Applying Consulting Strategies to Key Organisational Areas

Introduction

Consulting fundamentals can be of great value to an organisation. This paper explores the application of consulting strategies to functional areas within an organisation — notably leadership, organisational conflict, organisational communication, organisational ethics, and employee motivation and team management. Attention is specifically paid to the importance of each area, the information and metrics that may be used to assess each area, and the consulting strategy that would be most effective in addressing it.

Leadership

The importance of effective leadership — both at the executive and middle management levels — in any organisation cannot be overemphasised. Effective leadership is important for influencing a group of people to work toward achieving a defined goal or objective (Sperry, 2002). Any organisation strives to achieve a certain goal or objective. It is the role of leadership to initiate the action necessary to achieve that goal, incentivise followers to put their best effort forward, provide guidance, and coordinate tasks associated with the implementation of organisational goals and objectives. Effective leadership is also important for building confidence, cultivating an efficient work environment, and empowering followers. Leadership can, in fact, be likened to the engine of the organisation.

An important aspect that can indicate the extent of leadership effectiveness is the organisational design. Organisational design is essentially concerned with the manner in which aspects such as decision-making, communication channels, lines of authority, task allocation, and coordination and supervision are structured (Sperry, 2002). Data and information relating to these aspects can be useful in diagnosing leadership effectiveness. For instance, a design with several complicated lines of authority and communication may hinder decision-making by creating unnecessary bureaucracy. As a result, leadership may not effectively empower and motivate subordinates to execute organisational goals and objectives, which may in turn hamper organisational success. Conversely, a design where decision-making authority is more decentralised can quicken decision-making and serve as a source of empowerment for individuals in lower ranks of the organisation.

Information about organisational design may provide vital metrics for gauging leadership effectiveness. These include employee metrics such as job satisfaction, retention, and turnover, as well as financial metrics such as revenue and profitability. Employee metrics are particularly important where leadership effectiveness is concerned. An increase in job satisfaction and employee retention levels, for example, may be an indication of leadership effectiveness. Equally, increased employee turnover can point to poor leadership. Changes in financial performance can also demonstrate the extent of leadership effectiveness. Most high-performing organisations share the characteristic of effective leadership, and instances of organisations collapsing due to poor leadership are not rare.

A consultant can be valuable in addressing leadership issues. As a change agent, a consultant can play an instrumental role in changing organisational culture. Block (2011) reiterates the need for consultants to view every interaction with clients as an opportunity to understand organisational culture and offer solutions to its detrimental elements. In particular, solutions to leadership issues must be found in the present without waiting for the future. This approach provides a strong foundation for dealing with the often-uncertain challenges ahead.

Organisational Conflict

Conflict is a virtually inevitable phenomenon. Individuals within an organisation tend to experience conflict with one another mainly due to differences in views, opinions, beliefs, values, objectives, and priorities (Martin, 2005). Though not every conflict is detrimental to an organisation, conflict can generally disrupt harmony and stability. It may create hostile interpersonal relationships, reluctance to work alongside certain individuals, unhealthy management–employee relationships, and reduced morale. These outcomes can significantly hinder both individual and organisational productivity and performance. In some cases, conflict can even result in the loss of valuable employees who leave for a more fulfilling and peaceful work environment. Inadequate attention to conflict can therefore be costly, making effective conflict management imperative.

A number of aspects can be relied upon to assess organisational conflict. These include leadership style, peer-to-peer relationships, supervisor–subordinate relationships, and conflict management style. Leadership style can be a major source of conflict within an organisation. In an autocratic leadership context, for instance, there could be bitter relations between managers and subordinates, with focus more on competition than on collaboration. Organisational conflict may also be assessed by examining the character of relationships between individuals, including the extent to which colleagues are willing to work together and how they perceive one another in terms of trust and respect. Assessing these aspects can reveal the source and nature of conflict in an organisation.

Organisational conflict produces outcomes that indicate how well an organisation manages it. Three key outcomes in this regard include significant absenteeism, reduced employee morale, and stress (Martin, 2005). Ordinarily, no one enjoys a climate of conflict. In response, some employees may resort to increased absence from work, particularly if the conflict has escalated to a stressful level, as staying away may offer relief from the tense atmosphere. Reduced employee morale may also result from organisational conflict, particularly when it involves management against employees.

Consulting fundamentals can be equally useful in addressing organisational conflict. One of the important skills of a consultant is the ability to collaborate and cooperate with others (Block, 2011). Consultants interact with clients every day and must therefore have effective people skills. Effective collaboration can be vital for addressing organisational conflict: when individuals in an organisation embrace collaboration, they become more inclined to resolve conflict in a manner that benefits everyone.

Conclusion

Overall, there is considerable applicability of consulting fundamentals to organisational leadership, organisational communication, organisational conflict, organisational ethics, and employee motivation and team management. Organisations can rely on consulting strategies to address issues relating to these five functional areas. Effectiveness in each area can have a significant impact on organisational productivity and performance as a whole.

References

Block, P. (2011). Flawless consulting (3rd ed.). Pfeiffer.

Flynn, G. (2008). Leadership and business ethics. Springer.

French, R., Rayner, C., Rees, G., & Rumbles, S. (2011). Organisational behaviour (2nd ed.). Wiley.

Lewis, L. (2011). Organisational change: Creating change through strategic communication. John Wiley & Sons.

Martin, J. (2005). Organisational behaviour and management (3rd ed.). Thomson Learning.

Sperry, L. (2002). Effective leadership: Strategies for maximizing executive productivity and health. Routledge.