INTERNAL CONSULTANTPERCEPTIONS of

BEST PRACTICES

Miriam Y Lacey, PhD May 21, 2009MSOD Alumni Conference Laguna Beach, CA

AgendaOur path today

3. Findings2. Framework for analysis

1. Scope of research

6. Recom-mendations and

opinions

5. Questions about curriculum

4. Questions about practice

Scope of Research

ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL published 3 Special Editions on

Best Global Practices in Internal ODSummer, Fall and Winter 2007Total of 73 articles Lacey and Tompkins analyzed them

Study Limitations

Created this Framework to analyze the 73 articles

Let's calibrate—what is the primary role of OD?

your opinion

Develop business strategy with executives

Facilitate implementation of the business strategy through an array of interventions

Ideal world Real world

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Global perspective

Business strategy

Merger and acquisition

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Figure 1Business ContextF

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Org Culture

Structure

Change Mgt

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Figure 2Intervention FocusF

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N = 73

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Figure 3Delivery Methods to Enhance Org Capability

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Accounta

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Product

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Diver

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Leader

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Caree

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Figure 4Talent Management Overview

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Leadership De-velopment -

MgmtCoaching - Mgmt

Career development - Mgmt Succession - Mgmt

Mentoring - Mgmt

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Figure 5Talent Management - Managers

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Accountability - Workforce Performance Mgt -

Workforce Productivity - Work-force Diversity - Work-

force

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Figure 6Talent Management - Workforce

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EntryData collection

Intervention designImplementation

Evaluation

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Figure 7Consulting ProcessF

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N = 73

2 Primary Findings—Internals say they:

Questions about your practice

Whether internal or external—complete a blue questionnaire—hopefully you already have!What percent of your practice do you spend on Business Strategy and/or Talent Management?

Any particular area?Succession PlanningCoachingCareer development , etc

Where did you get the expertise?

No seat at the Strategy table

Huge role in Talent Management

SO what does this mean for MSOD?

Chat at your tablepick a scribehand in questionnaire

2 questions1. About strategy2. About talent

management

Chat at your table—hand in q'naireThe program has a strong focus on the development of business strategy

Do you see your role as participating in the dev of bus strategy? Or is your role to support the implementation of the strategy through diverse interventions? How important is it for you to have a “seat at the table” to develop business strategy? How should the program augment the curriculum to prepare you?

Would you have liked a more formal treatment of Talent Management in the program?

Or, is it easy enough to pick up on-the-job? If you want it, how best to provide it?

Difficulty with curriculum

Are we training or educating?How responsive should we be to fads and trends?Who should decide?

6 Study Conclusions

Global perspective

Business strategy

Delivery methods

Talent mgt

Consulting process

Focus of intervention

6 Conclusions (con't)

#1. Global PerspectiveWhile most internal practitioners embrace a global orientation and understand the worldwide context within which their companies operate, they seem little affected by these views.

Only a handful of articles sought to intervene or implement organization change of this magnitude.

6 Conclusions (con't)

#2. Business StrategyCompetence in development of business strategy is a high impact way for internal OD consultants to be viewed as a “player” throughout the org. This demands a level of business acumen which is unlikely to be lodged in the run-of-the-mill OD Consultant.

While many internal practitioners fall short in strategy formulation, they tend to excel in strategy implementation.

6 Conclusions (con't)

#3. Focus of InterventionOnce executives have determined business strategy, they turn to OD.

OD is viewed as implementation support—a provider of change management guidance.Know-how to leverage org systems and processes to implement cultural and structural changes to achieve the business strategy.

6 Conclusions (con't)

#4. Delivery Methods to Enhance Organization CapabilityPractitioners have a virtually unlimited array of methods and interventions, but…

Internal OD consultants in this study rely on four basics of the field: training, communications, empowerment

and teams. Is there a true need to learn the six hottest tools?

Eg. Diversity, AI, knowledge mgt, learning orgs, quality (six sigma, lean), etc.

6 Conclusions (con't)#5. Talent Management

Internal OD consultants design/implement a broad range of people development interventions for both management and workers. Two TM demands dominated internal consultant practice:

a) readying managers to take the reins as senior executives retire, and b) designing work and HR systems to simultaneously address organization needs for productivity and the developmental needs of the workforce.

6 Conclusions (con't)

#6. Consulting Process: Action Research is alive and well. Great emphasis was found on data collection that was simple in approach, quick to conduct, and easy to understand. Benchmarking upgraded standards of rigor by locating best practices across industries, and promoting consultant confidence! Internal consultants in this study, (as is true of the field in general), rarely take time to formally evaluate their work.

The end….or just the beginning?Please complete your q'naire.

Let's continue the

conversation!

Thank you