CLIENT

Small business owner, design firm

SERVICES

• Organization development
• Team development, domestic and global

THE SITUATION

Graphic artist Mary Jo Brown opened her design studio in 1992. Her goal was to create designs clients would love—and have fun doing it. Brown & Company quickly grew from two to eight employees. By the time that number had shot up to 20 in 1998, she realized two things: the existing organizational structure no longer worked, and owning a business presented challenges she hadn't anticipated.

While Ms. Brown was aware her firm's flat structure needed changing, she resisted the notion of a traditional hierarchy. And she was struggling to glean from her staff the feedback she needed to effect any change. It was time to seek outside expertise to open the lines of communication so the organization could move forward. She was referred to Anne Litwin.

THE APPROACH

Ms. Litwin gathered information through company-wide discussions and private, individual interviews with virtually everyone in the firm. "Anne was the best listener we could have hoped for," asserts Ms. Brown. "She showed an incredible ability to advocate, yet remain neutral, as she represented staff members' opinions." Her findings revealed their ideas on what worked, what didn't, and how to move forward.

Ms. Litwin worked with her on using the findings to determine how to redesign the firm, continue to refine her leadership style, and address her priorities. "I had to be the one to figure out what structure would make the most sense for us," explained Ms. Brown. "Anne served as an information resource and coach." During the entire process, Ms. Litwin modeled a collaborative, inclusive approach that opened lines of communication, built trust, and helped generate an attitude of collective participation in the firm's future.

THE OUTCOME

Recognizing that she had surrounded herself with "the most talented and eclectic team possible," Ms. Brown saw it was time to step down as Creative Director. She came to accept the need for a more hierarchical structure—one that embraces individual leadership, open communication, and participatory management. "Anne helped us identify group and company dynamics so we could see what changes we needed to make," she says. "People now feel more empowered at work because they have the ability to make more decisions and avoid bottlenecks at the top."

Ms. Brown credits Ms. Litwin's work for being "instrumental to the further development of the company." She also credits a leadership development program Ms. Litwin referred to her for "life-changing insights. I have the freedom and the ability to change my role, and it's important for me to be happy here in order to serve the company well."

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