the four-leaf clover

Coming into an organization as a consultant can be difficult, and trying to pick apart and understand what is happening within that organization is challenging. When I hear the word discovery, I think of learning new information, realizing what the attitudes and opinions are of employees, and finding different ways to “fix” the problem. I like how Block states, “the stance we want to take is that we can be a guide through a process of discovery, engagement, and dialogue.”

As far as our consulting project goes, I think we are lucky to have a client who seems very open to the change and discovery process. They are willing to face the problem head on, and therefore have been supportive and provided us with answers and information that will help us discover as much as we can. I think discovery happens on both sides; the consultant is discovering more about an organization and the in’s and out’s, and the client is also discovering what needs to change. I think our client is at the “I’m ready to discover and change” point, and therefore is willing to take action on their problem.

We had touched on it a little in a previous class, but I had never really thought of the difference between a research approach and an action approach. When I first learned that through this project we would be doing discovery and data gathering, I immediately thought, “oh, we’ll be researching the organization and collecting information that will be useful.” Block says that research is understanding, and that understanding is enough. The action approach is a more in-depth, personal way of helping the client move through understanding the problem.

Act, jointly, involve, recognize, and understanding – these are all words within the text that describe how we want our discovery process to proceed. I want to make sure we use these words above as we work our way through the discovery process with our client.

We learned through Schein’s text that culture and leadership are intertwined, so what happens when you have a defined culture but very little leadership? This is the situation I find myself in right now. I have explained in past posts that my department has a huge lack of leadership (which has increased even more so since my last post.) My supervisor has not only turned the leadership switch to “off,” but has now moved into the new building, in an office as far away from myself and the other faculty members as possible. It’s quite clear to everyone now how he feels and what his intentions are. So, after our discussion on culture and understanding how it’s learned, I am trying to pin-point where my department stands.

Many things came to mind as I was reading the text and as we were talking during class. I remember when I first came to work here, the culture seemed much ingrained. Many of my co-workers have been in the same positions for 20+ years, so they have seen the School of Dentistry’s culture and climate change drastically. Each dean brings his own ideas on management and teaching practices, and this trickles down through the departments and clinics. The same principles apply to each department, and what each director brings to the table or has instilled in the faculty/staff/employees. It didn’t take me long to realize the culture of the school and the department, because the people I was surrounded by didn’t hide their thoughts and feelings towards the administration. I’m finally to the point, about 2 years later, where I am finally seeing the school through my own eyes and developing my own opinion. I’m also finally comfortable enough to talk about what changes I see that need to happen, and share what I am, and have been, pleased and disappointed with.

We talked about the culture being the memory of the organization. I also think that in a work setting like mine, the culture is also the memory of the department, which makes up the organization. My department has always done things a little differently than the rest of the school because we aren’t as focused on the clinical/teaching aspect. We solely do research, which either intimidates or confuses people. However, with the search for the new Director, everyone in the school seems to be invested in who this person will be and what he/she will be able to do for them. The rest of dental school is finally interested in our culture and climate change and what it will do for the organization. Are the faculty who have been around for 10, 15, 20+ years anxious about this new person, and how he/she will change the culture? It’s so different from the time I stepped foot into my position, where no one outside of my department seemed to care or invest interest in what went on, to now everyone wanting to know what’s going on, what will this person do, what will change?

I’ve walked through the school before and thought to myself, “if these walls could talk…” This makes me think about the memory of an organization – the memories and history of the dental school that make up the culture. Culture is a powerful word. Memory is a very powerful word, too. Understanding it completely seems impossible. I wonder if 20 years from now, if I walked back through the dental school and my department, would the values, beliefs, assumptions that make up the culture be the same?

Happy October! Now it finally feels like Fall and I couldn’t be happier. I’m excited about pumpkins, sweatshirts and dinners in the crock-pot! October signifies, to me, the middle of the semester, and I start to think a lot about where I stand.

I feel optimistic about our client for the consulting project. I also believe they have an issue within their organization that we can truly help them grasp and improve upon. One of my initial concerns was that I wouldn’t be able to help the client, or more-so that I didn’t have the consulting skills necessary to help them. Learning about process consultation has eased my worries. As I said in a post earlier, I think it will boil down to maintaining strong and open communication throughout the project. We, the consultants, will help the client walk through their concern and ultimately guide them in figuring out the issue for themselves. Sometimes, all we need is just another set of eyes and ears.

I’m looking forward to our contracting meeting. They want to meet us at a local coffee shop and I think that’s just great. I feel like we are starting out from the beginning on level that everyone is comfortable with. The step in the contracting meeting that I imagine will be hardest for me is wanting to offer solutions too quickly. I have had similar situations like this happen at work, and after the HRD overview class this summer, I realized I needed work on my coaching and mentoring. We learned that it’s important to be an active listener and be engaged in the conversation, but not to offer solutions too quickly, or at all. It’s important to let the client/mentee figure out the solution for themselves as it works best for them. Coaching and mentoring is perfectly okay, but try not to offer opinions or solutions right away. This is something I have to work on. I tend to insert my opinion quite frequently, and sometimes too quickly.

So, here I am, almost mid-semester and I’m feeling positive about where I stand. I’m excited and anxious to get this project rolling and learning as much as I can from a great organization!

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Credits: Google Images – countrypumpkins.net/