Collaborative Consulting for Performance, Change and Learning

Much of the content of this topic came from this book:

• © Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC.

Recommended Pre-Reading

All About Internal and External Consulting – Types, Skills and Approaches

Sections in this Topic

• Description
  
• What is Collaborative Consulting?
  
• Dynamics of the Collaborative Consulting
  
• Major Benefits of Collaborative Consulting
  
• How Much Should Your Clients Be Involved in Collaborative Consulting?
  
• Responsibilities in Collaborative Consulting
  
• Nature of the Collaborative Consulting Cycle
  
• Phases in the Collaborative Consulting Cycle

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Description

The Library’s topic All About Internal and External Consulting is a broad overview of the field of consulting. This topic builds on that foundation by explaining one particular style of consulting, collaborative consulting.

Collaborative consulting is not a discovery, development or trademarked service of this author. The general concept has been around in one form or another for several decades, ranging from Carl Rogers’ collaborative approach to psychotherapy to full explanations in Peter Block’s seminal book on consulting, Flawless Consulting.

This topic gives the reader the basic guidelines and resources to begin understanding the process. However, to master the process, the reader should practice applying the guidelines, ideally under the guidance of an already highly experienced consultant.

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What is Collaborative Consulting?

Problems With Expert-Based Approaches to Consulting

See a video about the collaborative approach to consulting, including description, benefits, cycles, shared and individual responsibilities, and collaborating with busy clients. From the Consultants Development Institute.

A traditional view of consultants is that they are experts who largely work alone in their client’s organizations. They do some very complex analysis, generate highly technical recommendations and then bestow them upon clients — for the clients to implement later on, somehow.

However, research shows that traditional approach rarely works when the consultant is trying to help the client to accomplish significant change in the organization, whether to solve a complex problem or achieve a significant goal. The consultant’s recommendations are rarely implemented, either because they are completely unrealistic, the client is not confident to implement them or they don’t match the culture of the client’s organization. See:

• 10 Myths of Management and Organizational Consulting Part 1
• 10 Myths of Management and Organizational Consulting Part 2

Collaborative Approach Ensures Recommendations Are Implemented

As important as the accuracy of the recommendations is the client’s commitment to actually implementing them. Research shows that kind of commitment comes from their truly understanding the recommendations and believing in them. In turn, that comes from their collaborating with the consultant as much as possible in order to analyze their own situation and what to actually do about it. Overall, that collaborative approach is much more likely to produce the kind of support, momentum and learning that are necessary for successful organizational change.

In additional to organizational consultants, the highly collaborative approach applies to technical consultants, too, especially if the focus of the project is on a complex technical system, where the consultant needs to ensure that the system is adaptable to the client’s organizational culture. Many other helping professions, for example, therapy, social work and education, have also realized the critical role of working in collaboration with others.

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Dynamics of the Collaborative Consulting Cycle

Background

Community organizers have long used the philosophy that people who were being served also had to be involved in the effort. For Example, Myles Horton, founder of the Highlander Folk School, used that philosophy to help desegregate schools in the south. Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks both got trained there. Paulo Freire, an adult educator who has been credited with educating more people than anyone else in the world, used the philosophy.

Psychologist, Carl Rogers, suggested a highly collaborative approach in his person-centered psychology. Educator and Organization Development researcher, Edgar Schein, described what could be a collaborative consulting philosophy in his writings about process consultation. Organization Development practitioner and writer, Peter Block, wrote extensively about collaborative consulting in his book, Flawless Consulting. Today, collaborative consulting has become a major movement in various fields of human and Organization Development.

Cycle of Learning in Collaborative Consulting

As explained, very few complex problems are solved merely from the advice of an expert consultant. Instead, they are solved from a cycle of continuous learning between the consultant and client. There are various phases in that cycle of learning.

1. If the consultant acts authentically with the client, including being respectfully open, honest and engaging, then the client is much more willing to form a working relationship with the consultant.
2. If the client trusts the consultant, then he’s much more likely to seriously consider her expertise and methods in consulting. He is also more likely to seriously consider her coaching in the form of thoughtful questions — questions which can cultivate deep reflection and learning for the client and consultant.
3. As a result, the client gains much more understanding and learning about his situation and his organization. He also can more readily explain the situation to other key players in the organization – to those people whose understanding and commitment he will soon need.
4. Because of the client’s enhanced understanding and learning, he is more committed to taking actions to solve the problem, and to share the results and learning with the consultant.
5. Then, both consultant and client assess whether there was progress in the project, for example, whether a specific milestone was achieved or the overall problem was solved.

Steps 1 through 5 might be repeated until the client agrees that the overall problem is solved.

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Major Benefits of Collaborative Consulting

Consultants in organizational change efforts must be able to work comfortably in collaboration with their clients. Often, that starts by explaining collaborative consulting to the client, including why the process is so useful. The following list outlines some of the major benefits of working in a collaborative approach.

1. It ensures that consultants work according to the standard goals of professional consultants. According to Block, the primary goals for any effective consultant are to work collaboratively with clients to ensure their current problems are understood, realistic options are identified, the problems are solved — and the clients can solve those problems themselves in the future. A primary working assumption includes that, for projects to be successful, clients must freely provide accurate information and maintain internal commitment to the project. That comes from their collaboration with the client.
2. It provides powerful means to identifying the real causes of the client’s problem. Organizations, like people, rarely struggle because of a missing piece of information. Rather, they struggle because they cannot see the situation any differently, they have conflicting feelings about it, or they are afraid to take any actions to address it. Therefore, consultants and clients need to work together to share their own perceptions about the problem. They need to have ongoing discussions about what to do about it and then come to suitable conclusions about what to do to solve it. The client needs to assign realistic accountabilities to take the necessary actions to solve it.
3. It ensures that plans remain relevant, realistic and flexible during change. Plans are rarely implemented exactly as planned. Instead, changes inside and outside of the organization frequently cause the plans to be modified. Without the ongoing participation of clients in making realistic changes to the plans, it is not likely that the plans will remain relevant and realistic.
4. It ensures the most long-lasting solutions to the client’s problems. Long-lasting solutions to complex problems involve necessary changes to the structures and systems in the client’s organization, not just in inspiring and motivating its people. Changes are not incorporated without the strong, ongoing ownership, commitment and participation of clients. That commitment requires their ongoing trust — the trust that comes from their continual collaboration with the consultant during the project.
5. It ensures continuous learning and improvements in consulting projects. Adults learn by applying new information to current and real-world situations, reflecting on the results of those applications and exchanging ongoing feedback with others about their new learning. Projects provide a clinic for learning when the consultant and client collaborate together in the consulting project.

