Organizational Design
Too often, the structure that got you to where you are now isn’t the right one for where you want to go. Appropriate layering, responsibilities, reporting relationships, and ‘agile’ organizational structures can help you achieve more with the same resources.
We could talk here about Stratified Systems Theory, Socio-Technical Systems, various schools of diagnostic and dialogic organizational development, spans of control, and a whole lot of other stuff – but suffice it to say that we can analyze your organization starting with strategic purpose and working our way through to determine an optimal approach for getting things done through organizational designs that empower people, release creativity and innovation, and result in improved performance.
Human Capital Strategy Development
Think of your organizational performance as the intersection of three interconnected circles:
- Achieving Tasks
- Building (and maintaining) Team(s), and
- Developing Individuals
Most approaches to improvement are aimed at processes and tasks – the top circle. This isn’t enough. A focus on the bottom two circles is essential to creating the conditions that allow tasks (i.e., the business of the organization) to be achieved optimally. Organizations that don’t spend enough effort on the critical people-focused foundation ultimately struggle with the main task of creating value for customers..
Competency Profiling
You can’t effectively develop people until you know what competencies are required.
Defining competency frameworks is an evolving field that has gained greater prominence over the last 20 or so years. Most work in this field, as well as the techniques used (DACUM, functional analysis, etc), have focused on vocational education and training, and defining competencies for task-based technical occupations – and they’ve been very successful in that realm. Knowledge work requires a different approach; when the work involves solving problems, many of which have never been encountered before, defining competency is more difficult, but being competent is all the more critical. Your organization can’t afford to develop competency frameworks that aren’t fit for purpose, and can’t be used to develop people in ways that drive higher organizational performance.
Rapid Skilling
Training can be expensive. And you can’t afford to send people off-site for generic training that doesn’t solve problems. But you still need trained people. Fast.
The Training Within Industry approach was developed during the Second World War to bootstrap a non-traditional workforce literally from scratch. And it worked. TWI is now recognized as being in the DNA of the Toyota Production System and lean enterprise practices and their associated drive to exceptional quality, high productivity, and continuous improvement.
We’re actively applying these time-tested approaches to the current need to upskill and reskill, and the results are impressive.
Apprenticeship/OJT/Mentoring Program Development
Apprenticeship is usually associated with hands-on, blue-collar occupations, and it’s very effective in that environment. But apprenticeship methods can be used for almost any occupation, and when applied correctly they result in very rapid skills development, increased employee engagement, and greatly reduced costs.
Employee onboarding, shadowing and mentoring programs, and skills upgrading can all be improved by the application of appropriate “apprenticeship” techniques. The result is faster learning, better employee engagement and higher performance.
We can help you determine how to apply these proven principles throughout your organization, to create a cost-effective learning culture that drives bottom-line improvement almost immediately.
Leadership Development
Let’s face it: in any organization, all the plans and directives in the world are useless if front line execution is weak. Leaders – especially first level supervisors and managers – are the key to translating policies and directives into bottom line results.
Despite this, very few front-line leaders are adequately prepared for the challenges of their role. Most first-level supervisors are promoted ‘from the ranks’, selected for their technical abilities. Suddenly, and without proper training, they are expected to be leaders, coaches, mentors and managers, and the success of your organization depends on their ability to get the job done.
We can train your leaders quickly and effectively, and drive improvement in key operating metrics by employing proven scientific principles for leader development.
WFSI Managed Services (WFSI-MS)
WFSI-MS is a division of our management consultancy that applies our 20+ years of legacy expertise in managing and executing strategic competency projects on behalf of your organization. We can custom tailor a solution that blends “Do-it-Yourself” (DIY) and “Done-for-You” (DFY) elements to ensure your competency journey runs smoothly and efficiently, including dedicated project management, competency mapping, assessment and overall competency system management.