Organisation development

Working with the whole organisation is an exacting yet gratifying experience. As an external consultant, it helps to be objective and fresh to the issues, and to be genuinely curious. This perspective encourages openness and co-operation between the consultant and people inside the organisation.

Often the task is to uncover an underlying set of thinking and behaviors, which stops organisation working effectively. People know that something needs ‘tuning’, and come to me with questions like:

• Why are so many people leaving?
• Where has all the fun gone?
• How can I find out why we are working so slowly?
• How can we think about our future?

Ways of working

• Collect qualitative data, from as wide a constituency as possible about what is the experience of being in the organisation. E.g. issues, concerns, good practice. Analyze the data and identify themes
• Present this feedback for comments and debate within the organization.
• Suggest interventions and time-scales.
• Formulate and agree a plan for implementation of the system interventions.
• Use continuous review to check progress as well as benchmark the changes at the end of the work.
• Formulate and agree a plan for implementation of interventions.
• Close the contract and present final report.

I also design and run focus groups and workshops to address other organisational issues; e.g. Working with Diversity; Harassment and Bullying; Power dynamics and Leadership; Consultancy Skills; Mergers.