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How Much Should Client Be Involved in Collaborative Consulting?

They Should Be Involved in at Least Half of It

Prominent psychologist, Carl Rogers, asserted that you cannot teach anyone anything. People can only learn when they are ready and willing to learn. That is in accordance with Block’s assertion that effective implementation requires the internal commitment of clients.

Block asserts that the consultant should not be contributing more than 50% of the effort in a consulting project. The client should be doing the rest. The consultant should never be doing what the client could do in a project. This is especially true for external consultants. Internal consultants might do more than 50% of the work. However, they still should strive to have clients do most of the work if those clients are to learn to solve their problems for themselves.

Others might believe that the amount of work each party contributes depends on the nature of the services in the consulting project. For example, a technical consultant installing a computer system might do most of the work. However, even in those projects, the client needs to learn the system and how to use it to its full advantage. That will happen if the client is actively involved with the consultant in customizing the right methods of training, practicing how to use the system and in sharing feedback with others about their experiences.

Can Be a Challenge for New Consultants

A challenge, particularly for new consultants, is to actually cultivate a collaborative relationship with clients. They might feel they need to impress and satisfy the client by doing all the work themselves. Or, they might fall victim to the myth that they can somehow descend into an organization and “fix” it without the client ever having to participate. The irony of this situation is that when the consultant follows that approach, the client often reacts positively at first.

However, soon after the consultant leaves, the client realizes that the recommendations were not fully understood — not enough to actually begin implementing them. Also, others in the organization are confused about what to do with the recommendations because little or no learning occurred about them. In effect, the client is in a situation that is worse now than before. So, the consultant’s report sits unread, collecting dust on the client’s shelf. Perhaps worst of all, members of the organization lose faith in the value of ever bringing in a consultant again.

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Responsibilities in Collaborative Consulting

Shared Responsibilities

Again, we turn to Peter Block to articulate the shared responsibilities in a collaborative consulting process. These apply for internal or external consultants.

The success of the project is an achievement by both consultant and client. It is not the result of an all-knowing consultant who somehow swooped in and “saved” the organization. Success is really from a continued collaborative approach between the consultant and client to solving the client’s problem.

Decision making comes from the consultant and client engaging in shared discussions, negotiations and agreements. There is a mutual desire to come to consensus, based on the belief that the consultant and client both benefit from each other’s knowledge and wisdom.

The consultant and client share in the discovery, or diagnosis, of the problem, including its causes and the plan to solve it. Only the client can implement the plan, but both can monitor its implementation. If implementation is behind schedule, then both can discuss whether to try get more resources, extend deadlines or reduce expectations in the project.

In a collaborative consultation, both are responsible to identify new learning, that is, new knowledge, skills and abilities gained in the project, as well as new ways of looking at things and making assumptions about them. Learning comes from continued reflection on their mutual dialogue and on the rich experiences in the project.

Consultant’s Responsibilities

• The consultant brings her unique expertise – in particular, in the area of her practice and also in the consulting process itself.
• She uses her skills in coaching to help sustain momentum and learning for individuals and teams in her client’s organization.
• She uses her skills in facilitation to help teams in her client’s organization to become more clear on current priorities and what to do about them.
• She might also use her skills in training to impart certain special knowledge so her client can do a current task or job even better.
• Most consultants have amassed many useful materials and tools to share, so that can be her role, too.
• A primary responsibility throughout the project for her is to help her client to learn.

Client’s Responsibilities

• Regarding the client, he shares information about his organization, including the problems that he wants her to help solve.
• He considers her help in the form of expertise, coaching, facilitation, training and materials.
• He decides what to do with that help, including whether to take actions and if not, to explain why.
• He implements the actions that he agreed to, including to lead implementation of plans in his organization.
• He regularly shares status with her, so both can discuss and decide what should be done.
• Similar to her, he has a responsibility to learn throughout the project – to reflect on his experiences and his working relationship with her.

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Nature of the Collaborative Consulting Cycle

The organizational change process is often like that of a wide-ranging and wandering journey between the consultant and client. Accordingly, the phases in the collaborating consulting process are much like a highly engaging and constructive conversation. The various phases provide a common frame of reference during that conversation.

The phases are often cyclical and highly integrated in nature. For example, it is not uncommon to return to an earlier phase because some major aspect of the client’s organization has changed, such as a key leader leaving or a new issue arising in the organization.

There often is no clear-cut distinction between the various phases. The order in which the consultant and client proceed through them and the amount of time that they spend in each depends on a variety of factors, including:

• The consultant’s preferred approach to consulting. See How Consultants Customize Their Approaches.
• The nature of the issues to be addressed by the project, including its focus and the extent of change needed to address the issues.
• Any particular change model that the consultant and client might be using to accomplish organizational change, for example, action research or strategic management.
• The expertise of the consultant while working with the client to proceed through the phases.
• Whether the consultant is working for a service provider who has certain policies and procedures for conducting their consulting projects.
• Whether the consultant is a specialist who focuses primarily on certain functions (Boards, marketing, staffing, etc.) or a generalist focusing on multiple functions.
• Whether the consultant is contracting to provide recommendations only or to guide the client to actually implement the recommendations.
• The amount of resistance from the clients and also from the consultants themselves during significant changes in the project.
• The client’s available resources to commit to the project.

