By Susan Houghton, Director of Organizational Development, Brooks International
How does Brooks International leverage the client power base on an engagement and fortify our client’s conviction to the objective? Through the organizational development (OD) process in our initial stage, the Stage I Assessment, we first gain an understanding of the client power base through individual interviews and discussions with the executive leadership team.
We evaluate the effectiveness of the executive team using our Execution Excellence Model as the foundation. Our process-based methodology derived from working in complex environments over 58 years is how we approach organizational effectiveness. The Execution Excellence methodology consistently outperforms other change strategies in two ways:
- It enables organizations to “redesign” their operating model and its three tactical drivers, namely expectations, capabilities and motivators, synchronously, thus accelerating the pace of change and results.
- It produces changes and results that are sustainable, because the behavioral environment, not just the processes or structure, has been redesigned and accountability is woven into the core operating values of the organization.
We want to determine who the executive team is in the scheme of things by conducting one-on-one interviews, asking questions such as:
- How do they perceive their roles as members of the executive leadership team?
- What do they see as the organizational goals and their area goals?
- Do these goals align with those of the CEO/top client?
- What are the team blockages and hidden agendas?
- What are the individual leadership and management challenges?
- What are the organizational communication challenges?
We compile the results from these interviews and analyze them to gauge the alignment between the executive team and the CEO/top client. We share our findings directly with the CEO and determine what needs to happen during the Stage II Implementation stage to fortify the executive leadership team’s conviction to the objective.
In our execution stage, the Stage II Implementation, the first task is to build the client power base through executive team leadership development. Based on the interviews in the Stage I, we determine the team maturity, looking at current performance vs. specific performance-driven executive team characteristics.
We then recommend actions to close the most critical gaps. Brooks International will hold both group sessions with the entire executive team and one-on-one sessions to strengthen the team’s conviction to the objective and get everyone working together and on the same page.
Next in the Stage II, we develop consensus among the executive team and leverage the goal translation throughout the organization, systemically and spiritually.
We ensure that goals and KPIs at all management levels of the organization are in support of the strategic imperative. Then we ensure top-level goals cascade to the point of execution, ultimately linking to the client’s HR Performance Management System.
The Brooks International engagement team creates position profiles, expert models and best practices for the client’s area in the scope of the engagement. In addition, the team aligns the skills and capabilities available in the client’s department to the roles. Most of the OD work occurs within the first 10-12 weeks of the engagement.
OD is the driver in shifting the client to a sustainable, performance-based culture.
For more information about OD or how Brooks International can help you achieve your strategic imperative and deliver sustained economic value and predictable business performance for your organization, please explore our case studies, or contact us today to set up a meeting.
