NWC Has Evolved. Here’s What You Should Know

Dr. Nika White • October 12, 2021

NWC is in a season of change. Like many consultancy businesses, we experienced rapid growth during the pandemic. We started building a coalition of new, brilliant minds to better help serve our clients during a time of hyper attention on DEI issues within organizations.

As time went on and our clients’ needs changed, we decided to taper back our hiring boom. We began to focus on what our clients needed today (versus 18 months ago) and what we could do to better serve them in the future.

This fall, we decided to do a full-on organizational restructure to better align resources to address customized solutions. We had a goal to get hyper-focused on who we are, what we are trying to accomplish with our clients, and the talent we want to attract to help us do the great work of building intentional inclusive cultures.

The truth is, many companies go through a re-org when they see that things aren’t working or if there is a significant change in their business model, product, or service offerings. For NWC, our re-birth came as a result of a year of tremendous growth that continues to maintain speed and recognition. I realized that after a year at our current pace of growth, we had to slow down to go fast.

As we are full-on into the last quarter of the year, as I do every year, I am taking inventory of where NWC started in the year, how we’ve progressed, and where we are going.

This year brought with it many new opportunities to grow, learn and improve.

Grow

NWC skyrocketed in growth this year. But with that growth, came the immediate need to build an agile, competent team with a heart for the work and the skills to match. We were able to meet those needs and even exceed the expectations of our clients. But, as the year moved on, we realized that we needed to do something different.

The staff we hired were brilliant, heart-focused, and ready to do the work, but it was only later that we realized our client needs had shifted. So, our team layout shifted in response. We’ve slowed down our hiring and peeled back the layers. We are confident these changes will position us to exceed the expectations of our clients as we go to the next level.

Learn

This year, we learned that our clients’ DEI transformation required more profound work, customized solutions, and even more specialized personnel. We had to step back and ask ourselves:

  • What do our clients need now that they didn’t need in 2020?
  • What can we do to meet them where they’re at?
  • What can we learn to better serve our clients and their constituents?
  • Who can best serve our clients’ needs at this time?

We have a lot of learning to do in order to tailor our offerings to each client. We’re also learning who to add to our team that can speak to each clients’ individual needs.

At NWC, we’re not about blanket solutions. We’re about tactical, effective, and personalized solutions. That requires us to put on our thinking caps, get creative, and be bold in our growth and development in the coming months.

Improve

As a business owner, I found myself reflecting on how NWC and I arrived at this place. I reflected on how we’ve helped dozens of organizations in the DEI space, and how the incredible team of people we had helped move the needle forward. But, it was time to make major changes within the organization and I found myself between a rock and a hard place. As a
leader, it’s crucial to understand that everything rises and falls with leadership. So, I sought out counsel, spent time reflecting on the vision of NWC, and intentionally sought client feedback to further refine our organization.

The bottom line is that NWC needed to slow down to go deeper and go further into
the work that our clients required. Where NWC began, and the work being done, though impactful, it was
just the initial layers and not the full scope of service and expertise needed for the deeper work.

Our current and future clients deserve a more robust and customized approach and solutions. All of which are
in alignment with the vision and goals of NWC. When a problem arises, the answers reveal themselves and it’s up to us to listen and make the necessary changes, adjustments, and pivots (including making necessary endings) to improve and grow.

The ability of NWC to operate within its vision and mission to meet the needs of the world we serve moved me
to refine the team, streamline our processes, and add greater depth and dimension to the services we provide.

Final Thoughts

Today, NWC celebrates all of those we’ve had the opportunity to work alongside and serve. Every engagement we had was an essential building block in what NWC is today and what it will become in the future. Whether a moment, a season, or a lifetime, we build with people, and when the time is right, we honor the gifts they leave behind. Why? Because we whole-hearted believe that we must continuously learn, unlearn and relearn to grow, evolve, and flourish.

I am grateful for this journey of service and leadership. As I continue to improve and refine myself, I hope to always do my part to be accountable to the people I meet, serve and do life with. When I grow, we grow, and we all grow together. We’re excited to grow with our new clients and staff in the coming months and years.

Read more from The Human Shift on Substack, where I share long-form essays on leadership, culture, and how we work and live.

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