Gelinas James, Inc. Training Programs

Creating Profound Change Through Collaborative Organization Design

Context. Too frequently organizations respond to the seemingly endless and overwhelming shifts in market place demands by selecting a number of "change programs" from a smorgasbord of options. They re-engineer their business processes. They redraw the boxes on the organization chart. They try to change the culture. Or, they push employees through a battery of training programs.

Predictably, leaders rarely get the results they want. They have underestimated the scope or depth of the changes needed. They have instituted so many change initiatives that they compete with one another for time and resources. Or, the piecemeal approaches were not sufficient to create the degree of change required.

There are times when the external challenges and the internal inefficiencies are so great that something more than incremental change is needed. Sometimes what is needed is comprehensive, significant change.

Audience. If your organization is facing or anticipating

Significant changes in the business environment (e.g., market demand, technology, customers)
Defining or redefining strategy
Changes in relationships with alliances, partnerships, suppliers
Internal changes in key leadership positions
Notable change in type of products and services
Serious and recurring problems in quality, productivity, customer relations, employee relations, cross-functional performance
Significant increases or decreases in sales and profitability

then profoundly changing your organization may be required.

If you are a senior executive, leader of an organizational unit, or head of a business function or department, then an executive briefing about this approach to change could help you determine whether it is appropriate for your situation. If our approach makes sense and there is a good match between what we offer and what you need, then a longer workshop for a change team and your internal consultants would provide them with the concepts, process, and tools to collaborate with you and other key stakeholders in creating profound change in your organization.

Purpose. The Collaborative Organization Design workshop is designed to help organizational leaders and members work together to recreate their organizations to anticipate and meet the challenges in the market place.

Testimonials

"The best approach I have seen for re-engineering an organization. It has a very solid conceptual foundation, inspiring architecture and practical construction that makes living and working with it a genuine pleasure."

- William C. Miller, President, Global Creativity Corporation and author of "The Creative Edge" and "Quantum Quality"

"Finally, someone has stopped adding approaches and gone to the heart of organization design."

- Ted Coonfield, Organization Consultant

"These materials have proven to be invaluable to us as consultants. They are so thorough and user-friendly, we refer to them constantly."

- Beth Doolittle, former Manager of Consulting Services, Levi Strauss & Co.

"The materials and framework have been remarkably helpful in our redesign process."

- Wendy L. Baker, former Director, Center for Patient Care Innovation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center

"Collaborative Organization Design is an effective way to make the changes necessary to develop, implement, and maintain an organization that properly responds to economic and business shifts."

- Spencer Hutchens, Senior Vice President, Intertek Services Corporation and Past President, American Society for Quality Control

What You Will Learn

An understanding of a comprehensive, integrated approach to profound organization change including its phases, underlying principles, values, and salient features
The ability to sponsor or lead an organization through a Collaborative Organization Design process
How to build the key agreements which set the stage for change
Hands-on experience in working through all the phases of organization design
How to involve your key stakeholders in the process of redesigning your organization
How to define the critical roles and decision-making process
How to make it happen (i.e., implement change)

Method. In the executive briefing we work with leaders to define what they hope to accomplish through a change initiative, what lessons they have learned from past experiences with trying to change their organization, and what their concerns and hopes are as they consider embarking on another one. We then link our review of the overall approach, its underlying principles, and our organizational model to this information.

In the three-to five-day interactive workshop, participants work through the steps of each phase of the Collaborative Organization Design Process and plan how to approach accomplishing the outcomes of at least the first phase.

What You Will Get

A 430-page Collaborative Organization Design Workbook which provides the concepts, steps, tools, templates, tips and example agendas through which a team of change agents can work in concert with the senior leadership team and other key stakeholders to redesign an organization.
A 120-page Collaborative Organization Design Leaders' Guide to help the senior executives understand and carry out their roles in the process.
Case studies of how the process was implemented in a variety of organizations, including what worked and what did not.

Is Collaborative Organization Design Right For You?

We will work with you to determine whether this approach to change is needed in your organization based on its current performance and the present or anticipated challenges in the market place. This approach to change requires a substantial commitment on the part of leaders and members at every level of an organization. You will need to be sure that this is the right time to learn and use this approach. If you are interested in a less comprehensive approach or your organization needs or will only tolerate more incremental change right now, please review the description of Collaborative Change: Improving Organizational Performance.

Our Commitment to You.

Choices about how much and when to change are significant decisions. An organization's people, time, and resources are precious. They need to be used wisely. If now is not the time to take on a significant change initiative, we will help you define what does makes sense given your circumstances.

more training program descriptions >