Foxfire Consulting is a Virginia-based firm passionate about helping organizations successfully navigate through the complexities of change. We specialize in technology-driven, human-centered change for businesses and government agencies. We deliver real, transformative, sustainable people-centered change with our customized and innovative solutions that:
This results in a stronger, flexible, more adaptable and resilient workforce – one that can quickly and seamlessly adjust to constantly changing landscapes. We can engage with our clients at any point during their project lifecycle AND we specialize in getting change initiatives back on track!
We see change as a journey, and we're here to help pave the way. We're your compass, successfully guiding you from where you are to where you'd like to be. We’ll build a customized roadmap specifically targeted to help you minimize disruption and maximize the value and impact of your transformation efforts. Explore our website to learn more…and contact us for a complimentary discovery call.
Our Mission: To deliver successful outcomes with Technology-Driven, Human-Centered change enabling our clients to achieve real, transformative and sustainable results that minimize disruption and maximize the value and impact of their transformation efforts.
You’ve embarked on a digital transformation journey. You've got the technology to move things forward, but you're lacking the expertise to enable your employees to successfully transition and adopt those technologies as quickly...and as smoothly as possible. We’ve seen firsthand the challenges organizations face during transitions – employee resistance, disrupted workflows and decreased productivity, lack of or misaligned communications, no change strategy or structure, insufficient training and knowledge transfer, lack of critical leadership buy-in and support, and in some cases -- all out confusion and chaos! Chances are you have, too. Want to make this change transition better...or get back on track? We're here to help!
Foxfire Consulting is your partner and guiding force in navigating your technology-driven, human-centered change smoothly and successfully. We provide a holistic approach by carefully assessing your needs and circumstances, ensuring strategic alignment, conducting stakeholder analysis and impact assessments, identifying and mitigating risks; focusing on the employee experience, developing a comprehensive change management strategy that includes the 5 Levers (communications plan, sponsorship roadmap, coaching plan, targeted training plan, resistance management plan), and implementation support to ensure your success is sustainable, and so much more!
Futurist Ray Kurzweil made a bold claim -- that we'll witness an astounding 20,000 years' worth of technological progress in the next 100 years! In the book The Future Is Faster Than You Think: How Converging Technologies Are Transforming Business, Industries, and Our Lives, the authors focus on how the acceleration and convergence of transformational technologies will not only reshape all industries, but disrupt all aspects of human life. We are beginning to see just what they meant.
So what does this mean for you? Organizations are being pushed to adopt new and ever-changing technologies at a rate faster than ever before in order to stay competitive and/or meet the needs, wants and demands of customers and citizens. But driving the success of these technological changes are people -- who have to adapt, adopt and become proficient in this technology if it's going to work. This is where managing change and successful, smooth and timely transitions are critical.
Begin with the end in mind. Understand where you are and what might stand in the way to achieving successful outcomes.
Establish a roadmap creating the most effective strategies to get you where you want to be, and plan accordingly.
Execute the strategies and plans in a way that's collaborative, transparent, communicative and flexible.
Ensure readiness and provide support through the transition; while monitoring and measuring results.
Let's start with the name -- Foxfire -- inspired by a pioneering teaching approach in the Appalachians in the 1960's to empower students to take ownership of their learning by actively shaping its design and co-creating the learning experience. Providing support and the ‘space’ for that kind of employee collaboration, participation, and engagement is what we do! It was a formula that led to tremendous success then…and still does today.
When it comes to managing human-centered change, Foxfire Consulting puts its focus on coaching leaders and supporting employees through transitions, but our ‘not so secret’ weapon is cultivating employee resiliency and capacity to embrace change beyond specific projects or engagements. Leadership commitment is crucial, but in today's lightning-fast pace of change, a nimble and adaptable workforce is the ultimate game-changer!
We’ve been in the change management space for over 12 years and have worked in both business and government sectors. We’re certified in the Prosci methodology but utilize other approaches including our own proprietary methodology, ensuring a richer experience for our clients. Your change journey is unique…and so should be your approach to managing it. At Foxfire we provide that customized personal touch, we walk you through the change process and we are with you every step along the way. We share our knowledge, experience and expertise so you’ll be equipped to lead future change initiatives with more confidence.
In this initial phase, we undertake a discovery process to gain deep insights into our client's business landscape to understand the client’s business, strategies, project, and goals and objectives. This may involve conducting interviews with key stakeholders, reviewing relevant documents and data, and observing current processes and operations.
Based on findings from the initial phase, we develop a tailored solution outlining our recommended approach, scope of work, deliverables, and timelines to address our client’s needs providing a roadmap to achievement of their desired outcomes. We work closely and collaboratively, which results in a solution that is fully aligned with the client’s needs and expectations.
We kickoff our engagement setting clear expectations on how we’ll work together. As we manage the change initiative, we’ll provide regular updates and progress reports, addressing any challenges or changes that arise. We'll maintain open lines of communication, transparency, and engagement delivering results that meet or exceed our client’s expectations.
Have you ever wrestled with an Allen wrench as you try to read through assembly instructions that seem to be written in another language, frustrated as you assemble a piece of flat-pack furniture, but then eventually end up with a finished product you're proud to call your own? That's the IKEA effect in action. It’s our tendency to value things more highly if we've put effort into creating them ourselves.
Change is a journey, and leaders are the ones paving the way taking the organization to where it wants to be. They share their vision and bring employees along that journey guiding them through the transformation. The Change Leader plays a pivotal role that will shape how employees perceive and respond to change. Their actions and how they communicate throughout the change set the tone for the entire journey.
Change is inevitable, but despite its inevitability, organizations often encounter challenges when implementing change initiatives. One of the most common obstacles to overcome is employee resistance. Or at least the “resistance” label is often associated with employee reactions or hesitation towards the change. But is it really resistance, or is there more to be uncovered? In many cases, what appears to be resistance may be a symptom of deeper underlying issues.
It's evident that if anything demands a human-centered approach, it's managing the people side of change. However, the focus of change management has predominantly been more process-centered vs. human-centered, especially…and unfortunately when it comes to technology-driven change where adoption is crucial for success. It’s only been recently that the practice of using a more human-centered approach has taken shape and gained in popularity.
Change is a constant and inevitable reality. New and ever-evolving technologies and shifting customer demands mean organizations are dealing with change more often and at a faster pace than ever. But implementing technological change quickly and effectively can be a challenge, especially where people are concerned. Often changes are faced with resistance, fear, confusion, and lack of engagement – which can derail the progress toward realizing results.
Change efforts are like growing seeds. Just as seeds require the right conditions to sprout, grow and thrive; employees need nurturing environments to adapt, evolve, and flourish during organizational change. In this post, we explore the parallels between nurturing change in the workplace and tending to a sprouting seed, shedding light on strategies for fostering growth, resilience, and innovation among your employees.
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Foxfire Consulting, LLC
Mailing Address:
7501 Lady Blair Lane
P. O. Box 74273
North Chesterfield, Virginia 23236
804.307.5753