Organizational Development

From a textbook perspective, any planned and systematic attempt to improve the functioning of an organization qualifies as a form of “organizational development”, or OD. Therefore, any training program that is undertaken, any employee surveys that are implemented, or any focus groups that are conducted qualify as a form of organizational development.

More commonly, however, the term “organizational development” is normally used to refer to interventions that are specifically designed to enhance the level of coordination, communication, and alignment within the organization. As such, most OD efforts are multi-faceted in nature, involve a number of different but inter-related groups or departments, and rely heavily on the strategic directives/initiatives of the organization as a frame of reference.

In addition, OD efforts tend to stress a “systems” view of organizations (i.e., a change in one system or part of the organization will impact others), and also focus heavily on the need for “change agents” to help the organization work through the change management process.

Examples of specific OD interventions are as follows:

• Human Process Interventions (group and individual training, coaching, role clarification)
• Techno-Structural Interventions (determining optimal organizational structure and design, organizing tasks/jobs/roles, implementing Six Sigma or Total Quality Management, implementing a Balanced Scorecard and other outcome measures)
• HR Management Interventions (employee performance management, employee development programs, career planning workshops)
• Strategic Interventions (strategic planning, cultural change initiatives, organizational transformation)

PDP consultants can serve as expert resources for your organization in the above OD areas.

Effectiveness Workshops

PDP can assist with a wide variety of workshops to enhance the overall efficiency of organizations, of specific work groups, and of individual employees.

PDP will work with your organization to identify the workshop programs that are most related to your organization’s needs. In addition, PDP will help you analyze current workplace issues to ensure that a training workshop is the best course of action for resolving any issues or problems that your organization is experiencing.

With PDP, you can count on receiving a customized workshop which not only incorporates industry best practices, but that also takes into account the nuances and unique qualities of your corporate culture.

Sample areas of focus for Effectiveness Workshops include the following:

• Personal Impact
• Personal Productivity
• Effective Leadership Skills
• Planning and Organizing Skills
• Delegation Skills
• Coaching and Developing Others
• Managing Innovation and Change
• Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving
• Leading Teams
• Using Emotional Intelligence Workshop
• Public Speaking and Presentation Skills
• Conflict Management
• Performing Well Under Pressure and Stress
• Working Better with Others
• Developing a Business Mindset

Organizational Surveys

Surveys can also be used to assess the morale of employees, as well as their perceptions of the work environment, of the supervisory practices being implemented by the organization, of the level and quality of the communications they receive, of their overall level of job satisfaction, etc. Broken-down by unit or department, this survey data can be a valuable developmental tool for individual managers or supervisors. Taken collectively, this data can be an invaluable source of feedback for the overall organization.

The Organizational Survey process generally involves the following steps:

• Determining the key areas of emphasis for the survey instrument
• Communicating the survey process to the organization – an explanation of why the survey is being undertaken, the content of the survey instrument, how the data will be collected, who will have access to the survey data, etc.
• Implementing the survey process — most surveys are done on-line for ease of data collection and compilation
• Analyzing the survey data – including the identification of overall issues and trends, specific department or work unit results, and results for individual managers or supervisors
• Survey feedback to the executive team, and any individual department or unit heads
• Communication of overall survey results to the employee population
• Creation of an action plan for the organization to address specific areas of concern
• Creation of an action plan to assist department or unit heads to address specific areas of concern

360 Surveys

A well-versed team of leaders is crucial to the longevity of a business. With PDP’s 360 surveys, executive coaching services, and effectiveness workshops, leaders at every level of your organization will be equipped to succeed today and meet the challenges of tomorrow.

While classroom-type training and external seminars have a role in organizations, most development efforts for managers and leaders are customized to the individual. For example, the feedback from a 360⁰ survey forms the basis of a leader’s development plan, or a leader works one-on-one with an executive coach to identify development needs and a corresponding action plan.

PDP can help your organization identify and address both company-wide training needs, as well as the development needs for individual managers and leaders.

Personalized Coaching

Personalized or Executive Coaching involves the establishment of a one-on-one relationship between the participant and a PDP consultant for the purposes of obtaining feedback, the better understanding of one’s development needs, and the implementation of a developmental action plan.

Executive Coaching may be undertaken for leaders who simply want to enhance their effectiveness, and is also used for leaders who have specific skill or competency areas that need improvement. In addition, the Executive Coaching process can also be used for individuals who have been identified as “high potential” or “key replacement” individuals who need specific skill or experience-building activities to ready themselves for subsequent job assignments.

Most Executive Coaching assignments last from 9 months to one year, as most of the skill areas focused on in this process do take some time to develop. As part of the Executive Coaching process, the PDP consultant becomes an integral partner in the development planning process, and works to ensure that actual on-the-job change actually occurs.

While each coaching engagement varies slightly, the process generally involves the following steps:

• An evaluation of the workplace issue (or issues) of interest, to ascertain that a coaching engagement is the most effective way of addressing the issues at hand
• A planning and communication meeting, where the purpose of the coaching engagement is explained to the participant and important logistical details are agreed upon (i.e., timeframe for the engagement, confidentiality of the coaching process, who will receive progress reports on the engagement, etc.)
• A data gathering stage, where insight is gleaned from key stakeholders in the organization – this process may involve interviews by a PDP consultant, data gathering via surveys or questionnaires, a review of critical incidents involving the participant, or other data-gathering techniques
• The gathering of data from the participant – this may involve the use of assessment tests, the completion of surveys or questionnaires, and/or the in-depth interviewing of the participant
• The sharing of collected data with the participant and the sponsoring organization, including the identification of key areas of focus, key deliverables, and key expectations
• The creation of a developmental action plan for the participant, including due dates, progress checkpoints, and a schedule for updating the organization on achieved results
• An overall evaluation of the coaching project, including the identification of any needed next steps