Consultation and Stream Analysis Can Be Effectively

¶ … consultation and stream analysis can be effectively used in an Organizational Development program

Review material presented in An Experiential Approach to Organizational Development by Don Harvey and Donald R. Brown. Check other sources for additional information.

These two Organizational Development tools can be used collaboratively to help groups or organizations adapt to change by making change a functional part of an organization's framework.

Organizational Development encompasses a variety of techniques and methodologies that are used to improve work life. French and Bell in their book titled Organizational Development, suggest that in 51-70% of cases, Organizational Development techniques led to significant improvements in reducing cost, improving quality or improving profit margins.

Organizational development is about change and all organizations require change to remain dynamic. Unfortunately, some aspects of organizational change are presented to workers in inconsistent ways. Too often, managers maintain tight controls by directing employee responsibilities and workflow but at the same time, they want to foster creativity, team work, risk taking behavior and accountability.

Stream Analysis is a set of techniques used for diagnosing, planning and tracking the change process in an organization. Another technique known as Process Consultation is a well-established discipline that uses change management and organizational effectiveness to build sustainable results. Both of these tools can be invaluable to an organization and can address a variety of issues facing companies in the twenty-first century.

For instance, the fundamental key to Process Consultation requires that a group or organization be:

Aware of their own problems

Willing to listen to others

Make appropriate changes if needed

Process Consultation can be used collaboratively with Steam Analysis to successfully identify the need for change, implement necessary changes and track the success of the change plan. Both of these can help to improve understanding, invigorate potential drive and creativity, determine inefficiencies and reduction opportunities and eventually transform an organization or group.

Let's consider for example, a powerful scenario developed by several members of MIT's Systems Dynamics Group called The Beer Game. Participants in the game learn how a series of decisions can often result in misconceptions. First, they decided how much beer they would need to order based on their perceptions of customer demand. As the game progressed, based on their decisions, the end result proved to leave a glut of unwanted beer. If they had a "process consultant" within their team or group, that person could have shown the team how their seemingly logical decisions did not take into account an understanding of other's reactions or needs and that ultimately this can produce dysfunctional results. Furthermore, if they had employed Stream Analysis thinking, they would have been able to ascertain that their decisions were not based on the big picture or any out-of-the-box thinking.

Too often, organizations or groups can focus on single, static thinking that assumes everything will occur as planned. It does not take into account unexpected changes. Tools such as Stream Analysis and Process Consultation can be used to foster critical thinking and increase a group or organization's ability to accept change and respond to unexpected outcomes rather than developing predictions.