Consultation Competecny

Question 1

Consultation

Answer 1

Consultation involves providing guidance to organizational stakeholders. It requires the ability to diagnose problems or identify opportunities, develop effective solutions, win support for the solutions, and then implement them effectively.

Question 2

Consulting Model

Answer 2

Purpose throughout each step is to manage change. From beginning to end HR should be aware of teh org’s readiness to change and the members’ emotional responses to changes. Plan to implement ways to increase acceptance and assimilation (or buy-in) of new values and practices.
Four steps are:
Define the problem
Design and implement solution
Measure effectiveness
Sustain Improvement (repeat)

Question 3

Throughout the four steps that make up the consulting model, one of HR’s key responsibilities is:

Answer 3

To communicate with and manage stakeholders

Question 4

Define the problem

Answer 4

A discovery phase. HR is collecting data to define the gap between desired and actual performance, as well as to identify potential threats, challenges and liabilities that could be addressed by a change initiative.

Data should be collected from all relevant internal and external stakeholders, and sorted and analyzed so results can be reported to them in a way that helps them understand the observations and decide an appropriate action. Information gathered at this point will help in the design of an effective and efficient initiative.

Question 5

It is important that consultation findings:

Answer 5

Focus on conditions that can be realistically changed, given the organization’s environment and resources and given the attitudes of the organization and the receptiveness of it’s members to change

Are based on sufficient and specific evidence and are presented neutrally

Select a few areas for attention, prioritizing data findings by frequency and impact on strategic performance. Too many points of action may lead to client paralysis.

Question 6

Design and Implement the Solution

Answer 6

The implementation of a solution (after criteria for an effective solution is defined and an appropriate tactic for development is chosen) may be managed as a separate project using traditional project management skills.

Successful implementation may depend on the ability to motivate employees to move through the sometimes difficult period of adjusting to new conditions and practices.

Communication skills are critical - being alert to verbal and nonverbal messages, providing appropriate information at the right times, reporting results when required, and giving and seeking feedback.

Question 7

When teams/stakeholders are involved in a decision, apply a typical problem solving approach:

Answer 7

Explore the decision to be made fully, so all influences are understood

Generate multiple options, define criteria for an effective choice, and analyze each

Select the best solution and implement it.

Evaluate the decision and decision-making process when the decision’s outcomes are clear. Were there enough quality options? Were the right criteria used? Were key individuals actively engaged in reaching consensus?

Question 8

Measure Effectiveness

Answer 8

The solution’s effects are measured to determine if the objectives of the consultation have been met and if the consultatin has had the desired strategic impact.

HR’s effectiveness as a consultant is reviewed as well, and plans for improvement are made. Experiences are monitored and documented for later study. Problems in implementation are identified and addressed.

Question 9

Sustain the Improvement

Answer 9

The new process is monitored to encourage continued effort. HR provides guidance to leaders in new ways in which new values, attitudes, or practices can become institutionalized or applied in different areas. Ensuring that stakeholder management is promoted within HR is essential to sustaining an organizational culture that is receptive to change.

Question 10

Tools for Group Decision Making

Answer 10

One of the challenges in consultation is creating group commitment to the chosen course of action. The followng tools are all effective in engaging all participants in creating a logical path toward consensus:
SWOT Analysis
SOAR Analysis
Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA)
Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA)
Force-field Analysis

Question 11

SWOT Analysis

Answer 11

The group can brainstorm strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats and agree on a numerical value for each.

Question 12

SOAR Analysis

Answer 12

Similar to the SWOT, the group identifies strengths, opportunities, aspirations, and results. This is a framework that combines fact finding with an organization’s goals and desires, presenting an analysis of the organization’s actual state and how it will measure achievement.

Question 13

Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA)

Answer 13

The team determines critical characteristics of a successful decision (for example, ability to meet project requirements, likelihood of success, least chance of causing secondary risks). A matrix is used to score each alternative and compare results.

Question 14

Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA)

Answer 14

Group discussion is critical to identifying all relevant costs and benefits.

Question 15

Force-Field Analysis

Answer 15

This tool was designed to analyze the forces favoring and opposing a particular change. The group identifies and weights factors that could influence an outcome in either a negative or positive manner according to their possible impact. The group then uses these factors to score different opportunities. They agree to pursue those showing favorability for change and avoid initiatives that face very strong resistance.

Question 16

Large or small, broad or focused, changes can trigger…

Answer 16

Complex responses in the organization and in individual employees. HR’s role as a consultant requires HR professionals to know more thn how to desing a new solution to an organization’s challenges, but also understand how to be able to manage responses to change so that these initiatives achieve their intended goals.

Question 17

During an initiative change, stakeholder management becomes a key HR responsibility. What skills help HR professionals with this?

Answer 17

Clarity of vision, creative problem solving, tactful communication, and courage.

Question 18

Why should HR try to be involved in the planning of change initiatives early?

