Mountainland Association of Governments, Utah
Passive to
active aging
Hidden within a Utahn metropolitan planning organization lived a social service agency operating as a best kept secret to a surging aging population. Mountainland needed to reframe its services and launch an awareness campaign to align teams and successfully deliver on a promise to its community.
Mountainland Association of Governments, Utah
Passive to active aging
Hidden within a Utahn metropolitan planning organization lived a social service agency operating as a best kept secret to a surging aging population. Mountainland needed to reframe its services and launch an awareness campaign to align teams and successfully deliver on a promise to its community.
As national leaders championed the prevailing concept of “aging in place,” sparsely populated states struggled to translate that promise into reality.
Steeped in Mormon culture—known more for service than strategy—Mountainland dutifully followed government program requirements as internal synchronization and external engagement lagged.
Challenged to translate government intent into everyday, everywhere-America outcomes, could the servant leaders become strategic communicators to reach those out of reach?
Manager
“The staff doesn’t understand how programs fit together and how they can benefit each other.”
Find meaning
In the midst of strategic planning and leadership transition, we looked beyond funding streams and program brands to establish a shared mission with a disconnected staff. Why do we come to work everyday?
Assess public sentiment
We discovered a fractured relationship between programs and people. How many levels of perception were there?
“They don’t know what we do.”
“They think we are the government.”
“They think we only do Meals on Wheels.”
Pause and pivot
Grand plans for a comprehensive brand strategy were replaced with a minimum viable product after we discovered the pervasive internal misalignment and reluctance to change. Could we make a project strategy detour along the way?
Find meaning
In the midst of strategic planning and leadership transition, we looked beyond funding streams and program brands to establish a shared mission with a disconnected staff. Why do we come to work everyday?
Assess public sentiment
We discovered a fractured relationship between programs and people. How many levels of perception were there?
“They don’t know what we do.”
“They think we are the government.”
“They think we only do Meals on Wheels.”
Pause and pivot
Grand plans for a comprehensive brand strategy were replaced with a minimum viable product after we discovered the pervasive internal misalignment and reluctance to change. Could we make a project strategy detour along the way?
In an organization accustomed to following directives and checking boxes, the team learned to think beyond superficial solutions like “designing a logo” and instead pivoted to a comprehensive brand-building campaign. A simple messaging framework could capture the nurturing culture and convey the charter. Introducing: Love Your Later Life.
Strategy sessions revealed a clear role and strong position: Mountainland helps “navigate the nuances of advancing age.” A multi-pronged campaign paved the way for a united workforce empowered to engage.
Department director
“We’ve never had to think strategically before.”
Impact
Proven impact
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