Experience with many agencies tells us that such moves can prove very productive but they take several years to complete the change. Later The first year of the new approach produced successes, problems and many lessons learned. The TSC staff learned the importance of marketing their services and made some improvements in their marketing skills but have a long way to go in this area. The TSC broke even in its first year. That's a remarkable achievement for a unit that went through the trauma of downsizing and a major shift in roles while implementing totally new business practices.
Some challenges take longer to master.
That's largely due to the fluctuating workload as well as the many changes required to adopt new mission and roles. Malila says his employees found it very difficult to think long-term when the workload is unpredictable. One of the important insights for Malila and his staff is the critical importance of focusing on and managing relationships, especially when your funding requires a total attention to the customer. As we pay more attention to customer feedback, we're learning to listen very carefully.