Three Keys to Successfully Managing Change

October 28, 2012 By Comments


Most people see change models as circular.  Since change is a constant element in a successful organization, its repeated forces are always in action.  Three keys are essential to successfully manage change: empathy, communication, and participation.

Empathy

Empathy, the first key to successfully managing change, is crucial in obtaining information about who will be affected by a change and how they will react to it.  Knowing how people will react is an important factor in the decision to make a change as well as the speed with which the change should be implemented.

Communication

Communication, which is the second key to successfully managing change, is also vital.  Both oral and written communication must be done well for people to understand an impending change and the reasons for it. 

Participation

Participation (also known as feedback), which is the third key, is critical in order for people to feel involved in the change.  Involving people in planning of change usually results in acceptance more readily and a smoother path from resistance to commitment throughout the organization.

 By Shirley J. Caruso, M.A., Human Resource Development

Filed Under: Adult Learning, Audio/Video Presentations, Consulting, Resources & Tools Tagged With: , ,

Consulting in the Field of Human Resource Development

September 4, 2012 By Comments

Human Resource Development (HRD) is a practice that combines training, organizational development, and career development efforts to encourage improvement of individual, group, and organizational performance.  Its purpose is to enhance employee performance/productivity, which leads to employee and customer satisfaction and an increase in the profitability of the organization.

When researching the possibilities for consulting in the field of HRD, the following questions should be explored:

  1. Is there a demand for HRD consultants?
  2. What types of organizations are hiring HRD consultants?
  3. Do HRD consultants typically take on an expert, pair of hands, or collaborative role?
  4. What are some of the strategies for successful internal consulting?  What are some of the strategies for successful external consulting?
  5. What are the major roles that HRD professionals perform to accomplish the purpose of HRD?
  6. How much should I charge per hour as an external?

Valuing Your Time as a Consultant

This last question, “How much should I charge per hour as an external consultant?”, is one that is asked quite frequently.  After all, if you are considering launching your own consulting firm, it’s beneficial to know how to value your time.

First, you will need to decide on a realistic desired annual salary.  You don’t want this figure to be so high that you price yourself right out of business.  Consider a salary that would allow you to live comfortably.

Next, think about how many hours you will be available during a one year period.  You’ll need to exclude the time you will take for vacation, personal days, holidays, and you should even include some hours for those times that you may not be feeling well.  The time that you spend initially trying to secure a client is usually considered a free consultation.  You’ll want to build in some time for free consultations as well.

Finally, you’ll want to add a percentage for overhead.  Your overhead will include things like office rent, office utilities, office equipment and furniture, office help, etc.

Now let’s put this all together and take a look at a formula you can use to value your time as an independent consultant. 

Suppose you have decided upon $80,000.00 as your desired annual salary.  You’ll need to divide that figure by the number of available hours in the year. There are 52 weeks in a year, multiplied by a 40 hour work week will give you 2,080 hours. 

From the 2,080 hours, you will need to deduct vacation, personal days, holidays, and sick time.  Let’s suppose that you want 2 weeks for vacation, or 80 hours, 10 personal days, or 80 hours, 3 weeks for initial consultations with clients, or 120 hours, and 2 sick days, or 16 hours.  The amount you will deduct from the 2,080 hours is 296 hours, leaving you with 1,784 hours available per year.

A commonly used percentage for overhead is 35 percent.  We’ll use this as a multiplier.  With all your data compiled, you are now ready to calculate your hourly rate:

1.  Desired annual salary, $80,000.00

2. Divided by number of available work hours  ÷ 1,784 = 44.84

3. Multiply by overhead percentage        x  1.35      

4. This gives you your hourly rate, $60.53 per hour

The assumptions of the formula can be changed based on the situation. 

By Shirley J. Caruso, M.A., Human Resource Development  

Filed Under: Adult Learning, Consulting, Resources & Tools Tagged With:

Strategically Integrated HRD Programs

October 15, 2011 By Comments

Today’s organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of developing their human resources. The training and development function within organizations is now popularly called human resource development (HRD).  HRD coordinates the organization’s efforts to provide training and development experiences for its employees. 

