Internal consultant or external: pluses and minuses
Political consalting

Hanus Yuri
From the materials of the journal "management of company"

The development of organization - this is the continuous process, whose ideal flow there does not exist. It begins from the moment of the establishment of organization and it must go for the elongation of its entire activity.

EXTERNAL And INTERNAL

For the solution of problems by planning, management and realization of changes are used, as shows practice, three methods:

leader entire beret into his hands develops organization for his own understanding;
external consultants invite;
in the state is hired the specialist for the organizational development as the internal consultant, the developing and realizing program development, but on the conditions of organization and remuneration for labor, to a considerable degree of the external consultants differing from conditions.

It is sufficient to contradictory, but the work experience of specialists on organizational development as the internal consultants is interesting. This position regarding includes the contradictions, caused by those prevailing by organizational culture and practice of the development of Russian enterprises, and also there is a consequence of the forming economic consciousness of business association.

Internal consultant, being the colleague of organization, becomes its system element, which occupies its place in the organizational structure of co-ordination depending on the degree of understanding problems and degree of the significance of data of problems for the leader. It is located in the working relations with this company, obtaining the material reward, which depends on the arrangement of leader and which is little correlated with the results of his labor.

SITUATION In THE ORGANIZATION. TRADITIONAL LEADER

Among the reasons, which impede the successful conducting of changes in organization, it is possible to name the presence of internal contradictions in understanding of approaches and methods of control of the leader of company, her often appearing himself owner, the lack of preparation of top managers to conducting of changes, and also unsuccessful attempts at the presence of a compromise between the following factors:
Real state of affairs in the organization outwardly can be and satisfactory, but that having the very serious negative tendencies, which management preparedly not to recognize.
Leaders are not ready not only anything to change, but also to realize the need of changing < its native creation > (which is always difficult), built in accordance with its own views and persuasions, its principles and methods, which are based on the previous experience, but actually already in another in the time and due to organization state, although that bearing the same name.
By understanding the need for change itself, change in the views and persuasions, which for a long time seemed firm. Unfortunately, a little this succeeds sya - to change itself complex. Thus, for instance, to the reasoned proposal to reexamine relation to the key issues of setting the system of management of organization the owner of business answered, that he not will change his persuasions in the process of the development of organization. It's a pity lost time. But a change in the persuasions, which were formed under the pressure of past experience, nevertheless followed under the pressure of the rapidly changing environment, redoubling of processes inside the company and, as a result, worsening in the measures of effectiveness. And a question - even not in the authority of the person, who proposes these changes, but, are faster, in the personal unhealthy conservatism, rigidities, superfluous cautions and distrust to entire new. 4 he would not want to call to the swift and unconditional changes, but it should be noted that < the blind > copying of other systems or methods also be must not. Be required the weighed, comprehensive, adequate realities, to the state of Russian economic association and existing inside it relations approach to resolution of questions of the improvement of control and development.
The unwillingness and the inability of leaders to listen the opinion of their subordinates, and, listening, relates to them skeptically. After the unwillingness to often establish the regime < of feedback > inside the organization lie either illusions and errors in their own infallibility, or fear and the fears of the loss of their own authority, or the fear to seem insufficient to competent or to acknowledge in the shortage of ideas. For you it did not be necessary to hear: < why to me to organize "feedback", to explain the opinion of colleagues according to one or the other questions, if 4 and then him I do know? If to me necessarily it will be, 4 to call of colleague I ask in it >. Many leaders do not present significance and result for organizing this factor as mouths novleniye of the real level of confidence. As a result it is not necessary to be surprised at the situation, when at you arrive competitors or nadzornye organs.
The timid ratio of management to its authority and lack of preparation to delegate proper authorities and responsibility on control of development to the colleagues of company, who actually form working group on the development and realizations of changes in organization.
Absence of real readiness for the sequential system changes. To often single, surface, unsystematic actions, in essence by that used for stress relieving, they attempt to give status of the development of organization. The sum of such actions is easily predicted. Thus, for instance, attempts at the artificial organization change without taking into account the processes taking place in the organization lead to the ineffectiveness of new structures.

However, attempts at the introduction of organizational structures in the companies without the proper delegation and the clear differentiation of authorities and responsibility or simply with the lack of preparation of control system to the introduced organizational structure lead to constant contradictions and conflicts inside, also, out of the organization, its ineffectiveness. The attempts to change processes without the guarantee of these processes with the proper system of motivation also will lead to the ineffectiveness of these changes. And this number can be continued.

As a result of such < changes > in the organization is established steadfast immunity to any kind to changes. Complex systems approach is the guarantee of successful organizational changes.
Lack of preparation of leader to give necessary status and to delegate proper authorities on control of development to internal consultant, to consecutively internal consultant in the realization of changes and to take direct part in conducting of system changes in organization.

