Organizational Development

Organizational Development: Achieving what you set out to do

Imagine this: you and your friends have decided on a week-long hiking trip in Northern Norway. Some of you prepare by researching the requirements, seeking advice from experienced hikers, training for the trip, packing the right gear, and taking a wilderness course before departure.

Others in the group don’t have the time or resources for all that preparation and assume it’ll all work out.

Who has the best trip? Naturally, those who are well-prepared: they have more capacity to enjoy the journey, face fewer risks of injury or mishaps, and encounter fewer unpleasant surprises.

The same logic applies if your organization is embarking on a new strategy or facing a new challenge: What must your organization be capable of to achieve what you’ve set out to do?

If you need to be more innovative, you must address the fear of failure. If you want to be more present for your customers or users, you may need to simplify bureaucracy. If collaboration across teams is the goal, you need to address any tendencies toward internal competition. That is organizational development.

If you’re a middle manager, you’re likely familiar with the dilemma: you recognize the need for organizational development but lack the time or budget for a consultant. I’m familiar with this situation and know how to focus on what’s essential, making room in both the calendar and budget.

Which challenges can we work on during an Organizational Development Program?

  • Implementing a New Strategy

    Together, we ensure your organization is prepared to turn strategic goals into action by strengthening the necessary skills and processes.

  • Enhancing Cross-Functional Collaboration

    We work to break down silos and create a culture where teams collaborate effectively across departments.

  • Retaining Key Employees

    We develop initiatives that increase well-being and engagement, helping you retain your most valuable talent.

    Optimizing Organizational Structures

    We adapt structures and roles to ensure the organization remains agile and responsive to change.

  • Leadership Team Development

    We strengthen your leadership teams, equipping them to take responsibility for the organization’s overall development.

  • Managing Crises and Challenges

    I help you navigate through crises, so you emerge stronger on the other side.

  • Integration in Mergers and Acquisitions

    We ensure a successful integration of cultures and processes when expanding the organization through mergers or acquisitions.

  • Creating a Sustainable Organizational Culture

    We work to build a culture that supports the organization’s long-term goals and values.

How Does an Organizational Development Process Work?

First, we have a brief conversation over the phone or online about what you’d like to work on, to determine how I can assist and whether we’re a good match. Next, we meet and spend about an hour discussing your challenges, allowing me to draft an initial outline of what the process might look like. This outline will include suggestions for concrete initiatives, time requirements, and budget. Afterward, we refine the outline together and align expectations.

Typically, though not always, we may need to gain approval for the process from your stakeholders or leadership team, and I’m happy to support you here. I’ve frequently participated in meetings with executive teams, helping to foster mutual listening and trust, reducing the need for formal sign-offs and reporting.

No two processes are alike. My focus is on empowering you to manage the development you’re aiming for. This means I advise, facilitate meaningful conversations, illustrate ideas, and guide your HR and/or leaders. Some clients engage me only until the implementation phase, while others bring me on board throughout the entire journey.

An organizational development program is for those of you who:

 

  • Are facing a major challenge

  • Are working with a new strategy

  • Are planning a merger or acquisition

  • Have persistent issues, such as low well-being, high absenteeism, or retention challenges

  • Have received conflicting goals from senior leadership, such as demands for growth alongside cost reductions

  • Want fresh perspectives on your organization

  • Need a strong profile in organizational development occasionally but not frequently enough to justify a full-time hire

 

Contact me today

 

Learn more about how I work with organizational development. Contact me and let’s find time to solve your challenges.

 

How I Approach Organizational Development

The core question for me is: What must you be capable of in the future that you cannot currently achieve? This question determines whether it’s even worth investing time in leadership and organizational development. It’s a question few ask, and even fewer have a clear answer to, which is why it’s a key part of the initial phase of our collaboration, helping you clarify exactly what you aim to accomplish.

To answer this core question, we must also delve into what the business truly intends to achieve: we’ll discuss the business itself and align the business model, strategy, and focus areas of the program.

Some feel compelled to follow the latest trends, fearing that if they don’t become a skills-based or regenerative organization, they’ll fall behind. But few of these trends endure, and you can count on me not to rely on quick-fix concepts. It’s purely about enabling you to do what you’ve set out to do.

On my own journey, I’ve learned from some of the best in the field, combining my business experience with studies in philosophy and psychotherapy. This means you’ll encounter a consultant who works concretely with the business and the people who must succeed in it, while asking insightful questions along the way.

Who Are My Clients

My clients are typically People/HR functions in large, international companies, but they also include leaders in small and medium-sized organizations, public institutions, and private companies. What they share is a need for the kind of questions I ask.

Are you an international company facing an acquisition that will significantly transform the organization? Do you have the right leadership team, and are they prepared for the challenge? How do you generate excitement throughout the organization and foster a belief that this big task is worth contributing to?

Or are you an organization that is fatigued after years of major changes and budget cuts, needing something radical to shift? How can the organization evolve to become not only a place worth staying but also a place employees are proud to have on their CVs?

  • Working with leadership development, talent development, team building, diversity and inclusion, compensation policies, employee well-being, loyalty, and all other aspects that shape an organization.

  • Creating the culture, diversity, loyalty, and well-being necessary for an organization to succeed in achieving its goals.

  • Because it gives you the strength to achieve what you set out to do. And if you already have that strength, it gives you the opportunity to set even more ambitious goals.