Organisational interventions

1
Organisational interventions

• Some normally forgotten basics!

2
Interventions should be systematic - or should
they?

• The systematic view is the beginning, not the
  end, not the rule book.
• The intervention itself is an exciting
  unpredictable, roller coaster.
• If you pretend to do the plan you will have
  difficulties.

3
Initial thoughts on intervention

• Nature of the process is quite simple bt it can
  get very complicated.
• Meetings and organisational communication is very
  important to get shared ownership of process
• Examples from health care and manufacture

4
General model of organisational intervention
Eight stages

• Acceptance
• Goal definition
• Data gathering
• Data Analysis
• Evaluation
• Intervention
• Monitoring
• Iteration

5
Acceptance

• Acceptance of what?
• It varies, but generally of peoples fallibilities
  and the realities of a situation.
• From this acceptance can come real insight and
  innovation
• And the loss of preconceived strait jackets
• Its not easy. Many people never get through this.
  Its a major challenge for consultants and
  managers.

6
Goal definition

• What it is you are trying to achieve
• This is not as simple as it sounds
• Needs to be possible, practicable and affordable
• Unachievable goals lead to pretence and
  organisational dishonesty

7
Data gathering

• Full panoply
• Interviews
• Questionnaires
• Observation
• And so on

8
Data Analysis

• Can cover a complete range of methods.
• Stats (yawn)
• Graphical representations
• Comparisons
• Time based analysis/trends
• Nothing is out of the frame.

9
Evaluation

• Look at the information gleaned
• Talk about it
• TaK it (secret method!)
• Turn it around upside down Sleep on it
• The truth will appear!!
• Be prepared for the unpalatable
• What you want and what you need may be different.

10
Intervention

• At long last we get to the action!
• Its like decorating a room. All is wasted without
  preparation.
• Everything is an intervention. Doing nothing can
  be an intervention

11
Monitoring

• Find out what is happening. Things NEVER go to
  plan
• Take cotton wool from ears place in mouth.
• Triage you perceptions and reactions
• OI/OD is a process not a discrete event
• Beware of neo-Cartesian dualism (nCd)
• nCd is you enemy.

12
Iteration

• Schrödinger's organisational intervention!
• The context can change
• You may need to fine tune your
• Acceptance Goal definition Data gathering Data
  Analysis Evaluation Intervention Monitoring
  Iteration

13
Some Different types of intervention

• Specific vs. general
• Simple vs. complex
• Training and development
• Restructuring
• Redesign of jobs
• Empowerment
• Recruiting new staff/Redundancies

14
Specific vs. general

• Is a narrow generic approach ever useful?
• Do generic, branded approaches work at all or in
  spite of themselves or because of the
  practitioners.
• Or do we need to reinvent the wheel afresh, every
  time.

15
Simple vs. complex

• Simple is best
• Complex is not complex, but an optimistic
  approach to a problem on a number of fronts.
• If its too complex we can all blame each other
  and go home.
• Thats why interventions need a project manager
  at different stages.

16
Training and development

• Development is the key word
• Its an ongoing process
• If you are worried about being caught out with
  poor training, dont do a training needs
  analysis!
• This is a common strategy
• A little story from Romania

17
Restructuring

• Pulling something to bits is much harder than
  putting it together.
• GPs surgery changes
• Academic department
• University
• Understanding resistance to change (Iteration!)

18
Redesign of jobs

• A common and sensible story over the past two
  years
• But is not a cheap option if its design properly.
• Need to address culture competence base and
  ownership of changes

19
Empowerment

• Making people feel part of
• Guru-istic speakers
• Outward bound (to no change)
• TQM detergent vs. laxative

20
Recruiting new staff/Redundancies

• Easy to get rid of people
• Hard to replace them
• Staffing changes are major changes
• Both opportunities and threats arise.

21
Consulting

• Models
• Internal vs external

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Models

• Technical Expert
• Medical model
• Coaching Model

23
Internal vs external

• Objectivity
• Organisational familiarity
• Technical knowledge

24
Ensuring permanence of change

• Important
• Impossible
• Hard to attempt
• Needs a thoughtful and reflective process
• TaK it!

25
Some issues to think about

• Creativity versus control
• Uses and abuses of procedures and standards
• Flat vs. tall organisational structures
• The importance of communication
• The overriding importance of culture

26
The nature of management

• Peters principle
• Operational Management
• Tactical Management
• Strategic management
• Small vs large organisations

27
What it takes to be a good manager

• People - a balanced view
• Deal with uncertainty
• Make decision with incomplete information
• Plan effectively