Using consultancy as a tool for change

The days when “hard power” and position could be used to drive change initiatives are gone.  Organisations are more complex, the people in and around them have higher expectations, and often the issues and dilemmas under review are not clear-cut.  

This programme offers senior managers at any level a way of working that can raise them to a new level of understanding about how to get things done.  Increasingly, the ability to see to the core of issues, analyse them clearly, and propose changes that are readily understood are the skills others value in their senior colleagues.

Do you or your managers find yourselves navigating a wide diversity of viewpoints?  Do you have to negotiate a range of possibilities? Do you have to present difficult concepts to a top management that have little time to hear yet are impatient for change? This is the context for this programme – a fast changing business world where excellent skills in dealing with others are vital.  A world where adaptability in approach and the means to overcome the scepticism of others can tip things in your favour.

This programme is about the ability to work beneath the surface of complex business issues by deepening personal understanding of organisations and the human interactions or the “process” of organisations.  It is our belief that operating at this level can give your performance an edge that others will recognise and respond to.

Organisational spend on consultancy is increasing each year. It is vital that the consultant can provide an excellent service and work effectively in partnership with their clients, whether they are working internally or externally. Increasing the chances of their ideas turning into live change projects within their organisation.

It is important for people working in this field to continue their professional development and to increase their capability in providing value for money and a recognisable return on the investment in time. In order to do this you will benefit from live feedback from experienced practitioners, consultants and from working with real clients. This will enable you to increase confidence and capability when working on organisational issues with executives and senior teams. Widen your range of appropriate interventions. Hone capability to interpret data and make sense of the deeper issues. Work in a more cost effective and efficient consultancy manner.

Why should you attend this programme?

During the programme you will be engaging with real clients on real issues in real time. You will have access to your fellow participants and Roffey consultants who will help you explore your way of working – providing both the microscope and the mirror needed for self-discovery and development. At a personal level you will benefit from developing more personal visibility, greater influence, and enhanced credibility.  At a business level you will contribute to resolving issues and moving them forward in a way that rises above “good ideas” and raises your profile as an agent of change.

As a senior manager or someone in a senior internal or external consultant role, it is important to be part of a group of people who can help you talk about your issues without themselves having an investment in the outcomes.  Such a group can provide the challenge and support to hone your skills.  Within the programme the group you join will help you to look at critical incidents within emerging issues within your world.   In parallel you will work through a robust consultancy cycle looking at those areas where there is the potential for you to be derailed by events.  This process will enable you to more readily access the personal skills and resources you need, even when under considerable pressure.

Programme content

• Review of different consultancy appraoches and models
• Levels and types of consultancy intervention - the four territories of the consultant
• A strategic approach to developing client/consultant relationships
• Scoping the work - developing a sound and robust working contract
• Making sense of compex information
• Working beneath the surface - uncovering the real issues
• Working with Boards and Executive Teams - strengthening your impact and credibility
• The consultant as a critical friend - developing courageous conversations

This programme will have a core of three days followed by four separate days when the group meets in an action learning set. The focus is on being a professional process consultant working on organisational and people issues. The programme will combine facilitated sessions led by experienced consultants, with workshops and group work sessions focusing on the participants’ own learning and development requirements.

Who is it for?

Internal and external consultants, HR professionals and Senior leaders who are working in organisations and businesses that are changing and who want to grow their understanding of organisational and people issues alongside their capability and confidence. This programme is for those people who are want to work as consultants with organisations, who are focusing on resolving organisational and people issues, and delivering measurable results. 

Programme Director

David Lines
PhD, PGCEA, DipHumPsych