Strategic Business Partnerships

The success of strategically integrated HRD programs is heavily dependent upon the development of strategic business partnerships.  HRD professionals create a customer service strategy that helps the organization reach its goals while at the same time helping customers meet their business and professional needs.  This is accomplished by prioritizing interventions and consulting services to assure that they are contributing to the attainment of business outcomes.

Collaborative Client Relationships

HRD professionals develop collaborative client relationships to enhance their representation and integrity within the organization.  They help clients decide on performance and organizational assessments using a decision-making process that identifies and prioritizes problems, gathers data used to assess possible resolutions, identifies and assesses alternate resolutions, chooses an alternate resolution, and assesses the chosen alternate resolution.

HRD Professionals Are Knowledgeable

HRD professionals are knowledgeable about the idea of demands that face their customers.  With this knowledge, HRD professionals make and carry out strategies that are fitting to the needs of the customer.

Summary

An HRD program and HRD professionals support an image that is trustworthy by bringing about resolutions or consulting services that add value to the organization in an efficient and timely manner.   

By Shirley J. Caruso, M.A., Human Resource Development

Filed Under: Adult Learning, Consulting, Resources & Tools Tagged With: , ,

Effective Consulting: Looking Beyond the Presenting Problem

May 5, 2011 By Comments

By Brad Minor, M.Ed. Candidate in Human Resource Development, Peabody College of Vanderbilt University

Sometimes what is best for a client in a consulting relationship is not doing exactly what the client asks of the consultant in the exact way the client wishes for it to be accomplished.  Effective consulting sometimes means looking outside the scope of the presenting problem for answers that will address the root causes of the problem.  These causes are often multifaceted, and sometimes a client may not realize that a cause exists separate from – and is hidden far beneath – the problem; all he or she knows is that some type of “pain” is present (Block, 1981); he or she may think he or she knows where that pain is located, though he or she may not actually know what is causing the pain.

McLachlan (1999) said, “Putting the client first is not necessarily the same as doing what the client wants.”  This is true in that sometimes a client does not realize that he or she does not know what he or she wants.  Block (1981) said, “As a consultant, I never accept the presenting problem as the real problem without doing my own data collection and analysis.”  It is the responsibility of the consultant not to do what he or she is told, but to gather the right data, analyze it, and find ways to address the underlying causes of the organization’s pain.  

As Chicago-based consultant Lee Johnsen stated in a recent interview, “A physician may deal with the symptoms, but that only goes so far – the causes also need to be dealt with.”  We must keep this idea in mind when deciding whether to please our clients or do what is best for them; sometimes the best course of action might be to make recommendations that hurt the client’s feelings or break the status quo.  

As Pat Lencioni said in an article for Business Week, “Clients are looking for transparency, humility, vulnerability, and honesty-the opposite of what is often given to them.” Honesty is clearly an important tool in an effective consultant’s arsenal, even when it causes discomfort or resistance.  We must be honest with our clients when we find root causes that require us to offer recommendations that might fall outside the scope of the presenting problem.

References

Block, P. (2000). Flawless consulting: A guide to getting your expertise used. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.

Lencioni, P. (2010). Naked consulting: what clients really want. Business Week, February 23, 2010. Retrieved April 20th, 2011, from http://www.businessweek.com

Ron, D. M. L. (January 01, 1999). Factors for consulting engagement success. Management Decision, 37, 5.)

 

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Filed Under: Consulting Tagged With: ,

All Consultant Wants Are Logical

March 7, 2011 By Comments

Consultants should be very upfront about their wants.  All consultant wants are logical.  Consultants shouldn’t dismiss a want as too small or too big.  As consultants, we may not always receive all of our wants from our clients, but we may reach a comfortable negotiation on our wants and divide them into two categories:  essential and desirable.  It’s okay for consultants to “want” because the more things clients want (and receive) the more likely the project is to be successful.  A consultant’s mentality should change from I am here to serve the client and my client’s wants are what matter to It’s my duty to ask for what I want to help the project succeed. 

Access to the key people who have a part in the problem a consultant is being asked to solve and enough time to professionally complete the project are two wants that are crucial to the success of a consulting project.  Having access to key people will help the consultant uncover the root of the problem and provide the consultant with a team that has a decisive part of implementing the solution.

