A THIRD-PARTY, OUTSIDE CONSULTANT HAS ENORMOUS VALUE IN THEIR
OBJECTIVITY AND IGNORANCE ABOUT THE EXISTING CULTURE. THEY CAN
WALK INTO AN ORGANIZATION AND ASK THE DUMB QUESTIONS NECESSARY
TO UNDERSTAND WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON.
ing fully transparent. Results also vary
depending on the employee’s state
of mind when taking the survey and
whether they bother to fill out comment
sections. Not to mention that questions
are usually on a 1-10 scale and don’t of-
fer much explanation for why employ-
ees rate as they did.
When seeking unfiltered feedback,
some leaders look to employee reviews
on Glassdoor or exit interviews con-
ducted by human resources, but in both
scenarios, it’s already too late.
A leader could also cultivate a cou-
rageous, trusted employee to share the
good, the bad and the ugly. That role
of consigliore is valuable, but usually
short-lived: The ability to keep the trust
of both the staff and the CEO is a bal-
ancing act not easily maintained. And a
leader shouldn’t put that burden on an
employee.
So, who has the necessary objectiv-
ity, expertise and time to deep-dive into
the depths of the organization to dis-
cover the weakest link in the chain of
command? How can a CEO figure that
out if no one really tells them the truth?
The answer: The CEO must ask for out-
side help.
CEOs often opt for a coach. While
coaches are great, their purpose is to
give the leader accountability toward
their own goals. Most leaders actually
need help in uncovering blind spots —
that’s what an organizational develop-
ment consultant specializes in. A third-
party, outside consultant has enormous
value in their objectivity and ignorance
about the existing culture. They can
walk into an organization and ask the
dumb questions necessary to under-
stand what’s really going on.
Organizational development con-
sultants are curious. They take the time
necessary to discover what’s working
and what’s not. They ask questions and
keep their sources confidential. They
synthesize themes and make recom-
mendations to leadership. They pro-
vide a voice on behalf of employees — a
voice that speaks the truth to top man-
agement without the repercussions.
As an organizational development
consultant, my first step is to ask the
key question: Are you, as the leader, fully
prepared for me to come back and tell
you that you are the problem? The last
step is to hold up a mirror to the orga-
nization and say: Here is what is really
going on.
Here’s why you need to hire an or-
ganizational development consultant
right now.
You will prevent small issues from
becoming large ones. Most people
reach out too late, when cultural issues
become so great they can no longer be
denied — and then they become much
harder to address.
You will learn something beyond
what is going wrong. You will gain
outlying insights into the state of your
business. You may be presented with
fresh ideas on how to solve current
problems. You might see existing is-
sues from a new perspective that allow
for greater clarity about options mov-
ing forward. You’ll be able to make bet-
ter decisions because you’ll have a more
complete picture.
You will build morale. Your team
members want to know that you trust
their ideas, and showing you value
their input is an important step toward
building employee engagement. The
key to success, however, is to act on
their input. You don’t have to take their
advice, but you do need to listen.
Still skeptical that you need outside
help? Well, then ask yourself: How else
are you going to figure out what you
don’t know? n
Dr. Jessica Kriegel is an organizational
development consultant and an expert
on generational issues. For more, visit
www.jessicakriegel.com.
What should leaders look for
when vetting a corporate coach?
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