In $2002,$ after almost $50$ years of performing, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra $($CPO$),$ Canada's fifth$-$largest, was seeking bankruptcy protection despite its location in a strong and economically vibrant community. A lack of leadership, declining ticket sales, breakdown in customer service and a changing environment had all contributed to organizational failure. In addition, a four$-$week long lock$-$out of musicians $($as a result of a breakdown in contract negotiations$)$ had further eroded trust, communication, knowledge sharing and the ability to find solutions. Internal dissensions prevented the Board, staff and musicians from working together to collectively address the critical issues. In short, there were big knowledge transfer gaps between the key constituents. These problems were not unique to the CPO. Across North America many prestigious orchestras had to cease or suspend their operations due to similar circumstances.

The catalyst for renewal started with the knowledge and experierce of a single individual from outside the performing arts sector. He quickly ascertained the uniqueness of the CPO's situation and designed a high$-$engagement process by establishing a core team of influential musicians, staff and Board members. The core team met daily through the crises to address key issues by sharing their individual knowledge and perspectives in order to develop shared understanding.

These core team members then led multiple task teams over the span of seven weeks and $8,000$ hours of work. These teams pooled their knowledge around critical topics that resulted in a greater collective understanding, acceptance and inspiration to apply new approaches to recurring problems.

Where traditionally these types of arts organizations would have operated in silos, separated from each others' issues, CPO's interdisciplinary teams purposefully engaged to work together collaboratively, across issues, in order to understand the gravity of the situation and unite to create and support solutions that would work in support of the whole organization. To immediately infuse a new level of management skill into the organization, CPO's transitional leader enticed six