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Phases in the Collaborative Consulting Cycle

Various books on consulting usually suggest similar designs, ranging from five to eight phases in the overall consulting process. Authors might use different names and emphasize different terms, but the approaches they suggest are usually somewhat similar. After all, their approaches are often based on the same action research model developed by Kurt Lewin, the founder of social psychology, about 50 years ago.

1. Contracting and Engagement Phase

This phase is also sometimes called the Start-up, Entry or Agreement phase. Although some practitioners distinguish the Start-up phase as being especially about the consultant and client learning about each other and considering whether to connect with each other. They might see the Start-up as being when the consultant and client actually meet together and come to agreement about the project.

This phase is usually the first time that the consultant and client meet. The overall goal of this phase is for both to understand each other’s nature and needs, the intended outcomes from the project and how they prefer to work together. They also begin exploring the presenting priority in the client’s organization, assess the readiness of the client to begin a consulting project, decide if there is a suitable match between them, and then identify next steps, including if and how an agreement can be established.
Guidelines and Resources for Contracting Phase of Consulting

2. Discovery Phase

This phase is sometimes called the Diagnostic Phase. The nature of discovery depends on the philosophy of the consultant and client. Some prefer a rather orderly sequence of phases, while others prefer a more emergent approach.

During this phase, the consultant and client work together in a highly collaborative fashion to further examine the presenting priority, its context and causes, and what can be done to effectively address the priority. Discovery involves carefully collecting information about the priority, how it has been managed and its effect on the rest of the organization. During this phase, the consultant and client might review documentation, administer questionnaires and conduct interviews, to get information about the priority. The consultant will use principles of systems thinking and organizational change to identify issues and generate recommendations to address the issues. Then the consultant and client will share with the rest of the organization the results of the discovery, including issues that the discovery found and the recommendations to address those issues.
Guidelines and Resources for Discovery Phase of Consulting

3. Action Planning, Alignment and Integration

As with the discovery phase of consulting, the nature of the action planning depends on the philosophy of the consultant and client. Some prefer a rather orderly sequence of phases, while others prefer a more emergent approach.

By now, the consultant and client will have a fairly clear impression of what the issues are and the specific actions needed to address them. Now both work together to develop those actions into action plans, identifying who will do what and by when. They will ensure that those action plans are relevant, realistic and flexible and that they are fully integrated with each other. Next, they will integrate the action plans into an overall Implementation Plan that will include plans for evaluation and learning, recognition and communications.
Guidelines and Resources for Action Planning Phase of Consulting

4. Implementation and Change Management

As with the contracting and discovery phases of consulting, the nature of this implementation phase depends on the philosophy of the consultant and client. Again, some prefer a rather orderly sequence of phases, while others prefer a more emergent approach.

During this phase, the consultant will guide and support the client in implementing the Implementation Plan, including its various related plans. The focus of their efforts will be on guiding the implementation according to principles of successful organizational change. The consultant will help the client sustain motivation and momentum throughout the implementation. The consultant will inform the client about a  variety of tools to track the status of implementation, as well. During this phase, the consultant and client will continually be evaluating the quality of the change effort and making adjustments as necessary.
Guidelines and Resources for Implementation Phase of Consulting

Also see
Improving Organizations: Guidelines, Methods and Resources for Organizational Change Agents

5. Project Evaluation and Learning

This phase is sometimes referred to as the Evaluation and Adoption Phase, although some practitioners separate the Adoption phase and consider it to be focused especially on ensuring the client has adopted the new practices needed to solve the client’s problem — and also has learned how to solve similar problems into the future.

This phase is marked by having successfully addressed the presenting priority in the client’s organization, as well as having addressed any issues found during the activities of discovery. The consultant and client will conduct an evaluation to verify that those accomplishments indeed were achieved. The client will have learned a great deal during the project, including how to successfully manage change efforts in their organization.
Guidelines and Resources for Project Evaluation Phase of Consulting

6. Project Termination and Closure

This phase is sometimes referred to as the Separation Phase. The consultant and client will reflect on what both have achieved. They will develop a project termination plan that will address how to begin moving out of the project, ethically and administratively. Both will further attend to the results of the evaluation and will clean up any loose ends in the project. They might discuss any future engagements, as well.
Guidelines and Resources for Termination Phase of Consulting

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Also See These Closely Related Topics

• Overview of the Field of Organization Development
  
• Guidelines, Methods and Resources for Organizational Change Agents
• Competencies and Resources for Organizational Change Agents

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Additional Library Resources in the Category of Organizational
Change and Development

• Related Library Topics
• Recommended Books

Technical
and Interpersonal Skills Aren’t Enough for Consulting

How
Disconnected Conversations Can Hurt Your Consulting

Challenges
in Consulting to Small Organizations (Part 3 of 3)

Challenges
in Consulting to Small Organizations (Part 2 of 3)

Challenges
in Consulting to Small Organizations (Part 1 of 3)

How
to get your clients to participate in their consulting projects (Part 3 of 3)

How
to get your clients to participate in their consulting projects (Part 2 of 3)

How
to Get Your Clients to Participate in Their Consulting Projects (Part 1 of 3)

What
really motivates you as a consultant? What really motivates your clients?

Checklist
to Terminate a Consulting Project

Why
I’m Cynical about the Consulting Profession

Foundations
of Consulting — Part 5: Internal and External Consultants

Foundations
of Consulting — Part 2: How Do Consultants Work?

Foundations
of Consulting — Part 1: What Do Consultants Do?

Foundations
of Consulting — Part 6: Good Reasons to Hire Consultants and Poor Reasons
to Hire Consultants

Training
Versus Consulting – a Story

Gaining
Clarity in What You Care About Most Deeply in Your OD Work

Differences
in How Change in Practiced in East Compared to West

(Do history’s of OD from OD topic?)

Why
Should Practitioners Know Their Paradigms, Theories and Models?

