Client Case Studies
Explore a selection of our facilitation case studies, showcasing how we've helped teams achieve focus and flexibility in dynamic work environments. We've facilitated many more successful engagements beyond these examples-reach out to learn how we can support your team.
Company-Wide Vision Alignment Retreat for a Financial Services FirmFUSE Facilitation led a dynamic, full-day vision alignment retreat for a Western Canadian financial services provider. The session brought together 65 professionals from across the organization to engage deeply with the company's 2030 vision and foster a sense of shared ownership over its strategic direction. EVENT HIGHLIGHTS Theme: "Connecting to the 2030 Vision" Approach: Open Space Technology provided a participant-led structure, enabling high engagement and meaningful dialogue around the company's mission, values, and strategic goals. ACTIVITIES • Morning presentations from each department introduced the updated long-term vision and key strategic priorities. • A moderated Q&A session with a panel of C-Suite executives gave participants the chance to ask candid questions and gain clarity directly from executives. • An energizing Vision Pair Shuffle set the tone for co-creation. • Using Open Space Technology, participants proposed discussion topics that mattered most to them, creating a live agenda for three rounds of peer-led sessions. • A closing circle captured insights, surfaced themes, and built momentum for action. OUTCOMES ACHIEVED • Deepened team understanding of the 2030 vision and each individual's role in achieving it. • Fostered cross-functional alignment and authentic conversations among professionals from varied disciplines. • Generated actionable insights and identified champions to carry key themes forward. • Strengthened engagement, trust, and readiness for long-term strategic execution.
Marketing Leadership Team Kickoff at an Upstream Data Solutions CompanyThe Marketing Organization's Leadership Team at an upstream data solutions company faced challenges with internal conflicts and misaligned goals. To address these issues, a three-day offsite event was organized, starting with a pre-event survey to identify major concerns. The event focused on relationship systems coaching to foster mutual understanding of various perspectives, including those of absent constituent groups. Utilizing Patrick Lencioni's "The Advantage" model, the team initiated a kickoff to define vision, values, and strategy, followed by developing a communication plan for employees. Finally, the Agile Marketing Manifesto guided them in establishing a principles-based custom process for ongoing work execution, allowing for regular review and adaptation of their strategy. OUTCOMES ACHIEVED • Alignment on a healthy marketing organization/culture and identify a prioritized list of activities to get there • Training on two models leadership teams might use to execute on their strategy to build healthy organizations (Agile Marketing & Lencioni's The Advantage) • Create a custom process and meeting structure to meet objectives • Actionable plans to better scale for the future • Build cohesion and positivity (throughout)
Strategic Planning Session with Senior Executives at Suncor EnergyFUSE Facilitation led a strategic planning session to support Suncor Energy, Canada's largest vertically integrated oil and gas supplier, in transitioning a $400M portfolio with 500 team members from a project-centric to a product-centric approach for product development. The session engaged Suncor's executive leadership, including Directors, General Managers, Program Managers, and C-suite leaders, to align on a vision and strategy for the Product Model initiative. OUTCOMES 1) Defined a clear vision and objectives for transitioning the portfolio. 2) Aligned on a roadmap that integrates stakeholder expectations and organizational priorities. 3) Identified pilot teams and developed strategies to resource and protect them. 4) Secured alignment across stakeholders, sponsors, and leadership for the transition. 5) Established actionable next steps to maintain momentum and accountability.
Cross-Business Line Collaboration Workshop for an Environmental Services ProviderFUSE Facilitation led a full-day strategic collaboration workshop for a national environmental services provider operating across industrial water treatment, municipal services, chemicals, and hazardous waste. The session brought together 20 business development professionals in Edmonton to break down silos, clarify interdependencies, and co-create pathways for cross-business line collaboration in Alberta. EVENT HIGHLIGHTS • Theme: "Unlocking Collaboration Across Business Lines" • Approach: A combined methodology of Ecosystem Mapping and Open Space Technology helped participants visualize key interdependencies, surface shared priorities, and create actionable strategies for better coordination. ACTIVITIES • Business line presentations highlighted each team's unique goals and strategic focus areas in Alberta. • Facilitated Ecosystem Mapping sessions visualized the internal landscape, illuminating overlapping mandates, gaps, and opportunities for connection. • Open Space Technology empowered participants to set the agenda for deeper discussion, leading three rounds of participant-led breakout sessions. • Group harvest and wrap-up synthesized insights, surfaced champions, and outlined next steps. • A team dinner capped off the day, reinforcing relationships and informal reflection. OUTCOMES ACHIEVED • Clearer understanding of each business line's role and strategic objectives. • Identification of high-value intersections and collaboration opportunities across service areas. • Energized team ready to act on insights and deepen cross-functional relationships. • Strong participant engagement, with an NPS of 44 and an average experience rating of 8.4/10.
