Organization Development
Take the Test
If your organization is experiencing any of the following "high temperature" symptoms, you may benefit from the specialized expertise of an organization development consultant:
- Pending retirements of senior staff leader and other key employees
- Pending merger or amalgamation
- Distortion or denial of facts
- Disengaged board of directors i.e. rubber stamping
- Leadership conflicts
- Communication blocks
- You know what you have to do but don't have the time
- High level of staff turn over
The OD Consultant
Over the past five decades, behavioral scientists have learned an enormous amount about the dynamics of organizations - and particularly what makes the highly successful ones so effective. The result is a vast body of knowledge and an enormous toolkit stocked with diagnostic instruments, structures, processes and techniques for helping organizations, big and small, reach their potential.
These are what the OD consultant brings to the table - applied behavioral science in the service of organizational effectiveness plus the facilitation skills required to help people understand and embrace new ways of doing things.
What We Do
OD consultants help organizations to initiate and mange the human dimensions of change that occur during addition of new technology, leadership transition, mergers, moving locations, and sudden change from outside sources that effect the organization's strategies, service delivery, employees and client groups.
How We Do It
Organization Development is a systemic change effort brought about by using behavioral science knowledge and skills to transform the organization to a new state.
Human Resource Development is the integrated use of OD, training and career development to improve individual, group and organization effectiveness to affect improvements to productivity, quality, innovation, and readiness to change.
Training, Education & Development - Training to equip individuals with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes they need to perform their jobs better; education to prepare individuals for promotions or for enhanced technical abilities in their current jobs; and development to broaden individuals through experience and give them new insights about themselves and their organization.
Levels of Change
An organization is a complex entity. Change can be initiated at any of four different levels:
- Organization level
- Management level
- Group level
- Individual level
The challenge lies in that these levels are interconnected -a change at one level will have an impact on all of the others. Similarly, any attempt to change the organization for the better has to take all four levels into account.
For example, a major shift in agency focus, such as a merger, appears at the organization level in a new strategic plan. Implementing that shift will require new systems at the management level, new processes and relationships at the group level and new skills for individuals. You can give individuals training, but you can't expect changed behavior unless changed expectations, processes and systems through out the other levels reinforce the new behavior.
OD consultant are trained to help you plan and implement integrated change initiatives at all four levels of your organization.
Organization level - OD consultants work with chief executive officers, executive directors, boards of directors and other individuals to develop organization strategies, structures and systems to improve individual and operational performance. This might involve:
- Succession planning
- Organization assessment
- Strategic planning
- Organization design
- Organization culture shift
- Work process improvement
Management level - Consultants work with senior staff and managers to affect operational and performance improvement by clarifying and communicating team missions, goals and structures and by providing expertise in the areas of team development, performance management, employee involvement, and agreement making.
Group level - OD consultants work with teams to develop a system of interpersonal behaviors and skills that support healthy group development. Healthy teams address tough internal issues with less rancor thereby saving time, money and reducing job stress.
Individual level - OD consultants work with individuals to help them develop in alignment with the organization's mission. Increasing self-awareness at all levels creates an understanding of how personal beliefs and behaviors impact others, thus improving communication, interpersonal relationships and teamwork.
Change is never easy but a qualified succession planning or organization development consultant can help you Make Things Happen!
Please contact Make Things Happen for a complimentary consultation to see how we might contribute to your success.