Facilitating Change - keys to advisory success or failure

Source: Margerison C J (1988) Managerial Consulting Skills - a practical guide;Gower

The following list of key factors suggests what might contribute to the success or failure of an advisor (or a group of advisers) in attempting to facilitate change in an organisation of group.

Failure can be caused by:

not involving influential persons early enough - the make or break people
proposing solutions before problems are diagnosed
presenting reports full of content without an equal regard for the process of discussion
moving too quickly, causing surprises and creating defensive behaviour amongst clients
not recognising the effect of change in one part of the system on another part of the system

Success is usually dependent on:

spending time in understanding the cues and clues
accurate summaries of issues raised, and effective conversational control
in-depth contracting and agreement to ensure an action is on a solid basis
attention to the political processes of the client’s organisation and the involvement of the relevant people
delivery on time to the required standard
the management of the assignment by establishing a structure through which all involved can resolve issues.

Sharp questions -

Think of an organisation/group in which you have had success or failure as an adviser. Try out this list as a tool to explain your results
The lack of coordination between the different wings of organisation x is often spoken about. If you were employed as a consultant to overcome this problem, how would you do it?

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