Culture, Values & OKR Workshop for a Manufacturing OrganizationFUSE Facilitation designed and led a full-day purpose, values, and goal-setting workshop for the executive team of a Canadian manufacturing organization following their recent separation from a former parent company. The session supported the team in shaping their cultural identity, aligning on their core purpose, and establishing clear strategic goals for the year ahead. In addition to defining their WHY, HOWs, and WHATs, the afternoon focused on building a shared understanding of the OKR framework and drafting measurable objectives and key results at both the organizational and departmental levels. EVENT HIGHLIGHTS Theme: "Start With Why: Defining Our Purpose, Values and Goals" Approach: A collaborative, insight-driven session grounded in Simon Sinek's Golden Circle and the OKR framework to clarify purpose and drive strategic alignment. ACTIVITIES • Pre-work interviews and internal feedback were synthesized to reflect authentic employee perspectives. • Visioning and storytelling exercises helped surface moments of peak performance and cultural pride. • Participants co-created a clear WHY statement, articulated core values (HOWs), and mapped organizational outputs (WHATs). • Training on OKRs was followed by drafting and aligning both organizational and departmental Objectives and Key Results for the coming year. • Peer feedback, facilitated alignment tools, and closing rituals ensured clarity, ownership, and commitment. OUTCOMES ACHIEVED • A shared WHY statement capturing the organization's core purpose. • Clearly defined values, categorized as current or aspirational, and expressed through actionable behaviors. • Alignment on strategic outputs and how they support the larger purpose. • Drafted 2024 OKRs at both organizational and departmental levels. • An initial strategy for embedding purpose and OKRs into everyday operations and communication.
Shovel Performance Workshop for Suncor's Mining Solutions DivisionFUSE Facilitation led a custom-designed Shovel Performance Workshop for Suncor's Mining Solutions division in Fort McMurray. This full-day session brought together leaders and technical experts across sites to align on what "great" shovel performance looks like, and to define the KPIs that matter most. EVENT HIGHLIGHTS • Theme: "Getting to the Right Metrics Together" • Approach: A highly participatory, facilitated session focused on empathy, alignment, and operational insight. ACTIVITIES • Co-created Working Agreements to shape a collaborative atmosphere. • Explored current metrics and pain points across sites to honor existing practices. • Engaged in visioning and KPI brainstorming to define the future of shovel performance measurement. • Applied prioritization tools and value canvas mapping to clarify business value of each proposed metric. • Integrated global best practices from OEM representatives to benchmark against world-class performance. • Built alignment using structured dialogue and consensus-based techniques. OUTCOMES ACHIEVED • Drafted and aligned on a common shovel performance KPI framework across Fort Hills and Base Mine. • Defined the top 5 Operator-focused and top 3 Reliability-focused real-time KPIs. • Surfaced shared priorities and cross-site learning opportunities. • Equipped leaders with a clear path forward to engage Operators and refine real-time feedback systems. • Strengthened collaboration between technical, operational, and reliability teams.
University Wellness Leadership: Reconnection & Growth WorkshopFUSE Facilitation designed and led a team-building workshop for University Wellness Services leaders in August 2024 to address challenges stemming from leadership changes, burnout, and the lingering effects of the pandemic. The goal was to reignite the team's passion, improve dynamics, and lay the foundation for sustained growth and collaboration. ACTIVITIES • High Dream/Low Dream: Exploring best hopes and worst fears to foster intentionality and alignment. • Team Agreements: Developing working agreements to ensure a constructive, positive environment. • Original Myth Activity: Reconnecting participants with their passion for healthcare. • 5 Dysfunctions of a Team: Training to enhance accountability, commitment, and self-management. • Visioning and Goal-Setting: Creating team and individual action plans to bridge gaps and meet objectives. Appreciation Loop: Closing with a high-positivity ritual to celebrate achievements and set a collaborative tone moving forward. OUTCOMES AS RATED BY PARTICIPANTS 1) Reconnected with passion for healthcare (89%) 2) Identified common team goals (91%) 3) Developed personal growth action plans (97%) 4) Created strategies to improve team performance (91%) 5) Implemented techniques to increase positivity (89%) 6) Contributed to improving team dynamics (91%)
3-Day Conference for Agile Coaches in BanffFUSE Facilitators designed and led the Agile Coaching Retreat 2022, hosted at the Malcolm Hotel in Canmore and Banff, Alberta. This three-day, hands-on event brought together over 100 global attendees, creating a high-energy space to explore, connect, and innovate. EVENT HIGHLIGHTS • Theme: "Creating Connection, Building Relationships." • Approach: Open Space Technology provided the foundation for participants to self-organize, propose topics, and dive deep into meaningful discussions. ACTIVITIES • Keynote session on invitational Agile coaching. • Open Space discussions driving deep exploration of key topics. • Breakout teams developing tools and services for the Agile community. • Evening activities, including scavenger hunt, yoga, networking, and games. OUTCOMES The retreat produced tangible outcomes, including new tools and services that were shared freely with the global Agile coaching community. Attendees left with actionable insights, strengthened relationships, and a deeper sense of collaboration.
