The very first testimonial of the Action Result Mapping process:
From the technology industry:
“The team reported their findings from the first day session. They discovered only 91 minutes of work in a process that was taking the team 32 days to fulfill.”
(Everything else was meetings, bureaucracy, approvals, status updates, double checks, triple checks. A team of ten people spend an entire month to do a process that one person could have done in 91 minutes if they had just been freed up to do that work.)
“The Process Fixer’s System has been a huge success in terms of team building, especially in terms of providing a forum for “productive conflict” and chipping away at individual silos and moving to a “whole company” mindset.”
This was a huge success, but not as much in terms of the process. It was about team building. It provided a form for productive conflict resolution, and we lost the individual silos. And now everybody sees themselves as part of a bigger system and they understand that their actions affect every other person in the organization.
From another facilitator:
Milan will mark my fourth Olympic and Paralympic Games, and each one has taught me something meaningful about what it takes to create an environment where excellence can thrive. My journey with the Team Behind the Team started in Sochi managing international volunteers, continued in Rio as a Paralympics concierge, grew in Paris helping to set up the High-Performance Center, and now brings me to Milan, where I’m assisting with the Team USA Welcome Experience, the first touchpoint where athletes are greeted as they begin their Olympic journey. Across these four Games and various roles, one truth has become very clear: the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s Game Operations team doesn’t just support athletes; it removes every possible barrier between them and their performance. The mission is clear and straightforward: support every aspect of the athlete’s Olympic experience, except for the actual performance. The work starts years in advance, involving scouting venues, planning meals, handling credentialing and security, booking travel, and coordinating transportation, etc. Every detail counts because removing friction points means one less obstacle between an athlete and their best performance. This isn’t about micromanaging; it’s about creating systems that anticipate needs, adapt to changing circumstances, and let people do what they do best.
After the Summer Games in Paris, I introduced members of the USOPC to Derrick’s work, including the Softs and Process Triage methodologies that are core to my approach to organizational development. I’m eager to help this already exceptional team behind the scenes further refine their processes. What became clear through this work is that the same principles that allow teams to collaborate effectively in boardrooms are also what enable excellence under the brightest lights in sport. When an athlete enters the Welcome Experience, they’re not entering chaos; they’re entering a carefully designed system where the Team Behind the Team has already mapped the journey, identified friction points, and built the infrastructure for success.
The real magic isn’t in working harder or having more resources. It’s in seeing the system clearly, understanding how all the pieces connect, and designing processes that help people perform at their best. That’s what the Team Behind the Team provides for Olympic athletes. That’s what we can do for any team facing complex challenges.
What systems are working in the background of your success? And what systems might you need to redesign?