Organizational Development (OD) Consulting FAQs

What is Organizational Development?
Does my organization really need a consultant?
How do I decide on the best type of consultant?
What is your consulting philosophy?
Why does OD work?
What are assessments and why do you use them?
What does an OD professional do?
What is facilitation?
What does a facilitator do?
What sets you apart?
How are complex group issues resolved?

What is Organizational Development Consulting?

Organizational Development is a dynamic values-based approach to systems change in organizations and communities; it strives to build the capacity to achieve and sustain a new desired state that benefits the organization or community and the world around them. Organizational Development guides organizations and communities through collaborative processes to help them manage change, growth, and conflict more effectively.
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Does my organization really need a consultant?

Typically, organizations will benefit from the use of a consultant when all three of the following criteria are met:

• The system’s leaders are committed to deal
  with their persistent and significant
  organizational issues.
  
  
• The system lacks – and chooses not to develop—its own internal, fully qualified
  resources; and
  
  
• Avoiding the issues will, ultimately, cost
  more than the expense of bringing in
  consultants to help them deal with them.
  (adapted from Finding Your Way in the
  Consulting Jungle by Arthur Freedman and
  Richard Zackrison, 2001)

 

How do I decide upon the best type of consultant?

OD consultants are process experts and not technical experts in any one field. The more
the following criteria apply to your situation the more likely it is that your organization will benefit from an OD consultant.

• The problem is reoccurring
  
  
• You want management and the consultants to jointly determine the goals of the consulting process
  
  
• You are open to a collaborative relationship with the consultants in which information will be exchanged in a timely manner throughout the assignment
  
  
• You want management and the consultants to share joint responsibility for the success of the assignment
  
  
• You want management and the consultant to make joint decisions about what data to collect, from whom, and how to organize and analyze it.
  
  
• You are open to, and might even expect, disagreements between organizational members and consultants because of the differences in roles, backgrounds and interests.  You see these differences as a source of potential innovation.

If most or all of these statements are not true you may benefit more from a technical consultant rather than a process consultant.

What is your consulting philosophy?

Our consulting philosophy is rooted in a view of people as essentially good.  Therefore we work to respect the dignity of everyone in the client system, regardless of how his or her behavior adds to or detracts from the effectiveness of the organization and/or the social climate of the workplace.  Furthermore, “respect for all” requires authenticity and openness, and being willing and able to confront covert behavior within the client system.  Therefore we strive to communicate openly and authentically with our clients.  We also recognize that strategies, decisions, and processes are most effective when all stakeholders have an opportunity to contribute ideas, opinions, skills, and expertise.  Therefore we design and advocate for participative processes, especially regarding organizational change.  We also believe in empowering the client system to be able to address their future issues without outside assistance. Therefore we try to work ourselves out of a job.  Finally, we believe that organizational issues are complex and multi-dimensional.  Therefore we work to identify and focus on root causes of difficulties—not on symptoms. 

Why does OD work?

Data driven:  OD interventions begin with gathering and assessing data.  This helps insure that the intervention will get at the root causes of the problem and not just the symptoms. 

Ongoing evaluations:  Using the action research approach, we continually assess the results of interventions as we are conducting them.  Therefore we are able to make adjustments as they become necessary.

Systems approach:  we act with the knowledge that change in one area of a system always results in changes in other areas; and change in one area cannot be sustained without supporting changes in other areas of the system.

Collaborative approach:  By combining our knowledge of systems and processes, with our clients knowledge of their organization, we create partnerships that produce results.

What are assessments and why do you use them?

"The assessment is often the most important work that can be done for an organization. It usually involves face-to-face interviews with those most directly involved in the conflict. It may also involve group interviews or written surveys. Its value is in giving the members of the organization a sense of how they see themselves at a particular point in time. The assessments also help the organization frame issues and identify the themes that it needs to work on. An assessment will look at: organizational leadership, culture, clarity of roles and responsibilities, gaps in training, organizational norms, systems that may not be properly set up, recent changes in the organization, differences in values, differences in communication styles, mechanisms to allow for good communication, staff stress, work overload, decision-making processes, clarity of vision and mission, and the history of the conflict."
From the article "The cost of organizational conflict" by Greg Hessel. To the full article
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What does an OD professional do?