Consultant
— What’s Your Natural Approach to Gathering and Processing Information?

Consultant
— What’s Your Natural Approach to Problem Solving?

Quick
Tips for Consulting to Small Organizations

As
a Consultant, Know When You’re Giving Away Too Much

Challenging
Our Own Mental Models Our Growth as Consultants (Part 3 of 3)

Challenging
Our Own Mental Models and Our Growth as Consultants (Part 2 of 3)

Challenging
Our Own Mental Models and Our Growth as Consultants (Part 1 of 3)

A
First Set of Questions to Ask Your Potential Client

Links
to Build a Consulting Practice

Organizational
Character and Leadership Development

How
Much Should the Client Be Involved in Consulting Projects?

Foundations
of Consulting — Part 4: Types of Consultants

Basic
Principles of Organizational Design (Part 2 of 2)

Basic
Principles of Organizational Design (Part 1 of 2)

Managing
Boundaries in Systems

Systems
View: A Social-Technical Perspective

Systems
Thinking- What’s That?

Working
on Ourselves, as Consultants

7
Options for “Success” in Consulting Projects

Types
of Changes

Time
to Think About the Gurus in Your Field?

A
Definition and Implementation of Organizational Change

Are
You Doing OD? Training? Consulting? Coaching? All of These?

Designing
and Building Real-Time Learning Systems

From
Vertical to Horizontal

Use
Grand Visions and Strategic Visions for Change

Be
Careful About Proclaiming “Failed Management Movements”!

What’s
a “Mature” Organization?

Foundations
of Consulting — Part 3: Primary Working Goals and Assumptions of Consultants

As
a Consultant, What’s Your Blindside?

How
to Avoid Confusion in Conversations About Learning and Development

How
to Manage Overwhelm by Setting Boundaries

Self
Coaching: ‘3 Minute Action Learning Time Out’

How to Set Clear Agreements

Some
Pitfalls for Action Learning Facilitators — and How to Avoid Them

Take
the “Coach Approach” to Motivate Your Team

When
Do You “Tell the Truth” During Coaching?

How to Avoid “Toxic”
Coaching

Basic
Guidelines to Reframing — to Seeing Things Differently

Useful
Communications Skills — How to Paraphrase and Summarize

Basic
Modes and Formats of Coaching

Practice
of Asking Open and Honest Questions (Part 2 of 2)

Practice
of Asking Open & Honest Questions (Part 1 of 2)

Example
of a Coaching Conversation

Basic
Guidelines for Evaluating Action Learning and Coaching Groups

What
Everyone Should Know About Decision Making

Coaching Tip – 5 Musts for “Managing Up”

Guidelines and Resources for Action Planning Phase of Consulting

Much of the content of this topic came from this book:

• © Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC.

Sections in this Topic Include:

• Description
  
• Goals for This Action Planning Phase
  
• Translate Selected Recommendations Into Vision and Goals
  
• Select Best Approaches to Implement Recommendations
  
• Develop Action Plans to Implement Recommendations
  
  • Integrate and Align All Action Plans
  • Develop Communications Plan
    
  • Develop Learning Plan
    
  • Develop Evaluation Plan
    
  • Integrate Plans Into Overall Implementation Plan
    
• Some Useful Resources and Skills for This Phase
  
• Also See These Closely Related Topics

Strongly Recommended Pre-Reading

• All About Consulting – Types, Skills and Approaches
  
• Collaborative Consulting for Performance, Change and Learning
  
• Guidelines and Resources for Contracting Phase of Consulting
  
• Guidelines and Resources for Discovery Phase of Consulting

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Description

Different Approaches to This Phase

Similar to the discovery phase, there can be very different approaches and styles in going through this action planning phase, ranging from a carefully specified and sequential set of activities to an unfolding and nonsequential dialogue with clients. (See the very Different Approaches in Consulting and How Consultants Customize Their Approaches.) For the sake of being highly informative with clear and well organized information in this topic, it will explain a rather orderly, but highly collaborative approach to action planning that is especially useful when working to address recurring, complex issues in organizations.

Overview of This Phase

In the previous discovery phase, you and your client conducted realistic research, discovered various priorities that needed attention, generated recommendations to address those priorities, and shared your information with others in the organization, for example, in a feedback meeting. Near the end of that meeting, your client selected which recommendations they are committed to implementing.

This phase is focused on further specifying each of those selected recommendations, along with developing them into various action plans. Thus, the action planning is somewhat of a continuation of the activities near the end of the earlier discovery phase.

They provide the “roadmap” for managing the transition from the present state to the desired future state. Development of the various action plans is often an enlightening experience for your client because members of their organization begin to realize a more systematic and accountable approach to their planning and day-to-day activities.

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Goals for This Action Planning Phase

See a video about the action planning phase, including criteria and formats for useful action plans, performance indicators, integrating and aligning, reality checking and writing a change management plan. From the Consultants Development Institute.

1. Develop complete action plans for each recommendation that was selected during the discovery phase. Action plans include objectives, responsibilities, timelines and how the achievement of objectives will be monitored.
2. Align and integrate the action plans with each other to ensure complete effectiveness and efficiency of all action plans throughout the system of the organization.
3. Ensure action plans are relevant, realistic and flexible so they remain credible and they retain the commitment and participation of all members of the organization.
4. Combine action plans into an overall Implementation Plan that includes the integrated action plans, as well as associated plans, including those for communicating the Plan and for evaluating the project activities and its results.
5. Integrate and communicate the contents of the Implementation Plan throughout the organization to ensure its implementation.

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Translate Selected Recommendations into Vision and Goals

Develop Vision for Change Now?

Some people prefer to focus their overall project activities on a broad, compelling vision. Many times, that vision for change becomes the same as, or replaces, the overall organizational vision that was developed during strategic planning. The vision for change can be a powerful means to sustain the type of motivation and momentum critical for successful change. The activities of developing that vision can be exciting, as well.

