Case Story:
Engineering and Research Consulting, Inc.
Rocket Science? Nope, Just Building an Everyone Culture
The Challenge:
Reconnecting People in a Highly Technical Organization
ERC is an engineering, technical, IT, and scientific services firm that supports the US Department of Defense, NASA, and commercial clients in advanced military and space research. Its employees work at the cutting edge of test evaluation, operations, software, and network administration.
Many of them are, quite literally, rocket scientists.
Founded by Susan Wu, the first woman to earn a PhD in Aeronautical Engineering from Caltech, ERC built its reputation on technical excellence and a warm, inclusive culture. People felt they belonged. Collaboration and respect were deeply ingrained values.
As the company grew, however, something subtle began to break.
In 2013, ERC moved its corporate headquarters in Huntsville, Alabama, into a larger, modern office space. The new environment reflected success. More room. More light. Better amenities. But the expansion also removed something essential.
People stopped running into each other.
Karma Malone, ERC’s most senior employee, described the shift plainly.
“Most days, I can sit at my desk all day and never interact with anyone except by phone. I can go home without having spoken to a colleague in person.”
What had once been an organic connection was replaced by quiet isolation. Departments drifted apart. Silos formed unintentionally. Work began to feel transactional rather than relational.
Morale, once a strength of the corporate office, began to decline.
By 2015, ERC’s leadership team recognized that while the company was succeeding technically, its internal connections were weakening. And without deliberate intervention, those fractures could slow adaptation, collaboration, and growth.
The Solution:
Making Growth Everyone’s Job
Led by CEO Ernest Wu, son of the founder, the executive team decided to address the issue in a way they had never done before.
Rather than launching a traditional engagement initiative or leadership program, ERC partnered with The Developmental Edge® to run an office-wide developmental effort grounded in the Immunity to Change® framework created by Dr. Robert Kegan and Dr. Lisa Lahey.
The goal was not training. It was a transformation.
The leadership team believed a shared developmental experience could:
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Increase engagement and participation across the corporate office
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Rebuild communication across departments and levels
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Strengthen the organization’s ability to adapt under pressure
Critical to the design was a radical but straightforward choice. Everyone would participate.
From the CEO to the receptionist, every employee at headquarters would be part of the same Developmental Sprint®. No elite groups. No hierarchy-based cohorts.
Turning Development Into a Shared Experience
ERC and TDE designed a six-week Developmental Sprint® customized to the organization and its people. Every participant worked on a professional improvement goal tied directly to their everyday work.
Peer coaching groups were intentionally cross-level and cross-functional. Instead of grouping executives with executives or managers with managers, ERC assigned groups alphabetically.
Senior leaders worked alongside frontline staff. Engineers partnered with administrative professionals. Titles faded. Growth became mutual.
The message was unmistakable. Everyone can grow. Everyone’s growth matters. Everyone contributes to everyone else’s development.
The Sprint launched with a customized workshop and continued with weekly on-the-job experiments, structured peer coaching meetings, brief one-on-one support from TDE coaches, and a closing workshop that consolidated learning across the organization.
Development did not pull people out of work. It changed how the people worked.
From Isolation to Connection
As expected, the Sprint produced individual breakthroughs. But the larger shift was collective.
Wu reflected,
“In a traditional approach, frontline people would have been ignored. Instead, they were reborn. People saw themselves as part of a bigger picture. They felt valued and more open to change. We all started moving faster.”
For Catie Willis in Accounts Payable, the experience changed both her communication and her sense of belonging.
“I communicate more clearly now and get better responses. But beyond that, I realized how much people here actually care and want to help. That matters. It helps me grow. It helps ERC grow. And it helps our customers.”
People who had felt invisible found their footing. Confidence increased. Participation in meetings rose. Ideas surfaced that might otherwise have stayed buried.
The Results:
A Culture That Keeps Paying Dividends
Four years after the Sprint, the impact was still visible.
Ernest Wu reflected,
“The quality of relationships is better because of that intense shared experience. There is more collaboration and communication across the office.”
One of the clearest tests came when the Finance Department was restructured months later. They appointed new leaders. Reporting lines changed. In many organizations, that kind of shift would trigger resistance.
At ERC, it did not.
People supported the change. Communication was open. The organization adapted quickly.
Wu is clear about the role the Sprint played.
“I am confident it contributed to our growth. It was not the only factor, but better communication, especially among the executive team, cannot be undervalued.”
The most significant outcomes were consistent and lasting:
- People feel more valued
- People communicate more openly
- People are more open to change
- The organization moves faster
“It makes me think we can handle whatever comes next,” Wu said. “To have an organization that can adapt like that is precious. That is the best competitive position you can have.”