Engaging this team is essential to the project’s success.  Those who helped create the problem are the best people to help fix it.  Without their support of the project, it is unlikely that implementation will succeed.  Providing the best solution to a problem takes time.  If any of the phases are skipped or poorly performed, the project stands a good chance of failing.  Consultants who want a certain amount of time and clients who are not willing to offer that amount of time constitute an incompatible relationship.  Time is a necessary want that should not be negotiated.  A project that has an unrealistic time constraint is a project from which a consultant should walk away.

Filed Under: Adult Learning, Consulting Tagged With:

Three Reasons Why It Is Important to Establish Cross-functional Teams When Consulting

March 5, 2011 By Comments

Cross-functional teams consist of a group of people that hold different positions within and outside of an organization that are working to reach a common goal. 

The members of a cross-functional team may include personnel from all departments within the organization including project management, accounting, estimating, IT, operations, marketing, HR, and administration departments. 

The members of the team may also be from different levels of these departments.  The team may also include people from outside of the organization such as suppliers, customers, and consultants.  Three reasons why it is important to establish cross-functional teams when consulting are as follows:

  1. Cross-functional teams can offer a wide variety of skills and perspectives.  Gaining insight on the real source of the problem can be a great reward in organizing a cross-functional team, but an even greater reward can be the skills and perspectives of these individuals that come together as one to formulate an actionable solution to the problem. 
  2. Cross-functional teams are a valuable source in the data and discovery phase.  Information from all departments and all levels can be obtained to peel away the layers and get to the heart of the matter.
  3. Cross-functional teams offer the engagement needed to assure successful implementation of the recommended plan of action.  The more people who are involved in working toward a successful solution to the problem, the better the chances of its successful implementation.  Employees need to feel that they have a voice in the planned change.  If involved in the process of forming the solution, they are more likely to accept its implementation.
Filed Under: Adult Learning, Consulting Tagged With: , ,

Two Approaches To Marketing Services As An Internal Consultant

March 3, 2011 By Comments

Referrals from other departments

One way to gain recognition and trust is to gain buy-in on your services from one department and have that department act as your referral to other departments within the organization.  An internal consultant can accumulate quite a portfolio of satisfied customers and proven results by taking this approach.  If other departments can see the results first hand and hear positive feedback from their trusted colleagues, they are more likely to adopt the help of the internal consultant.

Company newsletters

Internal consultants need to make the organization aware that their services are available.  One practical way to do this is to write an article in the company newsletter or have an article written about your services from another department.  Not everyone in the organization may be aware that the services of an internal consultant exist, and the positive impact those services can make.

Resources

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTalIzgjphWUDgMF_RPYTiusoVNO0dLYNQlwOKOOP9mMSex3wip

Filed Under: Adult Learning, Consulting Tagged With: ,

The Stages of Group Development

February 4, 2011 By Comments

According to Cannon, Griffith, and Guthrie (2006), “a group is a defined set of individuals who interact with each other for a common purpose” (p. 3).  A group can be defined by the following characteristics and criteria:

  • It has the capability to outperform sets of individuals doing similar work.
  • It is able to make superior decisions because it draws on more information. 
  • It is more inspired because it can jointly brainstorm. 
  • The level of production is greater as synergies develop. 
  • Formal social structure. 
  • Face-to-face interaction. 
  • 2 or more persons. 
  • Common goals. 
  • Interdependence. 

The Forming Stage

In the first stage of group development, a group of individuals come into the team with little knowledge of each other.  In this stage, often referred to as the Forming stage, members want to be part of the group, but they also have some degree of reluctance because they fear the group may not accept them.  The group must orient to each other and to the mission of the team. 

In this stage it is recommended that group members partake in activities that will allow them to become better acquainted with each other.  One such activity is the online (www.keirsey.com) temperament sorter developed by Dr. David Keirsey.   Dr. David Keirsey identified four temperaments with their own unique qualities and shortcomings, strengths and weaknesses.  Once the temperaments of the team members are identified, it is recommended that management acknowledge and share with the group observable personality traits, such as communication style, values, and talents.  This activity will allow the group to become oriented with each other.