Answer 18

HR understands the organization’s policies and business requirements, employee’s perspectives, and channels of communication. Given their responsibilities and purview within an organization, HR is also well situated to manage interactions between relevant stakeholders affected by the change by coordinating communications and managing the relationships between various stakeholders. Contributing this knowledge and expertise can improve an initiative’s chance for success.

Question 19

Ways HR aids in managing change:

Answer 19

Identify programs, practices, and policies that might benefit from change.

Identify the impact of the change on people and departments, which may include gaps in skills, lines of communication to be opened, and new policies that may be required.

Assess the impact of changes across the organization and also on outside stakeholders—the ripple effect of change.

Consult with the organization’s leaders on ways to support the change initiative, including changes in organizational culture. new processes, and investment in learning and development to support employees as they develop new competencies to perform their changed roles.

Use communication skills and channels to contact all affected stakeholders quickly and uniformly, communicate the details of the change initiative, and keep them apprised of developments and progress.

Measure the effectiveness of the change initiative.

Track issues that arise at any point and follow up to deliver superior service to HR’s internal customers.

It often falls to HR to show how what leaders want and what employees need can be aligned.

Question 20

Effective Communications during periods of change can produce:

Answer 20

Identification and mitigation of potential risks

Increased management and employee buy-in and satisfaction

Increased trust between management and nonmanagerial employees

Identification of needed change-related training initiatives to improve employee skills and proficiency throughout the change process

Increased leadership cohesiveness

Question 21

The Impact of Change on Productivity

Answer 21

Employee productivity and engagement can be affected by both large shifts in culture, structure, and strategic goals and small changes in roles and processes.

Question 22

(Dreaded) J Curve

Answer 22

When change is introduced there is typically a decline in performance and then a slow return to previous levels and - if hte change is effective and if it is managed effectively - a more rapid growth to a new level of performance.

A poorly chosen intervention or poor management of the change process can result in a more permanent flattering of the curve at a low plateau.

Question 23

Managing the J Curve

Answer 23

To manage the negative effects of change on productivity, HR professionals can use the fact that individual employees react to change differently.

Some may resist change, driven perhaps by fear of the unknown or a lack of confidence in their ability to perform new tasks. They may prefer inertia and the comfort of the familiar to the challenge of learning new roles and skills.

Some employees will welcome the change because they can immediately see its benefits (for example, improved communication, more individual control).

Others may simply be waiting for more information to decide how they feel.

Understanding and being able to manage these individual differences can affect the speed of the organization’s recovery to full productivity.

Question 24

Tactics for influencing employees with these different perceptions of change.

Answer 24

-Resistant (20-30%)
Why? - Fear of the unknown; Comfort in the status quo
Shifting from resistance: Empathy, communication, support

-Neutral (40-60%)
Shifting out of neutral: selling benefits; opportunities for involvement

-Welcoming (20-30%)
Why? - perceived benefits; increased challenge
Maintaining course: Recognition, delegation, support

Question 25

What is the key to managing change?

Answer 25

Recognizing reactions promptly and responding appropriately. For employees resisting changes, managers must make a special effort to listen to their fears and doubts, to check in frequently, and to offer additional resources to help them adapt to new processes or structures. Managers can also emphasize the benefits that outweigh the costs of change. If an individual’s attitude becomes harmful to the group, the manager may have to emphasize new expectations and the employee’s obligation to meet them. Managers can use more receptive employees as champions of the changes, communicating their reasons and their enthusiasm to their peers. For employees who have not committed to or have rejected the change, managers may have to sell the potential benefits—both organizational and personal—of the change. Managers can also assign them tasks or roles to increase the level of their involvement in the process.

Question 26

Regarding change, leaders should...

Answer 26

explain the change and why it is needed, be truthful about its benefits and challenges, listen and respond to employees' reactions, and then ask and workf or individuals' commitment.

Question 27

Change in Global and Diverse Organizations

Answer 27

These reactions apply across all national cultures, although individual reactions may vary depending on the individual’s competencies and personal situation. Differences in national cultures, however, may make managing change in a diverse or global organization more challenging.

Question 28

To gather reliable feedback about change in the global workforce, managers from outside cultures should...

Answer 28

Turn to a trusted insider, or someone from that culture or someone who understands both the management and the local cultures, for advice on how to "read" and communicate with these employee groups.

Question 29

Assessing change readiness

Answer 29

Before develiping recommendations, HR must consider and assess the organization's, group's, or individual's readiness to change. Change is difficult for most, so proactively preparing for possible issues will assist teh change process

Question 30

Things to be considered in assessing the readiness for change:

Answer 30

What is the nature of the change? What is the expected duration? What key milestones are associated with the change? Where is the organization in the change process? Who will have primary responsibility for implementing the change? What language and cultural factors will impact the change? What role will HR play in implementing the change? What fears might people have about the change? How much resistance is anticipated? From whom? How will the organization deal with the temporary drop in productivity that may result from the change? What benchmarks will be established? How will local interests and needs be gathered and considered during change planning and implementation?

