Page 270 - Successful Onboarding

Driving Implementation—From Blueprint to Impact • 251

shows will have a limited impact. This can mean a team might not achieve
the initial results that will allow for implementation of more important
and costly program elements over time.
Booz Allen’s design team emerged from the prioritization process with
a decision to implement the program in four distinct phases, introducing
the most critical program elements first and then building on these items
in the following three phases. The team divided introduction of the four
pillars across the four phases, designating in each phase whether there
would be “light,” “medium,” or “heavy” concentration (from a design and
deployment perspective) on that content area in a given phase. Under this
model, each deployment would build on the progress of the prior one.
Assignment of program elements to an earlier or later phase reflected a
number of considerations, including whether the content area was a steer-
ing committee mandate, where it resided on the prioritization matrix, and
whether other elements not yet considered required introduction of this
particular element first. Light elements were easily deployed foundational
elements that would meaningfully enhance the current program; medium
elements were incremental elements that added functionality to the pro-
gram; whereas heavy elements were final-phase elements that delivered a
gold-standard onboarding experience and offered the promise of deliver-
ing the Onboarding Margin.
In creating a blueprint, teams should proceed to outline specific new
hire activities, tools, and resources that will support each program phase.
As further support for the program design, effective blueprint documents
for any organization development system should include:

• New program objectives
• A clear link between the design and current program deficiencies
• Enhanced program phase elements
• Expected outcomes
• An integrated work/build plan (by wave and implementation
timeline)
• A governance and operations model (overview and guiding
principles)
• Systems and technology requirements