However, be careful. Expending too much energy on first developing an exciting vision sometimes leaves planners too tired to attend to the important task of developing and refining action plans. If you do decide to include a vision for change, you can carefully develop that vision now, or you might wait until after you have developed all of your action plans and then realistically develop your vision based on the expected outcomes from having implemented those action plans.

• Developing a Vision Statement
  
• Use Grand Vision and Strategic Vision

Translate Recommendations Into Goals

It is very useful now to review each of the selected recommendations from the discovery phase and re-word them into goals. That makes it much easier to articulate specific action plans associated with each goal.

For example, a recommendation to “Implement best practices in the product development team’s activities” could become the goal “Product development team passes the Ideal Standards Test by January 2019”. Then develop the necessary action plan(s) to achieve that goal.

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Select Best Approaches to Implement Recommendations

There are a wide variety of approaches to improve organizations. Many of them are common practices in governance, leadership and management, for example, Board development, leadership development, strategic planning and team building. The recommendations from the discovery phase might have already included some suggested approaches.

The approaches are often referred to as interventions, a term from the field of Organization Development. Read the section How to Choose Which Strategies (Interventions) to Use for Change to select the most likely intervention for now. That section includes complete guidelines for carefully selecting the best intervention for now.

Consider:

• Some Types of Capacity Building in For-Profit Organizations (and how clients choose them)
• Some Types of Capacity Building in Nonprofit Organizations (and how clients choose them)

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Develop Action Plans to Implement Recommendations

Sources of Suggested Actions

The interventions that you selected very often specifies the types of actions that you need to take in order to implement each intervention. For example, team building often specifies that a high-quality team has a clear purpose, leadership role in the team, means to communicate with upper management, a sufficient budget, means for making decisions and solving problems, and administrative support. Each of those would need an action plan associated with it.

The organizational diagnostic model that you chose during the discovery phase often has a list of best practices or standards of excellence. Those practices and standards suggests action to take in their list.

Components of Good Action Plans

It is extremely important that all of the people who will be responsible for implementing the action plans are also involved in developing them. The best action plan specifies:

1. What must be accomplished (what many people call “objectives”) to achieve each goal. In our example above, the goal was “Product development team passes the Ideal Standards Test by January 2019”.
2. Who is responsible for achieving each objective.
3. The timing to start and finish each objective.
4. What resources might be required.
5. How the action plan will be monitored.

Also consider:

• 58 Free Action Plan Templates & Samples
  
• Action Planning and Operational Planning (in strategic planning, but it applies here, too)
  
• How to Do to Planning

Integrate and Align All Action Plans

After all action plans are developed, they should be integrated so that none of them adversely affects or overlaps a great deal with any others. It can be very useful to combine them into one grand timeline and then consider the overlapping times to start and stop them. After they are integrated, do a reality check
by reviewing any overlaps and the resources required to implement each action plan.

Then prioritize the plans according to those that will 1) produce the quickest successes (this is very powerful for ensuring credibility and motivation to implement the plans), 2) those that will make the most impact on the goal, and 3) those that can be done much later in the project.
Action Plans – Alignment, Integration and Reality Check

Develop Communications Plan

One of the most important ingredients for successful change is continued communications among stakeholders (those with a stake in the change) to solicit their input to the plans for change and to share status of the implementation.

• Basics in Internal Organizational Communications
  
• Communicating Planning Objectives

Develop Learning Plan

A professional consultant, whether internal or external, should ensure that the client has the ability to solve similar problems in the future. That can come from continual collaboration and reflection with the client during the project. It can come from continually asking, “What are we learning?”.

Complete Guidelines to Design Your Training Plan (to capture the learnings during the project)

Develop Evaluation Plan

Evaluation should occur during the entire project and be about the quality of the project’s activities as they are underway and also about the final results of the project at its completion. The evaluation plan is very similar to the research plan used during the discovery phase, including to specify the research question, what information is needed to answer it, how the data will be collect and when. The following link refers to developing a program evaluation plan, but is just as applicable to developing a project evaluation plan.

Basic Guide to Program Evaluation (is also relevant to projects — use to develop evaluation plans)

Integrate Plans Into Overall Implementation Plan

That Plan will be very useful during the upcoming implementation phase. The Plan should specify

1. Focus of the change effort
2. Its purpose (the problem it is solving)
3. Management’s explicit support of the change effort
4. Recommendations that it is implements
5. Action plans and the recommendation(s) that each implements
6. Grand timeline for implementation and
7. How status will be communicated
8. Appendix – that contains criteria for successful change

Management should sign the Plan to indicate its support and oversight of the Plan.

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Some Useful Resources and Skills for This Phase

General Resources

• Basic Guidelines to Successful Planning
• Visioning (in context of strategic planning, but applies to change management, too)
• Setting Goals
• Action Planning
• Project Management (often includes methods to select the best actions)

Also See These Closely Related Topics

• Guidelines and Resources for Implementation Phase of Consulting
  
• Guidelines and Resources for Project Evaluation Phase of Consulting
  
• Guidelines and Resources for Termination Phase of Consulting
• Overview of the Field of Organization Development
  
• Guidelines, Methods and Resources for Organizational Change Agents
  
• Competencies and Resources for Organizational Change Agents

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Additional Library Resources in the Category of Organizational
Change and Development

• Related Library Topics
• Recommended Books

World Wide Web: Building, Managing and Promoting Your Site

Assembled by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD

(The library includes a related, comprehensive set of subtopics in All About Computers, Internet & Web.)

Suggested Previous Reading

If you don’t know anything about computers or the Internet, it may benefit you to review the following sections before reading more about the Web.