Question 31

Conditions that make change possible

Answer 31

McKinsey & Company consultants Emily Lawson and Colin Price identify several conditions that make it easier for people to get to the point where they will consider or try a new way of doing things: - Shared purpose - Reinforcement Systems - Skills required for Change - Consistent Role Models

Question 32

Shared Purpose

Answer 32

If people believe in the overall purpose of and reason for the change or buy into the objectives of the change initiative, they will make a legitimate effort to change themselves. Those leading a change initiative should communicate how proposed changes are necessary to achieve the organization's strategic goals and/or values.

Question 33

Reinforcement Systems

Answer 33

Structures, management processes and encouragement, measurement, communication, and other critical support factors must be present and congruent with the desired change initiative

Question 34

Skills Required for Change

Answer 34

While this need may seem obvious, it is often overlooked. Training is a much more efficient and effective method than trial and error for equipping people with the knowledge and skills to be successful.

Question 35

Consistent Role Models

Answer 35

The presence of a role model within an individual employee's sphere of influence make change real and demonstrates, in real time, that change is possible. Many role models (in ddition to mangers and executives) need to be present throughout the organization to keep the message of change alive unitl it becomes part of the way the organization operates.

Question 36

Kurt Lewin model of change

Answer 36

Often used to explain the dymanics through which organizational change takes place. By understanding these dynamics, HR professionals can offer the proper initiative for change. Most models for change incorporate some aspects of Lewin's model by describing activities that prepare for change, activities essential to facilitating the actual change, and activities or steps that focus on acceptance or adoption of the change. 3 Stages of Lewin's model: Unfreezing, Moving, Refreezing

Question 37

Lewin's Model: Unfreezing

Answer 37

Unfreeze the current state The purpose of this step is to get people to accept that the change will occur. Reducing factors that work against chagne is critical at this stage.

Question 38

Lewin's Model: Moving

Answer 38

Move toward the new state During the second step, the focus is on getting people to accept the new, desired state.

Question 39

Lewin's Model: Refreezing

Answer 39

Refreeze the new state Once the change has been implemented and generally accpeted, the focus should be on making the new idea a regular part of the organization.

Question 40

Leading Change - Change Model developed by John Kotter

Answer 40

Provides insight into the "how" of the change management process by specifying eight contributors to successful implementation of the change: 1.Create a sense of urgency. 2.Assemble a strong guiding team. 3.Provide a clear vision. 4.Over-communicate. 5.Empower action. 6.Ensure short-term successes. 7.Sustain progress and build on achievements. 8.Institutionalize

Question 41

Integrated View of Change Strategy (Combines Lewin's steps + Kotter's techniques) - described by Cesar Aguirre

Answer 41

The "What" - Follow's Lewin's steps Current state (unfreeze) -- Transition State (Move) -- New State (Refreeze) The "How" - Implement Kotter's Techniques Current State - 1. Create a sense of urgency; 2. Assemble a strong guiding team; 3. provide a clear vision Transition State - 4. Over-communicate; 5. Empower action; 6. Ensure short-term success New State - 7. Consolidate progress; 8. Institutionalize This integrated change strategy effectively illustrates both the theoretical and practical aspects of the change process.

Question 42

McKinsey 7-S Framework

Answer 42

Another model to help analyze internal changes in an organization. The design of the model is intended to reflect the fact that all of these elements are important and interconnected and, as a result, change in one area will result in reassessments and adjustments in the other six in order to maintain a balance. Model is based on the theory that for an organization to perform well, these seven elements need to be aligned and mutuall reinforce one another: Style - The organization’s culture and the informal rules of the organization. Skills - The institutional and individual skills the organization can call on and how they interact with each other. A change in recent years has been to consider what skills the organization should have and what customers and suppliers can provide to the organization. Systems - The processes of the company, including HR systems. Structure - The relationships between different levels of authority and decision making within the organization. Staff - The people who make up the organization, workforce composition, and the people who might be needed by the organization. Strategy - What the organization is trying to do to gain a competitive advantage. Shared Values - What the organization is trying to achieve, sometimes referred to as superordinate goals. These values should be reinforced throughout the organization.

Question 43

The ability to facilitate change is enhanced if HR develops an:

Answer 43

Internal "service culture" - just as an organization must be mindful of the external customers who use their products and services, HR must be mindful of how its activites contribute to the organization's overall ability to function and deliver quality.

Question 44

When planning and implementing a change, organizations often rely on one of the following approaches.

Answer 44

Cascade. This approach relies on a top-down sequence with complete change at each level. Change at one level or unit high up in the organization eventually transforms the units and levels beneath it. Progressive. In this model, the change originates at the top and is broadcast to the entire organization. Individuals slowly change with added information, and the change becomes uniform across business units. Organic. This method relies on independent centers and multiple origins of the change within the organization. Points of origin can be at any level. Organic change radiates out unevenly but accelerates when top leadership supports local change and local leaders.