Developing a positive organisation – what we do
We can offer a number of discrete, yet related services:
Leader Role Consultation: An initial inquiry together into where you are, your strengths, concerns, strategies, plans, impact of current context and future opportunities. This will initially be with the owner, MD or CEO, to establish the issues and current organisation position in relation to these. Looking at these in the context of your vision and aspirations is also important. This is a stepping back for the leader; supportive, but also exploring in depth those issues of most concern, with a view to looking at what actions you can take to move the most important issues on from an organisational perspective. Also, what you can do personally to (continue to) inspire and excite the people most important to your business. This could become one of a series of such one-to-one meetings
Creating a collaborative, team approach to navigating uncertainty, change and growth: A second level of service involves a wider group of people who are important to the business. Holding some initial interviews to get their take on where you are currently as an organisation, perceived challenges, strengths that can be built upon and aspirations. This would be followed by a workshop of these key people to explore the themes arising, with a view to the group developing what it considers to the best ways to work together to take the organisation forward. The workshop would look at what gives you all energy and how you can combine strengths to navigate change and achieve growth or better outcomes together, as well as identify areas of action to take forward. Follow up workshops to maintain momentum and share success are also provided. This could be focusing on the work of a leadership team, a programme team or a work team.
Adapting to and implementing change involves hands-on expertise in key areas of organisation design, change management, bringing out the best in employees, partners, suppliers, customers. We can bring expertise, whilst working with you and your own people in creating your own solutions and actions. Specific workshops to develop leadership skills and behaviours can also be provided – creative, stimulating, yet relating back to the reality of leading the business and dealing with the challenges you face. This approach is based on core principles: engaging people on the journey of change is key to success; high levels of involvement in design and planning works on the basis that people implement what they help to develop and plan; embracing diversity and inclusion leads to engagement, creativity and commitment; transitions need to be managed positively from a human perspective, as well as operationally and technologically.
Creating a positive organisation is concerned with engaging people in identifying organisation, team and individual strengths and what energises, or ‘gives life’ to the organisation. A powerful process of ‘appreciative inquiry’ takes your people on a developmental journey of what is possible and aspirational for the organisation to achieve if people combine their strengths, innovate and design solutions collaboratively. What will positive behaviours look like? What is involved in creating an ‘inclusive’ culture? ‘How do we create a sustainable approach to our business?’ Extended to include the wider ‘system’ – partners, communities served, customers or suppliers – the scope for innovation and increased commitment is great.
Overcoming difficult working relations, conflict and disruption – feeling stuck or uneasy as a Board or team? We can work with groups, whether Board, executive, partners or operational teams where it seems that there is a misfiring going on, a sag in energy (with so much disruptive change and uncertainty undermining plans this is not so surprising these days) or even a difficulty in reaching agreements about critical decisions. We work with you to understand the issues, for people to hear and understand each other, to look at ways to work respectfully and positively with conflict and diversity, to use the difference as a catalyst for creative solutions. This usually would involve some initial confidential interviews to help shape a number of facilitated workshops to explore the issues openly and safely, bringing in creative techniques to help ‘reframe’ the issues and draw upon the full contribution of all participants.
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