War on Waste Event for an Oil and Gas Tech FirmFUSE facilitators led a one-day offsite event in Calgary for an Oil and Gas technology firm, bringing together 60 departmental leaders to root out and eliminate process waste. The event focused on mapping value streams, learning lean management practices, and increasing operational efficiency. ACTIVITIES • Introduction to value stream mapping and lean principles. • Collaborative sessions to identify and address process waste. • Open Space marketplace to prioritize and tackle key waste challenges. OUTCOMES ACHIEVED 1) Achieved a 2% increase in process efficiency, saving $200,000 annually. 2) Produced four detailed value stream maps with actionable next steps. 3) Formalized commitment through a signed "Declaration of War" on process waste.
Achieving Focus and Flexibility at Pembina InstituteIn August of 2024, a team at the Pembina Institute faced challenges with unexpected, urgent tasks disrupting their workflow, causing high-impact priorities to be delayed and threatening their ability to seize opportunities in time. FUSE Facilitation designed a custom workshop to address these issues, helping the team identify the right balance between managing unplanned tasks and staying focused on long-term goals. Through the workshop, we introduced several strategies to handle unplanned work effectively such as breaking larger projects into smaller, incremental deliverables. As a result, the team has improved their ability to meet deadlines, communicate timelines effectively, and deliver consistent value, even amid shifting priorities. This approach has also helped team members feel less overwhelmed by large projects, enabling them to work more effectively and confidently. OUTCOMES 1) Learn three prioritization techniques and apply one with a real example 2) Apply principles of flexibility in the context of complex and rapidly changing work
Innovation Pathways Workshop for the Fortis Innovation NetworkFUSE Facilitation co-founder Erkan Kadir designed and facilitated an Innovation Pathways workshop for the Fortis Innovation Network, bringing together leaders from Fortis utilities across Canada and the United States. The session focused on a question every regulated business eventually asks: how do we move faster without trading away safety and reliability? EVENT HIGHLIGHTS Theme: "Moving faster in a regulated business, without compromising safety" Approach: A working session rather than a presentation, built on the group's own experience of what slows good ideas down. ACTIVITIES • A conversational opener where each leader described a promising idea that took longer than it should have, then named what actually slowed it down. • Case examples from utilities and other highly regulated organizations, used to build shared language for pilots, constraints, and leadership choices. • A working discussion of the structural patterns behind delay, including the shift from directing how work is done to setting clear outcomes and boundaries. • Small experiments each leader could run inside their own sphere of influence, without waiting for permission. OUTCOMES ACHIEVED • 83% overall agreement that the workshop delivered against its objectives, across 17 responses. • 84% agreed the session clarified why moving faster matters in a regulated utility, without compromising safety. • 85% agreed it surfaced structural lessons to reduce delays, handoffs, and bottlenecks. • 80% agreed it explored practical pathways and safe-to-try experiments within their influence. • Net Promoter Score of +41, with an average recommendation score of 8.2 out of 10. WHAT PARTICIPANTS SAID "The lessons were very eye-opening. When you lay it out like you did, it just starts to click, the things you do right and the things that should improve. Lots of ideas." — Jonathan Careen "Working experience in industry comes through in the presentations." — Angus Orford
Playing to Win Strategy Offsite for a Financial Services Company in the Energy IndustryA financial services company in the energy industry faced a choice that could set its direction for years. Its core invoicing product was under attack from established players and startups, and its leaders had to decide whether to keep charging for invoices or move to a free model and earn revenue from added services. After a three-day strategy offsite in Golden, Colorado, guided by a FUSE facilitator, the C-suite and executive leadership team chose to keep charging for invoices and to focus the company's added services on the energy industry. Revenue grew steadily over the next two years, and the company went on to become a market leader in that space. THE APPROACH We worked with the CEO to plan the offsite and built it around Playing to Win, A.G. Lafley and Roger L. Martin's strategy framework. A FUSE facilitator and two fellow coaches turned the framework into a seven-step process that took the team from an open question to a choice it could test. THE SEVEN STEPS 1. Frame the choice: turn the issue into at least two options that could not both be true. 2. Generate strategic possibilities: widen the list of options before narrowing it. 3. Specify the conditions for success: what would have to be true for each possibility to win. 4. Identify the barriers to choice: the conditions the team was least confident would hold. 5. Design valid tests: tests the whole team would accept as enough to commit. 6. Conduct the tests: test each hypothesis, starting with the condition the team was least confident in. 7. Choose: compare the test results with the conditions for success and make the call. THE OFFSITE • Day one: the team framed the choice. • Day two: the team generated its possibilities, specified the conditions for success, identified the barriers, and designed a test for each. • Day three: the team presented its possibilities and tests. • After the offsite: the team ran the tests and compared the results with its conditions to make the choice. OUTCOMES ACHIEVED • The company decided to keep charging for invoices. • It focused its added services on the energy industry alone and built a suite of industry-specific products that made the invoicing solution stickier. • Revenue grew steadily over the next two years while the company protected its market share. • The company went on to become a market leader in that space.