Resolution of a dispute between the U.S. Army and the State of Ohio regarding remediation of munitions along the Lake Erie shoreline; these parties came to a position of respect, trust, and cooperation and together were able to develop and implement a plan to remediate the shoreline (U.S. Army and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency)
Resolution of a dispute between the U.S. Army, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and five additional federal and state government agencies regarding acceptable risk levels on U.S. Army land being transferred; these parties were able to jointly develop and agree on risk levels, and the environmental cleanup project was accelerated from a projected 19 years to 11 years resulting in the U.S.'s first national tallgrass prairie (Midewin) east of the Mississippi. (Joliet Army Ammunitions Plant)
Resolution of a three-year outstanding critical precedent-setting issue by a team comprised of three different government organizations (Shaw Air Force Base, U.S. Army Corps Omaha District, Shaw Environmental, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental
Compliance)
Creation of a partnership involving 13 U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force Senior Environmental Coordinators as reflected the development of a joint Action Plan (U.S. Pentagon)
Reduction of a major backlog of environmental reports submitted by one government agency to another for review and acceptance (U.S. Department of Energy, State of New Mexico, U.S. EPA, Los Alamos National Laboratory)
Improved performance, productivity, and relationships among a U.S. government headquarters office, field office, and national laboratory (all geographically separated and driven by different goals); together they produced a comprehensive cyber security plan in an era of increasing requirements and decreasing funding; they were awarded a National Cyber Security Award by the Secretary of Energy (U.S. Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office, Battelle Energy Alliance)
The restructuring of a state government agency resulted in high levels of employee stress, poor communication between two Divisions within the agency, and lower workplace morale. Ms. Boucher designed and led a team-building, training, and coaching program. Through this program, management and staff teams developed new means and methods through which the Divisions could work together more cooperatively and effectively. Employees experienced greater control over their projects, formal and informal communications between the two Divisions became more productive, tensions were largely alleviated, and workplace morale improved. (Maine Department of Environmental Protection)
Senior managers of a U.S. federal government agency were disappointed with the results of an employee satisfaction survey. Of primary concern were the low scores related to senior management performance, workplace morale, and transparency within the workplace. Ms. Boucher conducted in-person interviews of a sample of the organization’s population to develop insights into the source of the low scores. She subsequently provided this information in a report which the management team shared with the organization through a series of briefing sessions that Ms. Boucher helped design and lead. Ms. Boucher then worked with an employee committee to identify and help them develop strategies and a plan to improve organizational areas of weakness. As an outcome, communication within the organization improved, employees became more engaged, and there was greater overall pride in the organization. (U.S. Department of Energy)
After a great deal of time and energy had been spent trying to address a conflict between a U.S. Department of Defense agency and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), the need for an intervention was raised to the level of the Office of the Secretary of Defense and a similar level within the U.S. EPA. Ms. Boucher was enlisted to help the parties move beyond this conflict and “partner” to develop solutions. She worked with representatives from seven federal and state government agencies as well as the local community to develop a multi-level, multi-agency partnering approach. She facilitated the working meetings of an inter-agency management team and several inter-agency technical teams, and she helped these teams integrate their work with one another. As needed, she provided training in communication, conflict management, and leadership. These parties succeeded in moving beyond their conflicts, and they developed solutions that, in the end, accelerated the transfer of land from the U.S. Army to the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 19 to 11 years, allowing for development of the Nation’s first National Tallgrass Prairie. (U.S. Army Ammunitions Plant in Joliet, IL)
Five parties (several Headquarter and field office divisions within a large government agency and its operations contractor) experienced conflict while developing a cyber security plan at a time when cyber security requirements were increasing and budgets were decreasing. With Ms. Boucher’s guidance, facilitation support, and coaching, the three parties worked together through a series of summits to more clearly delineate roles and responsibilities and decision-making authorities, to agree on how the limited funds would best be spent, and to develop a cyber security plan they all could support. The tension between the parties was largely alleviated, and their communications improved. As an outcome, these five parties developed a comprehensive, realistic plan to ensure a secure cyber operating environment for their program. This plan was nationally recognized as being a model for other cyber security plans. (U.S. Department of Energy)
"Laurel did phenomenal work in my organization....creating a never-seen-before collaboration between two factions with years of individual and group distrust and mutual dislike. Her ability to get to both intra-group and inter-group issues was great...and swift. Once she had built relationships within each group, she was able to bring them together in unique ways to acknowledge and discuss differences and play on individual and organizational strengths. The result was a brokering of agreements to make working together more productive and enjoyable going forward. I applauded her skills, abilities, efforts, and achievements at the time. Eight years later, I continue to sing her praises."
David W. Maxwell; Program Director, ConnectME Authority
"Laurel consulted with us at the Dept of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy. Her ability to bring people together to make things happen is without peer. Her positive energy is infectious, and she quickly reads the landscape of the task at hand and the personalities involved, and moves everyone forward to accomplish important goals. I worked with her on an internal communications plan that I have used as a template for a strategic communications plan at USDA. It really works. I recommend her highly for any organization looking for help in facilitation, team building, and mobilizing people to advance the strategic goals of the organization."
Dick George; Communications Branch Chief at the U.S. Department of Agriculture
"Laurel conducted a one-day partnering session for my firm in advance of a large renovation project we were recently awarded for the US Navy. The 18 participants were designers, subcontractors, end users, and government representatives, several of whom attended from out of state. Laurel's performance on the three critical aspects of her responsibility (advance preparation, conducting the session, and producing a summary) achieved a high degree of success. Laurel was diligent, prepared, organized, and very personable, which fostered a day of comfortable participation and communication. During the session she transitioned from leader to observer as needed to maintain interest and focus of the group. As a result of her effort the team is communicating well and the project is starting off on the right foot."
Patrick Collins; Vice President at H.V. Collins Company
"Laurel is an excellent facilitator and adept at enabling participants to identify the key issues that cause conflict and skilled at bringing people together to resovle those conflicts. I had the pleasure of working with her during a partnering session she facilitated involving two DoD agencies that had been struggling to work together constructively, and she was very succesful in guiding the teams to reach significant agreements needed in order to achieve meaningful change in the working relationships."
Jason Thomas, Senior Program Manager, Branch Chief at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Middle East District
"Thank you for outstanding efforts with the recent NAVFAC and USACE Partnering Session in Bahrain. This demanding and operationally critical program requires the involvement of two high performing teams. Both just happen to be DOD agencies. You did a great job facilitating the event and keeping the teams focused on the overall objectives. I commend your preparatory work as well. You made the extra effort to understand the issues, the processes, and the dynamics of each agency. Thanks to your innovative facilitation methods and your persistence, the Partnering session was considered a success. You helped direct our teams in the right direction."
Soliman Labrador, P.E., Chief Engineer - NAVFAC EURAFSWA
"Laurel did an excellent job mediating between EPA and the Army to achieve a technically challenging environmental cleanup. Her work allowed the project to complete 3-years ahead of schedule."
Renee Wynn; then Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Environmental Information
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