There’s a moment I’ve come to expect in nearly every client engagement. Someone walks into our workshop, drops into their chair with a sigh, and says something like, “Can’t wait to talk about the same problems again. This’ll be fun.”
I love that moment.
Not because I enjoy pain (I’m not a monster), but because I know what’s coming next. By the end of the day, that same person will say, “We’ve accomplished more in this one session than we have in the past year.” And that—right there—is why I love what I do.
I lead M&S Consulting’s Project Management as a Service and Organizational Transformation practice, which is just a fancy way of saying: I help organizations get real about how they work, what needs to change, and how to actually make it happen. It’s not about flashy tech or buzzwords. It’s about people—and creating space for them to do their best work in systems that actually support them.
Let’s talk about what really makes change successful (and what definitely doesn’t).
Urgency Is Not a Fire Drill
We hear a lot about the need to “create urgency” for change. And yes, urgency matters—but not the kind that leads to panic, burnout, or forcing people to white-knuckle their way through another chaotic rollout.
Creating urgency without breaking your team starts with clarity. Clear communication, early and often. Realistic timelines. Leadership that actually leads. It’s the difference between lighting a spark and setting the building on fire.
I often compare it to putting someone behind the wheel of a Porsche and not explaining where the brakes are. Sure, it’s shiny and fast. But if your people aren’t prepared to drive the new system, you’re not enabling innovation—you’re creating frustration.
Adoption doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of thoughtful, well-paced change that puts humans first.
The Power of a Room Full of People Who’ve Never Talked Before
Enter: our Process Impact Blueprinting Workshop.
This is where things get real. We gather key people from across the organization—sales, ops, customer service, business intelligence, and yes, the skeptics who think this is all a waste of time. And we get them talking. Really talking.
The workshop is designed to surface the pain points, inefficiencies, and “I didn’t know you needed that” moments that keep organizations stuck. And because we open with an executive stakeholder sharing the why, people don’t sit around wondering why they gave up three hours of their day. They know the purpose—and they begin to see the path forward.
The workshop isn’t just about gathering requirements. It’s about aligning people. When you bring together high flyers (who know every process inside and out) and skeptics (who’ve seen it all before and are waiting for the next initiative to crash and burn), something powerful happens. Those differing perspectives spark better solutions—and often, the skeptics become the biggest champions of the change. Why? Because they were finally invited into the conversation.
Change Doesn’t Work Without People (Sorry, It Just Doesn’t)
Here’s the most common mistake I see: companies invest tons of money in tech, tools, and process design—then skip the training, testing, and communication that actually brings people along for the ride.
You can have the best software in the world, but if your people don’t understand it, trust it, or feel included in the transition? It’s not going to stick.
We talk a lot about user acceptance testing and training timelines in our practice—not because we’re obsessed with checklists, but because we’ve seen what happens when those steps are rushed or ignored. Change fatigue sets in. Adoption drops off. And eventually, the bright shiny thing becomes shelfware.
Change requires humans. Not just at the end, but from the beginning. When employees feel seen, heard, and empowered to contribute—they show up differently. They take ownership. They get excited. That’s where transformation takes root.
Success Is Measurable (And Sometimes Surprising)
One of the questions I get asked all the time: “How will we know if this is working?”
We measure success from two angles: quantitative and qualitative.
On the numbers side, we look at things like wait times, first-time quality, handoff delays—process metrics that give us real insight into efficiency gains. You’d be amazed how many teams are shocked by how low their first-time quality rates are. (Spoiler: It’s rarely the people’s fault. It’s the process.)
But we also listen to what people are saying. What does engagement look like? Are folks actually using the new system? Do they feel confident, or confused? Are there new ideas bubbling up from teams who feel empowered?
That mix of data and human insight paints a full picture—and helps teams keep iterating long after the go-live celebration cake has been eaten.
Why the Blueprint Matters More Than the Build
One last thing I want to leave you with: you wouldn’t build a house without a blueprint. So why are so many organizations trying to redesign critical systems by gut feel?
Our workshops provide the foundation—aligning vision, surfacing pain points, and defining high-level requirements so your team can actually move forward together. You stop reacting to every fire, and start designing for the future.
And the best part? You get that momentum before you start burning through project hours. You shorten timelines, avoid backtracking, and prevent the kind of scope creep that makes everyone want to cry quietly in the break room.
When organizations pause to create a thoughtful blueprint, they unlock something better than process improvement: shared ownership. And that, more than any tech tool or feature list, is what makes change succeed.
At M&S Consulting, we don’t believe in change for change’s sake. We believe in transformation that honors the people doing the work, equips them for success, and builds something stronger, smarter, and more sustainable.
So if you’re ready to stop duct-taping solutions together and actually build something that works, let’s talk. I’ll bring the blueprint.
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Author: Casey Zaitz, Lead of PMaaS & Organizational Transformation at M&S Consulting