• Planning and Buying a Small Computer System (including information for nonprofits)
• Software for Small Computer Systems (including general and nonprofit-specific information)
• Learning About Small Computer Systems
• Basic, Technical Support and Maintenance of Small Computer Systems
• Computer and Network Security
• Getting Connected to the Internet
• Internet (including information for nonprofits, free ISPS, etc.)
• Intranets (Computer Networks Internal to the Organization)

Sections of This Topic Include

• Basics About the Web
• How to Build a Website: A Step by Step Guide – Sumac
• About Browsers
• Naming Your Website
• Designing and Evaluating a Website
• Designing Your Website for Any Browser
• Designing Website for Accessibility to Readers With Disabilities
• If You Hire Someone to Design Your Website
• Promoting Your Website (including using counters)
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Using Search Engines
• Nonprofits (additional information for)
• General Resources

Also consider
Related Library Topics

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Basics About the Web

• The World Wide Web for the Clueless
• World Wide Web Frequently Asked Questions

About Browsers

• Web Browsers
• Web Browser Types
• Browser Basics

Naming Your Website

• Top 10 Mistakes Made When Choosing a Domain Name
• How to Name a Website
• Naming Your Site: No, “Bob” Isn’t a Good Name
• Small Business Domain Name

also see “Naming Your Organization, Product or Service”

Designing and Evaluating a Website

• Website Usability
• Style Guide for Web Design
• Yale Style Guide
• Information Architecture and Corporate Strategy: The Tail Wags the Dog
• Site for site builders
• Web Developers Virtual Library
• The W3C Markup Validation Service
• How to Design a Great “About Us” Page on Your Website
• How to Design a Great Press Page for Your Website

Designing Your Website for Any Browser

• Designing a Website for Any Browser
• Viewable With Any Browser: Accessible Site Design Guide
• How to Make Websites Browser Compatible
• Designing Your Website for Browser and Platform Compatibility
• Browser Shots – Cross Platform Browser Test

Designing Website for Accessibility for Readers with Disabilities

• W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
• W3C Accessibility Initiative
• Evaluating Web Sites for Accessibility: Overview

If You Have Someone Design Your Website

• Evaluate these five elements before hiring a Web designer
• How to Hire a Web Designer

Also consider

How to Successfully Hire and Work With an Excellent Consultant

Promoting a Website

• Promoting Your Site.com -Free information and resources to help you promote your site!
• Search engine watch
• Less Obvious Ways of Promoting Your Website
• A Selling Revolution: The Role of Salespeople in Web Marketing (Part 2)
• Study: Users Ignore Search Ads
• Back Links

Installing a Counter of the Number of Hits to Your Site

• Free Website Counter
• Creating a Counter (and links to free counters)
• The difference between a Hit, Page, and Web Counter

Also consider

• E-Commerce (doing business on the Internet / Web)
• Advertising and Promotion
• Marketing
• Selling Online
• Telecommunications Laws

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Recommended Articles

• Beginner’s Guide to SEO
• Search Engine Optimization: SEO Tips for Small Business
• What You Need to Know: Before Hiring a SEO Agency

Additional Articles

• Search Engine Optimization
• The Simple SEO Guide for the Small Web Business
• 21 Essential SEO Tips & Techniques
• Search Engine Optimization: SEO Tips for Small Business
• Study: Users Ignore Search Ads
• SEO Tips: How to Increase Traffic With Keywords
• Search Engine Optimization Tutorial
• What is the Google Sandbox Effect?
• Marketing: From Obscurity to First Page Google in 90 Days
• What is the Google Sandbox Effect?
• 10 Steps to Better Content Marketing & SEO
• Build Organic Traffic
• Tips on how to hire an SEO company
• Marketing & Backlinks – the Key to SEO
• How to Make Your Website “Sticky”
• Website Design and SEO
• The Importance of Local SEO

Using Search Engines

• See “Tips for Searching on the World Wide Web”
• Learn How to SEO
• How to Choose and Use Top Search Engines and Directories
• Top Ten Rules for Basic SEO

Additional Information for Nonprofits

• Coyote Communications
• Oh What a Tangled Web! – a quick overview of nonprofit use of the Web
• Non Profit Website Design: Examples and Best Practices
• Understanding Your Website from a Visitor’s Perspective
• Is Your Nonprofit’s Website “Converting”?

General Resources

Note that resources are listed throughout the above topics referenced from this page. Thanks to www.accessmagazine.com for many of the following links.

• Webmaster Resources
• Elated Web Toolbox
• Mycomputer.com
• Small Business Web site Design
• 8 Best Hosting Providers of 2012

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For the Category of Information Technology:

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may want to review some related topics, available from the link below. Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.

• Related Library Topics
• Recommended Books

Basic Technical Support and Maintenance
of Small Computer Systems

Assembled by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD

(The library includes a related, comprehensive set of subtopics
in All About Computers, Internet &
Web.)

Sections of This Topic Include

Basic Overview
Troubleshooting
Free, Online Technical Support

Also consider
Related Library Topics

---

Basic
Overview

Basic Support of Small Computer Systems

Troubleshooting

The Art of Trouble Shooting
list of
many sites
desk reference
guide

Free, Online Technical Support

(Don’t forget that the vendors for your hardware and
software may provide free support. Reference your owner’s manuals.)
Tech Jocks
Best Free Technical Support Sites

---

For the Category of Information Technology:

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may want to review some related topics, available from the link below. Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.

Related Library Topics

Recommended Books

Software for Small Computer Systems

Sections of This Topic Include

Accounting Software
What Free Software Means
Various Perspectives
Nonprofit (Additional Information for)

The library also includes a related, comprehensive set of subtopics
in All
About Computers, Internet & Web. You may also want to
look at the Library topic Fundraising
for database and contact management software.

Also consider
Related Library Topics

---

Accounting Software

An accounting software package can greatly reduce the time
to enter and manage accounting transactions, and generate financial
statements. However, you still should have at least a basic understanding
of the accounting process for your organization, including what
journals are used and what general accounts exist. You must have
good understanding of financial statements and how to analyze
them — an accounting package cannot do this for you!

NOTE: Many accounting packages will work for either nonprofit
or for-profits — therefore, consider both of the following lists.

