Successful Interventions: What Every Consultant Should Know About ADR
by Dr. Troy Coleman
The successful management or organizational consultant is routinely called upon to solve problems. The problems consultants are tasked with solving range from challenging organizational alignment issues, to policy discrepancies, to the challenges of men and women of various hues, personalities, values and persuasions working together in environments that are not yet ready to face the dynamics of change and inclusion.
While these challenges are quite common, it is inevitable that consultants manage the dynamics of organizational infrastructure dysfunction, accounting and finance matters and the "critical business issues, but are not as adept at intervening in situations that involve "the soft skills". Mergers and acquisitions have been the order of the day for American enterprise for the past ten years and it seems to be a major part of our business endeavors for the years to come. While this is a common perception, it still appears that we are not ramping up to successfully manage the challenges of "blending" organizational cultures, corporate values and the dynamics associated with the effects that change has on interpersonal relations and corporate success.
These are the types of issues that organizational consultants must be skilled and confident about handling. Interventions may be initiated to focus on a critical matter that reflects dysfunction, but after further review, we learn that more in-depth issues are at the base of the symptoms that appear so easy to address. In large measure, the intervention required to identify the challenges encountered by organizational leadership and to present meaningful and successful solutions involve resolving differences of opinion or views about the direction the organization should take, priorities set by the organization regarding corporate relationships with customers and how conditions of work are to be accessed.
When these matters are not resolved in a timely manner, the time involved represents a drain on resources. Consultants must be equipped with a broader range of competencies relevant to the demands of organizations competing in today's market. Intervention strategies must be adaptable and flexible enough to clearly identify the "real problems' to avoid reacting to "symptoms" that mask the issues that are so costly to the organization and its employees. It is also important that the strategies for interventions are tailored to the personality and culture of the organization to avoid further impediments to organizational success.
Alternative Dispute Resolution efforts engaged by an organizational consultant must be focused on strategic problem identification and problem solving to benefit the organization, the employees that design and deliver the work required to satisfy customer needs and wants and the customers who benefit from their relationship with the organization. The course, "Successful Interventions: What Every Consultant Should Know About ADR", has been designed to familiarize students with the nature of the consultant/client relationship, the critical issues upon which strategic interventions are based, the consulting process and its parallels to resolving disputes, and the common factors for a consultant's success applying targeted intervention services. Participants will engage in literature review that highlights current practices and trends in the consulting process, the discussion of dispute resolution practices and relevant cases that are related to effective consulting skills and they will have the opportunity to practice the skills necessary for planning and initiating interventions and creating successful outcomes - from proposal writing to project follow up.
The course will yield the development of critical problem-solving consulting skills and improved competencies for negotiating solutions that support total organizational buy-in. The class should be a fun and exciting way to challenge skill enhancements for those currently engaged in a consulting practice or those who wish to embark on a career as a consultant.