Case Study: Lifting Up Everyone!

Good Wolf’s Collaboration with Lifting Up Westchester

executive summary

"Good Wolf has helped us create a work environment where our motivation and our collegiality and teamwork allow us to deliver the best results for our clients."

Anahaita Kotval, CEO, Lifting Up Westchester

Good wolf's approach

In March 2021, Good Wolf engaged with Lifting Up Westchester (LUW), a large nonprofit provider of services to homeless persons and their families, to facilitate professional growth in frontline staff in order to take their service to homeless clients to a higher level. 

Good Wolf’s engagement with LUW was a collaborative and co-creative venture, led by Good Wolf Managing Director Jade de Saussure and Founder John Delfs. 

Phase 1: Initial Engagement and Needs Assessment

Good Wolf used the teaching of neuroscience to engage with staff, communicate that change is necessary and possible, and to facilitate personal and professional growth. This initial work with frontline staff in the shelters and residences exceeded expectations, resulting in profound and enthusiastic engagement and transformative change in numerous participating staff members. 

Additionally, Good Wolf conducted a needs assessment that emphasized the importance of LUW adopting a trauma-informed approach, enhancing communication and collaboration among staff and leadership, and prioritizing support for personal and professional development of staff throughout the LUW organization. 

Phase 2: Preparation for Organizational Culture Change

Based on the success of Phase 1 and the presentation of Good Wolf’s needs assessment to LUW leadership, Good Wolf's engagement with LUW was expanded. During this phase, we worked to prepare LUW for organizational cultural change. 

We created two working committees, each facilitated by Jade and John.  A Cultural Change Steering Committee was comprised of executive leadership and middle management.  A Cultural Change Advisory Committee was comprised of frontline staff representing programs across the organization. 

Our work in this phase was framed in the Good Wolf Four Step Process: 

  1. Achieving Self-Governance
  2. Achieving Competence
  3. Individual A-Team Action
  4. Collective A-Team Action

The goal of Phase 2 was to prepare LUW, from frontline staff to executive leadership, for implementing overall organizational cultural change, emphasizing support for staff well-being and growth, improved organizational effectiveness and efficiency, and optimal service to LUW’s clients. 

Phase 3: Implementation of Organizational Culture Change

(In Process)

Results and conclusions

Good Wolf’s collaborative work with LUW in Phases 1 and 2 demonstrated that: 

  1. The Neuroscience of Our Selves is an Engaging Topic. Teaching “the neuroscience of our selves” is an effective methodology for engaging individuals in transformative learning. 
  2. Intentional Practice is Vital for Optimal Behavioral Change. Facilitated group exercises are important in achieving improved quality of personal lives and enhanced professional performance, whether in serving clients or in carrying out leadership roles. 
  3. Good Wolf’s Approach Fosters Self-Directed Change. Using this approach, individuals begin to develop their abilities to drive their own personal and professional growth – to become their own agents of personal change. 
  4. Good Wolf’s Approach Facilitates Personal and Professional Growth.  Increased self-awareness and self-governance lead to commitment to personal growth, to improved interpersonal relationships, and to enhanced professional functioning. 

 Acknowledgement. Good Wolf was delighted to be honored by Lifting Up Westchester for this successful work at its annual gala in the spring of 2022.   

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Extended Case Study

A more detailed case study giving a fuller account of Good Wolf's engagement with Lifting Up Westchester.
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