Visual Thinking Accelerates Federal Process Clarity
Evans Collaboration Lab Transforms Onboarding Workflow
Background
A team within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was tasked with developing a consolidated, in-person onboarding event. Historically, these events were held virtually or across various office locations. Leadership aimed to unify them to create a consistent and impactful new hire experience.
The Challenge
As the team prepared the required conference package, the process encountered a series of structural obstacles. The existing workflow featured multiple approval gates, disconnected stakeholder groups, and unclear communication pathways — creating a framework that hindered rather than helped. Team momentum stalled as misalignment led to repeated clarification cycles and duplicate efforts.
The Approach
Evans used Visual Thinking to transform an abstract, bureaucratic process into a clear, actionable system the team could see, understand, and improve — together.
Key Implementation Highlights:
- Mapped the Current State: The Evans facilitator interviewed the team project leader and built a visual Miro board detailing the existing approval process and stakeholder responsibilities.
- Built a Physical Experience: The digital workflow was recreated in a tactile format using oversized paper, sticky notes, and color-coded markers within the Evans Collaboration Lab.
- Walkthrough & Context Setting: The Evans facilitator guided the team through the current process, step by step.
- Team Input & Diagnosis: Participants used markers to flag smooth vs. problematic steps, creating immediate visibility into bottlenecks.
- Structured Reflection: A guided discussion helped the team examine root causes and cross-functional friction points.
- Co-designed a New Workflow: Team members physically restructured the process to reduce handoffs, clarify approvals, and eliminate internal redundancies within the team.
This session, embedded into an offsite, created a shared visual language for decision-making — and unlocked teamwide alignment in a matter of hours.
The Results
- 100% Process Alignment Achieved: Every team member left with a unified understanding of the workflow — ending weeks of miscommunication and false starts.
- Bottlenecks Exposed and Addressed: Key friction points were identified and resolved in real time.
- Workflow Redesign Completed in One Day: The team restructured the process during the session, reducing steps and eliminating unnecessary rework.
- Communication Streamlined Across Stakeholders: Clearer handoffs and defined responsibilities improved coordination internally and externally.
- Improved Operational Coordination: The process-driven facilitation format promoted cross-functional ownership and sustained alignment across stakeholders.
- Scalable Framework for Future Events: The redesigned process can be applied across future onboarding and operations events — replicating efficiency gains.
The Tradeoff of Not Acting
Without Evans’ intervention, the R&R team would have continued to experience:
- Process Confusion: Ongoing misalignment would lead to repeated delays and inefficiencies.
- Frustrated Staff: Team morale and productivity would continue to erode under unclear expectations.
- Wasted Time and Resources: Each approval cycle would cost time, attention, and rework.
- Stakeholder Breakdown: Miscommunications with critical offices like Real Estate would persist.
- Compromised Event Execution: The onboarding event — key to employee integration and retention — would face unnecessary risk.
Evans’ facilitation built a blueprint for repeatable efficiency and mission readiness.
