Skills

Our core competence: seeing the whole picture

The claim for seeing the whole picture – who wouldn't have it. The difference is made by the degree of attention and implementation of this knowledge.

Problems are part of a bigger picture. Whoever solves a problem without considering its background will only create new ones.
But: Many a company is not a unity, but an omnium-gatherum of parts. In it, many things are counter-acting instead of interacting. Do your parts block or support the success of the whole? An enterprise succeeds if the inertia of the whole does not obstruct its parts in their mobility – and if the parts do not flex their muscles. Both can be influenced.

The effectiveness of any intervention depends on a well-matched combination of conditions securing a positive response.

Wherever we start from – we are also thinking the other dimensions:

Human resources development – and what is the organisation’s benefit?
or:
Organisational development – without the human factor?

Much too often we are still perceiving HRD and OD as being "either or" options today:
Human resources development deals with human beings. Full-stop. Judging by the name.
Organisational development deals with the organisation. Full-stop. Judging by the name.
The first event (HRD) has solved its well-known transfer problems after a fashion – with imaginative methodical props of any kind, anything that is possible in this context is done.
In der Organisationsentwicklung geht es um die Organisation. Punkt. Wie der Name schon sagt.

The second event (OD) all too often remains effete as the "human factor" – quoted often enough – is marginalised: People are to "implement" what has been decided. Their local knowledge, their ideas, their doubts, their interests are left out and thus also their identification, their motivation, their commitment, even their passion.
It fits the picture that two thirds of all big change projects fail – judged by the expectations: because of attitude and behaviour of those involved – or should we say: uninvolved?

Grafik 2: Reconciling the different focuses of HRD and OD on people and organisation (I) (starting scenario)

For years we have been trying hard to combine the relation to people and organisation by a corresponding architecture and design of "Measures to reconcile the different focuses of HRD and OD", be it that we change well-known development approaches accordingly, be it that we develop new concepts.

And this means combining them right from the start, immediately, not afterwards and after a fashion, by communication and motivation events on change projects, by methodic tricks meant to promote the transfer of training contents – with uncertain outcome.

We’re doing this with some success:
Organisational changes are accepted – and supported.
Personal development is used – and is demonstrated in increased performance.

Grafik 3: Reconciling the different focuses of HRD and OD on people and organisation (II) (target scenario)

Let’s talk about it!