CONTRACTING PHASE

Help the client reflect on motivation
Clarify outcomes
Build realistic expectations
Articulate an initial change process to use
Clarify the role of the consultant
Begin to lay out an evaluation model
Present the theoretical foundations of change

DATA GATHERING PHASE

Determine an appropriate data collection process Determine the type and amount of data needed
Utilize appropriate mix of methods to ensure efficiency, objectivity and validity
Clarify boundaries for confidentiality
Select a process that will facilitate openness
Gather data to identify future states

DIAGNOSIS PHASE

Watch for deeper issues as data is gathered
Use statistical methods when appropriate
Recognize what is relevant
Know how data from different parts of the system impact each other
Communicate implications of system theory
Continuously assess the issues as they surface
Stay focused on the purpose of the consultancy

FEEDBACK PHASE

Prepare leadership for the truth
Involve participants so they begin to own the process
Synthesize the data gathered into themes
Create a non-threatening atmosphere

PLANNING PHASE

Work with clients to distill recommendations
from the data
Focus action that generates high impact at lowest cost
Facilitate a participative decision-making process
Obtain direction and commitment from leadership
Co-create an implementation plan that is rooted in the

INTERVENTION

Reduce dependency upon consultant
Instill responsibility for follow through
Intervene at the right depth
Pay attention to the timing of activities
Facilitate concurrent interventions
Help manage impact to related systems
Mindfully respond to new dynamics

EVALUATION

Establish method to monitor change during the intervention
Initiate ongoing feedback in client-consultant relationship
Choose appropriate evaluation methods—that is, interviews, instruments, financial sheets—to collect evaluation information
Maintain/increase change momentum

THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS

Manage personal biases and defensiveness
Energize others
Listen to others
Consistently maintain confidentiality

What is facilitation?

Dee Kelsey simply defines facilitation when she writes, "Facilitation is a process of helping a group complete a task, solve a problem, or come to agreement to the mutual satisfaction of the participants." A good facilitator is a "content neutral" who does not take sides or advocate views in the discussion, but rather works for fair, open and inclusive procedure to help the group do its work.
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What does a facilitator do?

• Plans and designs the meeting process, in partnership with the client
• Helps everyone get acquainted and feel welcome
• Clarifies the purpose of the meeting, the desired outcome, the process to be used and the role of each person.
• Draws out opinions and encourages full participation from all members
• Clarifies communication between people
• Helps keep the group focused and on track
• Protects participants from attacks
• Listens intently
• Handles difficult situations and behaviors
• Names conflict when it arises and guides those involved through a negotiation of their differences
• Adapts the process as necessary to help the group move forward
• Makes process suggestions
• Encourages the group with affirmations and appreciation
• Monitors meeting pace
• Summarizes progress of the meeting at key points
• Guides the group in coming to conclusions, agreements, clarity
• Maintains neutrality, reflecting content and process back to the group
• Serves the whole group rather than individuals, and the process over content
• Identifies common ground
• Tracks different themes
• Checks decisions with the group

 

{The majority of the items on this list were taken from Great Meetings! How to Facilitate Like a Pro by Dee Kelsy and Pam Plumb; Hanson Park Press, c.1997 }
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What sets us apart?

• Full-time experience helping organizations, communities, and families manage growth, conflict and change.
• Intensive professional training in OD from American University, one of the most respected OD programs in  the country
• An established network of consulting professionals to best manage complex or large projects
• Experience in international conflicts, war zones and hostage negotiations

to Greg Hessel's résumés

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How are complex group issues resolved?

Many conflicts, especially those in groups, have a number of components to them. In working with groups we use a wide variety of tools and processes, including mediation. Among the issues that may contribute to a conflict that a conflict manager may work with are: structural issues in an organization, meeting facilitation skills, clarity of mission, leadership and supervision, and organizational culture. Cheshire Mediation begins working with all clients by first doing a complete assessment of the situation.

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