Some consultants work only with the people at the top of an organization. But how does that change what goes on in the office, or on the shop floor, or at the customer’s place of business? Well, it probably doesn’t. Others work with the people in the middle, doing training on effective leadership or supervisory skills. Still others work just on the front line, with the people who have the least influence and power.
The fact is that a workplace is a system–it’s really a network of systems nesting inside a system. So if you’re not working with the whole system, you are unlikely to be able to make changes that last. People who weren’t included will often resist being changed by others who don’t really understand exactly what they do and what their day is like.
So why not get that whole system into a room in real time for a few days and let everyone come to understand how the parts make up the whole? Together you can:
- →scan the world outside your system to see what trends–political, environmental, social, technological, economic, and others–are having an impact on your business. Who are your competitors?
- →take an honest look at what’s going on inside your organization–is it growing, shrinking? Are you ahead of schedule or running behind? Do you have the skills you need for the future? Are your people on board, or are you losing them? What are the climate and culture like? How did you get where you are today?
- →Now that you know where you are, where do you want to go–together?
- →How will you know when you get there? What are the critical numbers, the major metrics, the key performance indicators?
- When do you meet next to check on your progress?