For-Profits

Accounting
Software
How to Choose the Best Small Business Accounting Software for Your Business

Nonprofits

Suggestions for Nonprofit Accounting Software (forum)

Geared to For-Profits, but Also Apply to Nonprofits.

How to Select Accounting Software
Accounting Software Reviews

What “free” software means

What is open source? Why use open source software?
The Free Software Definition
What is Free Software?

Sources of Free Software

Free
Software
Tucows – Free Software and Shareware Downloads
ONET Download.com
For Mac
users
Also for Mac
users
Directory of Shareware

Additional Software Information for Nonprofits

Ten Steps to Selecting Software Successfully
Tips
on Using Database Software and Other Tech Tools
Capterra’s
software directory
Philanthropy
Journal’s site
NPO.NET: For and About
Chicago Area Nonprofits
Computer
Use in Social Services Network CUSSN
Coyote
Communications Technology Tips for Not-for-Profit Public Sector
Orgs
River
Guide’s index and comparison of software
The Nonprofit Software Index — Your source for
information on software for nonprofit organizations
Software Discounts
for Nonprofit and Academic Institutions
Software directory for non-profit organizations

---

For the Category of Information Technology:

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may want to review some related topics, available from the link below. Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.

Related Library Topics

Recommended Books

Computer and Network Security (including worms, viruses, hoaxes and spam)

Sections of This Topic Include

• Sample Computer Security Policy
• General Information
• Protecting Against Viruses
• Checking on Computer Hoaxes
• Avoiding Spam
• Boards and Cyber Security

Also consider
Related Library Topics

---

Sample Computer Security Policy

There are two kinds of security: data and break-in. Data security is addressed by having a good backup system (see next section on computer security). Break-in security is often a matter of using passwords to files or systems where possible, locking systems in offices and managing modem dial-in. Have the modem on only when sending or receiving.

1. To avoid losing information stored on your computers when, e.g., a disk breaks (or “crashes”), ensure that computer files are regularly backed up to another media, e.g., backed up onto magnetic tapes, “zip” disk, CD-ROM, etc. Store the media offsite, that is, in a facility other than at your organization. If a disk  crashes, you can repair the disk or get a new one and then restore the information from the backup media onto the new disk. Or, if backup media cannot be afforded (most are only a few hundred dollars), ensure files are stored on at least two different media devices, e.g., stored on an internal hard disk and then also on a diskette. Using a diskette as backup simply requires the computer user to occasionally save away his or her file to the diskette in addition to the hard disk. The same diskette can be used to backup files. Label the diskette with the time period during which files were backed up to it. Note that the major software applications themselves (Word, Excel, etc.) do not have to be backed up because the organization usually has the software application’s master diskettes. The most important items to backup are usually database files, spreadsheet files and large documents written by users. Conducting regular backups is more a matter of managerial policy than technical limitations.

2. Use electrical surge protectors to ensure your computers will not experience sudden surges of electricity, e.g., during storms, if the quality of your electricity in your building is poor, or is the computer is turned off and on.

3. Protect unauthorized access to computer files by using passwords to log-on to your system, if possible. Critical files can be copied onto two different diskettes (with one as a backup for the other) and both stored in locked drawers. Be sure to label the diskettes such that you’ll recognize them later by the name on the diskette label.

4. Ensure that computers remain working as much as possible (that is, maximum their uptime) by recording and testing detailed procedures for all routine, but critical, tasks performed by staff on the computers and associated peripherals, e.g., for computer backups and restores, fixing recurring problems, etc. Locate and label the procedures in a central location of which all staff are aware.

5. Develop competent internal technical support personnel who can help others to conduct basic activities on the computers and who can call outside consultants for troubleshooting when needed. Have one or two internal people who are designated as technical support contacts for other staff members.

6. Instruct staff to report all problems to the internal technical support people. That way, the internal people are aware of all problems and are more likely to detect oncoming problems as early as possible. They also become better trained at detecting and diagnosing problems.

7. Record all important phone numbers for technical support consultants or contacts, and ensure staff can find these numbers when needed.

8. Keep all software documentation, such as manuals and guides, stored in a central location where staff can find them. Post a sheet on the wall so they can check documents out and for control to ensure they are returned.

9. Promptly register all new software with the vendor to ensure you receive notification of regular software version updates and your eligibility to call the vendors for technical support if needed.

10. Keep the serial numbers of all software packages in a clearly visible place for ease of reference when calling the software vendor’s technical support. (The vendor usually will ask you for the serial number to verify that you indeed purchased the software.)

11. Note that if you dissemble your computer hardware, you risk losing coverage of your warranty. During your warranty period (which often covers labor during the first 90 days and hardware during the first one or two years), always call the vendor as soon as you suspect any problems. Problems usually occur during the first several weeks if they occur at all.

12. Be sure to install a virus detector on your system. The detector should automatically check any new data brought into your system, for example, from diskettes, downloaded from the Internet, etc.

13. Develop a disaster recovery plan. The plan should address contingencies. It should include procedures to respond to, e.g., if a disk crashes, if the computer quits working, if the network is down, if the building is somehow destroyed, etc.

General Information

• Basic Computer System Security
• Risk Management
• Reputation Management

Protecting Against Viruses

• Is Anti-Virus Scanning Obsolete?
• How to Protect Your Computer From Viruses and Hackers
• How Computer Viruses Work

Checking on Computer Hoaxes

• Urban Legends
• Urban Legends and Folklore
• Urban Legends reference pages

Avoiding Spam (junk mail)

• Ultimate Spam Prevention Guide
• Two Years Spamming Spammers Back

Boards and Cyber Security

• Corporate boards will face the spotlight in cybersecurity incidents
• Board Should Take Responsibility for Cybersecurity

---

For the Category of Information Technology:

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may want to review some related topics, available from the link below. Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.

• Related Library Topics
• Recommended Books

Computer and Network Usage Policies

Many employers are increasingly concerned that computer and network facilities
be used appropriately for company (and sometimes personal) use. The following
links will provide guidelines and samples of this type of policy. (The library
includes a related, comprehensive set of subtopics in All
About Computers, Internet & Web.)