The Storming Stage

In the second stage of group development, often referred to as the Storming stage, members no longer question the value of the group, but want the members to notice their individual strengths.  In this stage, role clarification must take place.  It is recommended that management clearly define each member’s roles and responsibilities and how they contribute to the group.  It is also recommended that each member is given an opportunity to air problems and issues. In addition, cross-training is advisable at this stage for further recognition and appreciation of each other’s roles and responsibilities.

Once the group moves past the second stage, it is recommended that members be allowed time to share creative ideas and brainstorm about ways to carry out the mission of the department more effectively.  It is recommended that the group be allowed to establish group norms, such as attire, punctuality, verbal and non-verbal communication styles, etc.  Consequences for violating the group norms should also be established by the group.  This will allow the group to complete the third stage of group development, often referred to as the Norming stage, in which the group has begun to be effective.

The Norming Stage

During the Norming stage, members begin to trust one another and appreciate the diversity of the group.  Individual goals are put aside, and group members focus on the things that would benefit the group.  It is recommended that management support the group during this stage to ensure open lines of communication.

The Performing Stage

Once the group has moved past the Norming stage, management can expect that group members will reach the so-called Performing stage.  In this stage, group members recognize each other’s strengths and weaknesses.  The ability to share strengths and weaknesses gives them the ability to address problems through the eyes of the group, and creates a relaxed working environment. 

Summary

Effective organizations pay special attention to how members work together, which roles they fill and whether members are contributing equally.  Through group process observation and analysis, problems can be identified before they escalate.

References

Cannon, M. D., Griffith, B. A., & Guthrie, J. W. (2006).  Effective groups:  Concepts and skills to meet leadership challenges.  Allyn & Bacon

http://www.keirsey.com/

By Shirley J. Caruso, M.A. Human Resource Development

Filed Under: Adult Learning, Career Development, Consulting, Resources & Tools Tagged With: ,

Four Areas of Resistance that Human Resource Development Consultants May Face

January 31, 2011 By Comments

The CEO of a general contractor attributes the high turnover rate of newly hired administrative assistants to their inability to learn construction terminology quickly enough to apply it to proposal writing. The new hires quickly fall behind in their work, and the estimators whom they assist are unable to satisfy the needs of potential and established clients. The general contractor (client) has hired an external training and development consultant to help design a training program that will enable new hires to quickly learn construction terms so that they are able to write proposals and keep up with their work load. The four areas of resistance that the consultant is likely to face with the client during the contracting meeting, just before the project begins, during a weekly project status meeting, and very early into the project are rationalization of the problem, phenomenal improvement, forcing resolution, and questioning results of collected data.

To overcome resistance, the consultant should engage the client in conversations to gain commitment from the client. In this manner, the consultant collaborates with the client in developing the action plan. The consultant should also be aware of the client’s body language for clues about the resistance. Areas of resistance should be acknowledged by the consultant rather than ignored. After identifying areas of resistance, the consultant should remain silent to allow the client to focus the discussion on problems and action.

Resources

http://www.eadulteducation.org/employee-performance/consultants-often-encounter-resistance-from-clients/

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR5P215KPn7tCv-TRYuwLy4i92j8ee4uDkynByWJWI8i9nLit0rzF0q1gJhpA

Filed Under: Adult Learning, Consulting Tagged With: ,

Serving the Client’s Needs at All Costs

January 29, 2011 By Comments

The consultant’s requirements and propositions are put into words and conveyed to the client during the contracting meeting. These are the resources that the consultant will need in order to assure that the project is completed successfully. Even when a consultant has these resources in place, consulting is still a challenge. For example, time constraints, limited budget, and overcoming resistance are all challenges that may occur during various phases of the project and must be overcome. But when a consultant is faced with completing a project without the necessary resources ever being offered in the first place, the challenge of successful project completion can be devastating.

If faced with the dilemma of accepting a project without the client meeting, or at least negotiating, the consultant’s requirements and propositions versus walking away from the project altogether, the event of successful consulting would be better served by walking away from the project. Saying yes to this type of project, knowing that the resources aren’t in place, jeopardizes the quality of the project and the reputation of the consultant. Saying yes to this type of project will not serve the client’s needs.

Resources

http://www.eadulteducation.org/adult-learning/consultants-can-expect-to-encounter-ethical-issues/

Filed Under: Adult Learning, Consulting
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