Operational consulting in transformation and human dynamics
Why this service?
It is often said that 70% of transformation projects fail.
Our experience convinces us that, most of the time, these failures are not (only) due to technological or financial difficulties.
They stem from human factors not being sufficiently taken into account: emotions (positive and negative), personal and collective interests, synergies and clashes of egos, hidden agendas and stated stakes, but also rational questions and challenges, and the need to commit, to take part, to contribute.
In short, what is too quickly summed up as « resistance to change », but which is in fact about the ability to engage the skills and energy of as many people as possible.
How do we work?
We bring you expertise in transformation that takes human and organisational dimensions into account, and that chooses ownership, mobilisation and commitment.
We help you design, lead and energise dynamics that are mobilising, collaborative and productive.
Ideally, we step in before your project is rolled out, to design with you a dynamic of mobilisation, ownership and implementation. In practice, though, you often call us when, facing difficulties, you can no longer act alone…
Our support consists in:
- identifying the human brakes and drivers of your project;
- proposing practical ways to ease conflicts, bring out real synergies and build ownership of shared objectives, translated into very concrete commitments, for fast and lasting implementation;
- supporting you and your teams on specific actions, as a short « booster » or over a longer period, to make decisions easier and help put them into practice.
Three case studies
Welcome to « the matrix »
Modern organisations are matrix organisations, and they challenge the perceptions and habits linked to traditional « leadership », which many confuse with exercising authority, or even « power ».
These perceptions are devastating for companies and teams, when everyone tries to prove the other « wrong ». Some reject the « operational » people, who waste so much energy through bad habits; others disparage support functions, always so « far from the field ». Matrices may even have three dimensions or more (with shareholders, social partners or other cross-functional roles layered on top of operational and functional ones). This inevitably creates a complex system, unpredictable and uncontrollable by nature if approached dogmatically.
Our contribution
Bringing everyone’s contributions together to design dynamics that meet constraints, opportunities and resources (human, financial, material…) alike; helping you adopt agile postures, adaptive ways of working and ad hoc organisations.
Experts and users
When you head a functional department in charge of setting a « standard » (financial, legal, technical…), it can be tempting to seek the « power » to enforce it.
And, when faced with resistance, to seek ever more constraints: higher, stronger… and often in vain.
Our contribution
As an alternative to the temptation of the « expert » who holds « the solution » (at the risk of it remaining theoretical, in an ivory tower), we focused on designing and supporting « implementation » dynamics: procedures designed collaboratively by experts and operators, ensuring everyone takes ownership of the stakes, and realistic, effective and lasting implementation of rules that fit everyone’s needs and means.
Maintain or produce?
Have you noticed that when you run a machine, it wears out and needs costly maintenance? But while you maintain it, it does not produce, and so becomes costly, or at least non-contributing…
This truism lies at the heart of the constraints of every company, industrial or service (because what is true of material resources is also true of human resources).
And when a company steers its activity through a dozen processes, one can imagine how many « interactions » there are between them, and between their « owners ».
Our contribution
Identifying the sources of conflict and proposing, on the ground, ways to smooth the interfaces between « processes » and the teams in charge of running them.