By Paul Mooney PhD
Over that past 9 months, the Tandem Consulting team set out to develop a unique approach to improving organisational performance - the equivalent of medicine's Vital Signs. This article brings you through the development of our model.
Vital Signs: Picture the scene. When a patient walks into a GP's surgery, the doctor performs a series of diagnostic checks and produces a scientific health evaluation. The medics can deliver this service because of a clear understanding of 'what's important'; they know what to look for based on the vital signs of human health.
1. Body Temperature:
2. Pulse Rate:
3. Blood Pressure:
4. Respiratory Rate:
From these simple measures, a doctor can make a reasonably accurate diagnosis or determine if further investigations need to be completed.
Management Consulting: While management consulting cannot claim the same longevity as medicine, there are many similarities. In the business world, Consultants are tasked with helping to determine organisational health. The clients' assumption is that the consultants can help them to diagnose both excellent performance and underperforming areas that need attention.
Start Point: The Tandem Consulting team set out to develop a unique approach to improving organisational performance - the equivalent of medicine's Vital Signs. We decided that any model should meet 3 key design criteria. It had to be comprehensive, holistic and customized to the needs of individual clients.
Criteria #1. Comprehensive: The model had to cover all of the potential areas of performance, across a range of different organisations (public and private sector, commercial and not-for-profit). Some consultancy practices focus exclusively on 'hard' elements e.g. finance, production and research. Some have expertise in the so-called 'soft' elements of customer attitudes, human resources and culture. We wanted to develop a model, which focused on the totality of organisation endeavor.
Criteria # 2. Holistic: We'd seen change programmes that did not produce lasting change - because elements within an organisation were actually contradictory. Example: You cannot change the reward system, without impacting the culture and visa versa. In the same way that food intake and human energy levels are not two separate things, Tandem Consulting wanted a model that clearly demonstrated how the various organisation components connected.
Criteria # 3. Customized: Change initiatives need to be customized to the needs of individual clients. Example: Performance management systems have a very different shape in the not-for-profit sector (the focus on staff development is often as important as the performance element). While there are overlaps, there is no organisation equivalent of one-size-fits-all. In managing transformations, you don't always have to start at Point A and work your way through to Point Z. Sometimes it's a major overhaul. Sometimes it's just adjusting the spark plugs! The Transformation Roadmap allows clients to choose individual elements, which can subsequently be customized to their needs.
Research Phase: We initially drew from our own experience (100+ consulting years), by reviewing a range of diagnostic/change models developed in previous assignments. We then trawled through a range of existing consulting practices. To expand our thinking, we looked at emerging research on effectiveness. Successful cases of business transformation were added into the mix. From all of the above, three key strands began to emerge. Setting Direction, Staff Engagement & Strategy Execution.
1. Setting Direction: Organisations need to be clear about what business they are in/not in and how they intend to compete in that space. They need to decide if specific 'niche' or segments will be targeted and what customers in these areas actually want. They need to decide how they will compete - on price, customer intimacy, or technological leadership versus how others compete in this space. . And, they need to decide the level of ambition for the organisation i.e. whether they want to lead or fast follow?
2. Staff Engagement: Once the strategic direction has been chosen, leaders need to make this emotionally appealing to staff. The challenge is to communicate the mission in a noble, exciting or compelling way - essentially the 'creation of a better tomorrow'. They need to understand the particular human motivation being appealed to (pride, success, future wealth, service). The leadership role is to unleash internal talent and energy in implementing the strategy and overcoming roadblocks. Whether you are in manufacturing or internationally traded services - releasing the people potential of your organisation is a central challenge.
3. Strategy Execution: Having defined the promise (to both customers and staff) the leadership team needs to design a smart processes to deliver this. All too often we've seen well-conceived strategic plans, which are big on thinking but small on doing. Results pay the bills. The execution strategy (everything from process re-engineering to sidestepping industrial relations trip-wires) needs to be clinically crafted and measured. The management rhythm here needs to have a dual focus, delivering results today while also building capability for tomorrow.
Consulting Interventions: Alongside the 3 central design elements (Direction, Engagement, Execution) the Transformation Roadmap highlights examples of what Tandem Consulting can do to support your journey. While additional elements could have been included, the examples listed provide a flavor of our expertise. Our Partner Level consultants specialize in strategy development, operational excellence, skilled facilitation, and Human Resource Management.
The Best Transformation Model Ever Built? If Carlsberg did transformation roadmaps, would this be the one? We neither want to overpromise or overestimate our own ability. Our claim is simple. Through a dedicated effort of research, we've incorporated best practices in organisation change into the Transformation Roadmap. The model is designed to work in the real world. As our consulting practice evolves, no doubt some of the of the elements will change over time. For the moment, this represents our 'best shot' and we hope that you find it both provocative and useful.
In Partnership: The name Tandem Consulting was deliberately chosen to highlight the fact that we work in partnership with clients, focusing on what's working well, alongside what's broken. We empower clients to self-diagnose and jointly search for solutions. This side-by-side method of working yields powerful transformation results. Unlike the patient mentioned in the opening paragraph, our clients are not passive recipient of expert service but active partners in the search for improved performance.
Discussion Option: If you would like further information about the Tandem Consulting Transformation Roadmap or details about how we work, visit our website (www.tandemconsulting.ie) or contact any of our Consulting Partners. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this model or hear about projects that you are leading.