CHALLENGE

Despite a movement of over two million members worldwide, Alcoholics Anonymous was at a crossroads. Fatal outcomes associated with alcohol abuse and addiction had increased substantially over the prior decade, yet A.A.'s growth had stalled. They knew there was a communications problem. What they needed was someone to help them understand exactly what that problem was and what it would take to solve it.

OUR WORK

We started with a rigorous audit of A.A.'s internal and external communications, conducting 83 one-on-one interviews, 4 focus groups, 1,504 surveys, 7 field observations, and more than 158 asset reviews. The goal was to capture the full breadth of needs across A.A.'s global stakeholder base, both the two million members already in recovery and those still in need of help.

The synthesis of that research produced 32 recommendations, distilled into two critical courses of action: the creation of a centralized communications function and the development of a multi-year strategic plan. Both were designed to close longstanding gaps and empower A.A.'s internal stakeholders to become more effective and courageous communicators of the organization's life-saving mission.

Then came the most challenging part of our work: building consensus. Over eight months, we gained buy-in from A.A.'s three corporate boards, administrative leadership, staff, and 91 area delegates. Both initiatives have since been implemented.

IMPACT

A movement of A.A.'s scale and complexity doesn't change easily. Achieving full consensus across deeply rooted stakeholder groups, and seeing both a centralized communications function and a comprehensive strategic plan through to completion, represents a meaningful and lasting shift in how A.A. shows up for the people who need it most.

SELECT ACTIVITIES

Board & leadership engagement · Consensus building Communications audit · Community engagement · Organizational change management · Stakeholder research & analysis · Strategic planning