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Case study

Team readiness drives trans-formation


INDUSTRY

Fundraising, Higher Education

Services used:

MUA Q™
MUA QI™
MUA QX™
MUA QC™

 

Case-Study-OSU-V3
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CHALLANGE

Existing structures and their impact

APPROACH

Data driven readiness and cultural transformation

RESULTS

Sustainable improvement across team dynamics

CONCLUSION

How MUA helps organizations transform, adapt and evolve

Founded in 1947, the Oregon State University Foundation serves as the nonprofit organization dedicated to generating private funding for Oregon State University's mission and initiatives.

The Technology & Innovation team, led by Mark Koenig, Chief Innovation Officer and Vice President, Technology, includes 11 senior directors and plays a crucial role, plays a crucial role in driving digital transformation and technological advancement within the foundation.

Recognizing the need for organizational evolution, Mark initiated the partnership with MUA to address the challenges his team faced in breaking free from traditional departmental silos and adapting to more agile, cross-functional ways of working.

The challenge:
Transforming traditional mindsets


The Technology & Innovation team found themselves at a critical juncture. To maintain the foundation's excellence in its market, they needed to optimize operational processes through technological advancement.

Recognizing that existing departmental structures and culture could slow down these large-scale changes, the management team took a proactive approach to prepare the team. With the growing need for agile operations and cross-functional collaboration, they prioritized transforming leadership and team dynamics.

The foundation understood that success required more than just structural adjustments – it demanded a fundamental shift in emotional readiness and team culture.

 

Partnering with MUA has been a game-changer for our technology and innovation team. Their structured approach – emotional readiness assessments with daily, tailored skill development – has transformed the way we collaborate and innovate. The focus on emotional readiness has not only strengthened our team dynamics but also elevated our ability to drive meaningful change.

 

Mark Koenig

Chief Innovation Officer and Vice President, Technology at Oregon State University Foundation

The approach:
Building awareness from within 


We implemented a comprehensive, four-phase strategy designed to cultivate emotional readiness and foster sustainable organizational change. Our approach combined MUA's core offerings: workplace assessments, people development, team facilitation, and leadership coaching.

Phase 1 – Build Awareness

Focused on building awareness, helping team members recognize their work routines and behavioral patterns. This created a foundation for personal growth and team development.

Phase 2 – Emphasize Emotional Readiness

Emphasized emotional readiness, transforming individual awareness into practical skills. This enabled leaders to better recognize and adapt their responses to organizational dynamics.

Phase 3 – Active Learning

Activated learning through facilitated sessions, where theoretical understanding evolved into practical leadership capabilities. This hands-on approach helped team members apply emotional readiness concepts directly to their daily challenges.

Phase 4 – Agile & Self-Managed

Cultivated self-organized team dynamics through ongoing facilitated sparring sessions, establishing new patterns of collaborative leadership.

The results:
Measurable transformation 


After the program the group showed significant improvement overall measured categories.
29
%

Higher scores across all emotional readiness categories

88
%

Improvement in communication and connection

960
%

Stronger growth mindset

However, participants with above-average daily usage of our MUA QI app particularly stood out in their learning and development compared to their peers.

14
%

Higher growth rate across all categories

23
%

Stronger results across all categories

51
%

Stronger growth mindset

Throughout this program, we tracked and evaluated 8,285 responses in MUA QI, conducted 11 group facilitation sessions, delivered six one-on-one leadership coaching sessions, and provided customized onboarding for new team members.

The conclusion:
Sustainable success through targeted intervention 


We are happy to share the remarkable transformation across the OSU Foundation's Technology & Innovation team, spanning from team dynamics and communication to leadership development and organizational culture.
 
The successful completion of their leadership development plan and the meaningful conversations throughout the engagement underscore the lasting impact of this transformation.
 
By embracing emotional readiness as a cornerstone of organizational change, the team has established a strong foundation for continued success in an evolving academic landscape, demonstrating that when organizations commit to developing emotional readiness, they can successfully navigate complex transformations while maintaining team cohesion and effectiveness.
MUA was our launching pad for the future.

"This was a launching pad for the future, which we couldn't have created without MUA helping us build more awareness."

Group feedback
Oregon State Univesity, Foundation
A space for deeper conversations we rarely have

"We talked about things and topics in a way that we don't always get to do with each other."

Group feedback
Oregon State University, Foundation
Greater mindfulness of our impact on others

"I have increased mindfulness about how the work we do impacts others."

Group feedback
Oregon State University, Foundation
This experience shaped the DNA of our work

"This experience created the DNA of what we're doing now."

Group feedback
Oregon State University, Foundation
More structure, more critical conversations—I'm excited for the future

"I'm excited about the future because there's now more structure and more critical conversations within the leadership team."

Group feedback
Oregon State University, Foundation
MUA shifted our perspective on what truly matters

"The MUA software calendar tagging process shifted perspectives on activities initially identified as 'flames,' but with a day or two of hindsight, they were actually 'hearts.'"

Group feedback
Oregon State University, Foundation
GET READY TO HIT YOUR GOALS

Connect with one of our team members

Enhance your team’s performance with MUA, a simple, cost-effective, and headache-free solution. Let’s talk. Together, we’ll map out a plan for your success.

GET READY TO HIT YOUR GOALS

Connect with one of our team members

Enhance your team’s performance with MUA, a simple, cost-effective, and headache-free solution. Let’s talk. Together, we’ll map out a plan for your success.