as providing significant insights and value. In
2012, I was surprised to be named one of the top twenty-five consultants in the
United States by Consulting Magazine.
This was a great honor and brought a lot of attention to our firm and
the work we are doing for our clients.
This past
year has been very busy too. Once again, we were a premier sponsor of the
Conference Board’s Extending Your Brand to Your Employees Conference where two of
our clients, Walmart and McDonald’s, showcased our work and case histories.
More
important than the accolades, presentations, recognition and success, however,
is the pride I have for the kind of company we have built. We have a dedicated
team of professionals who care deeply about our client’s success, and
understand the importance and value that employees play in representing the
brand through positive customer experiences. Our people work hard, play hard, and
are smart, and imaginative. We have truly built a company that exemplifies the
work we do for our clients in creating an engaged and inspired workforce.
Lastly, none
of our success could have happened without the friends and clients who support
our firm and continue sending us business referrals. Thank you for all your
encouragement and business all these 16 years. Cheers and Thank you!
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