Sections of This Topic Include

Sample Computer Usage Policy
Various Policies and Perspectives
Implications of E-Mail Records

Also consider
Related Library Topics

---

Sample Computer Usage Policy

The following wording can be considered by an organization that is considering
developing a policy to guide organization members to appropriate usage of the
organization’s Internet-related resources. This policy is referenced from Polices
about Using Computers and Networks.

“The (organization’s) internal network is connected to the Internet.
Everyone wit computer access to the internal network has the ability access
the Internet, including use of electronic mail and the World Wide Web. While
the Internet is a great resource for our organization, it is the responsibility
of each employee to use this resource responsibly and respectfully. It is assumed
that the predominant use of these resources will be for work use, and that any
personal use of electronic mail or the World Wide Web will be limited; never
a priority over work matters. If an employee is found spending excessive time
on personal use of these resources, this privilege may be revoked for that employee.

Electronic mail sent from the Institute should be treated the same as any
other communication that is sent. All communications represent the (organization
name) as a whole, and as such, should be written in a professional and appropriate
manner. This also applies to any material that is published on the (organization
name’s) World Wide Website.

If there are any question regarding this policy, please contact ____________.”

Various Policies
and Perspectives

Richland, WA
Computer and Internet Policies
Sample Wording for an Internet Usage Policy
Lawletter’s Acceptable
Use Policy

Implications of E-Mail Records

Developing a Policy for Managing Email
Managing
E-mail as Records – Industry Analysts
What’s Your Corporate E-mail Policy?

---

For the Category of Information Technology:

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may want to review some related topics, available from the link below. Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.

Related Library Topics

Recommended Books

Key Questions
When Planning a Computer System

© Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC.

About the Need for (or
Problem Solved by) the Computer System

1. What is the overall purpose of the proposed system?
2. What major problem(s) does it address in the organization?

3. How was the problem identified and/or determined?
4. Is the problem well understood and described in the proposal?

5. What key personnel were involved in defining the problem?

About General Requirements
for the Computer System

1. What are the required functions of the system that will solve
the problem? (This question is often responded to by describing
the technical characteristics of an already preferred computer
system; however, this approach may result in poorly conceived
requirements and an inadequate system. One should first identify
all of the requirements of a new system, and reference these requirements
when selecting the hardware, software, peripherals, networking,
etc.)
2. What planning went into defining these requirements?
3. Were the end-users of the system involved in determining these
requirements (they should be)?
4. Were the general plans for the new system (particularly if
the system is quite costly compared to the budget of the agency)
included in the strategic plans of the agency?
5. Does purchasing the overall system to address the problem have
the support of key leadership in the agency?

About the Proposed
Solution to the Problem

1. What are the technical specifications that will meet the above-explained
requirements? Include reference to hardware, software, networking,
training, maintenance and ongoing internal/external support.
2. How was the system selected to meet these requirements?
3. Was a sound cost-benefit analysis conducted? Were all costs
and benefits considered? Consider direct, indirect and ongoing
costs.
4. Were all major alternatives for obtaining the system considered,
such as leasing, outsourcing, etc.? The larger the investment,
the more important that alternatives be investigated.
5. What system was selected to best meet the functional requirements?

6. Are all key requirements met by the system?
7. Describe the system, including key specifications of the hardware,
software, peripherals, networking, etc.
8. Is the technology appropriate for current market trends and
end-user environments, for example, selecting menu-driven interfaces
rather than command-driven, using generally mainstream vendors,
etc.
9. Is a budget included in the proposal that includes all costs
associated with the purchase, maintenance, and ongoing support
of the system?
10. Are all aspects of the system included in the budget or accounted
for by other means/reports in the proposal?
11. Are item specifications listed sufficiently to assess the
reasonableness of budgets costs for the items?
12. Was attention paid to low-cost solutions? Is it possible to
apply volume discounts in any way? 13. Do all staff and/or volunteers
listed in the proposal, really need computers?
14. What’s being done with any old systems?
15. Is the budget approved by key leadership?
16. Has collaboration been considered, either for cost savings
and/or for the good of the community?

Implementation Plan
for the Proposed New System

1. What is the timeline for the project, in particular for the
funding, purchase, implementation, testing of the system and for
evaluating the project?
2. Are the times reasonable?
3. Might funds be dispersed in a staged fashion and associated
with certain benchmarks/milestones to assess the success of the
project?

About Outcomes and
Evaluation of the Project

1. What are the benefits and/or outcomes from usage of the proposed
system?
2. How will the project personnel evaluate the progress to the
proclaimed benefits and/or outcomes from the project?
3. What follow-up activities are planned?

---

For the Category of Information Technology:

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may want to review some related topics, available from the link below. Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.

Related Library Topics

Recommended Books

Learning About Small Computer Systems

Assembled by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD

Information referenced from this page provides a basic overview
of small computer systems, including hardware and software. (The
library includes a related, comprehensive set of subtopics in
All About Computers, Internet &
Web.)

Sections of This Topic Include

Overview of Small Computer Systems
Advanced Guide About Managing Technology
Online Tutorials
Miscellaneous Links
Reference Materials

Also consider
Related Library Topics

Overview of Small
Computer Systems

How Can I Learn More About Computers?
How to Be a Computer Geek
CPU
and Memory Speed
Top 5 Tips for Buying a New Computer

About Managing Technology

8 Steps to Managing Technological Changes
How to Keep Your Online Business Information Secure

Online Tutorials

On-Line Technology Tutorials from Around the World Wide Web
Free Computer Tutorials
Online Tutorial Resources

Miscellaneous Links

Computer Virus Myths home
page
Business Technology Management

Reference Materials

FOLDOC
– Computing Dictionary
Net Lingo Dictionary

---

For the Category of Information Technology:

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may want to review some related topics, available from the link below. Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.

Related Library Topics

Recommended Books