There is, true, and a reverse tendency in the position of leaders and owners, when they attempt to govern the process of changes, practically having ascendancy on the process of development, thus at best involving the realization of changes, in the worse - starting process into the blind alley. Turn to itself attention the increasing activity and special interest in owners in the direct participation in the development of organization. This becomes its kind the mode, determined by the sign of the stylishness, when owner attempts to investigate in all and entire organizations.

Frequently in the conversations with the owners of companies you encounter with their steady conviction in the complete competence on conducting of changes in organization. After becoming acquainted with the unforgettable labor Of khammera and Champi < Of reinzhiniring of the corporation: The manifesto of revolution in the business >, the owners of business, who are located under the impression of this or any other work, < will carry it on banner >, frequently to the end without understanding the essence of a question, in this case insisting on the priority of the specific steps and sequence of process. So one of the owners insisted on the priority of the introduction of new ISUP with respect to the description of the processes of organization, another injected the matrix system of management of organization with the actual crisis of control system in the company.

Attempting to govern development, data of face must understand, that they practically project their understanding, their level of competence in this question to the process of changes.

As a result the so-called < changes > we afterward obtain qualitatively the same organization, only to a greater or lesser extent < used make up > depending on the appeared zeal and < exhausted > by development.

By typical problem with the realization in the company of changes the forces of the invited internal consultant is the tendency of leader (on the habit) to construct his relations with the internal consultant in the system of relations < chief - subordinated >. Moreover if not from the first days of work, then compulsorily subsequently, since it is not simple to move away from the stereotypes of system behavior and relations. Internal consultation cannot lead to the positive result with this system of relations. It is necessary to derive relations with actually by real the subordinate internal consultant to the level of relations on < the equal to >. To leader must be sufficient wisdom to construct relations similarly for the achievement of the success in the process of changes.

HOWEVER, But THAT INTERNAL CONSULTANT?

From the side of this specialist undoubtedly is required the level of maximum correctness, self-discipline, professionalism and high degree of responsibility for the recommended and realized by it steps of changes.

For internal consultant it is necessary to learn to deferential attitude to the acting organization, its leader, owner, which can be respected already for the fact that in the vague time of the formation of Russian economy they could raise, create and safeguard organization.

It is necessary to understand the objective difficulties of leaders and owners of modern Russia, who, in fact, work altogether only 10- anniversary in the new economic conditions, which principally differ from those existed earlier.

At the same time internal consultant must, after rejecting its own habits, sympathy and to antipathy, to learn to evaluate the existing organization with the maximum degree of objectivity. It must become to the position of the client of organization and discuss as client.

But practice, unfortunately, confirms something different. Thus, one of the Petersburg organizations, which is been, in fact, the group of companies, which lead multiprofile business, reached its organizational < limit >, < the limit > of its effectiveness. The owners of business understood, that the present level of organization no longer makes it possible to solve problem and to achieve the goal, which previously seemed by completely accessible. The structure of organization did not correspond to the actually elapsing processes.

In the work of organization began to appear the failures, caused by the poor coordination of actions of the subdivisions, whose some functions were duplicated, and some - so remained < unowned >. The delegation of authorities and the distribution of functional responsibilities in the organization did not correspond to the current state of business. This enumeration of problems can be continued further, the main thing - owners arrived at understanding of the fact that be required < the fresh > solutions and another approach to their native < creation >, which began to overgrow its < parents >.

Following the path of the smallest expenditures and, as it seemed, most optimum, without realizing entirely the interdependence of seriousness of position and methods used and procedures on its overcoming, owners hired as the internal consultant of specialist for the organizational development. Employing their views and procedures used this was the cleanest idealist, brought up on the western procedures and the approaches and attempted to blindly copy and to move technologies without taking into account the Russian specific character of this business, without taking into account the objective and subjective factors, characteristic for this company.

By the object of the work of internal consultant with this approach became not concrete organization with its processes, structure, system of control and interaction, existing by resources and technologies, current problems, but the attempt < to adapt > western theory and technologies to one of the Russian organizations. As a result this inadequate position and used by internal consultant approaches led to the incomprehension, the nonacceptance and the irritation from the side of owners and actually to failure of the mission of internal consultant in this organization.

Owners were ready to entrust their business and to accept the need for its change (although it is here sufficient questions, which were discussed and still will speak), they not were ready to experiments and surface approach. Moreover, the respected associates, 4 I am not the supporter of the division of approaches and methods into the acceptable to the Russian organizations and the acceptable to west. Also, in my opinion, there must not exist the division of companies into the Russian and into the western enterprises for the principles of the organization (on the specific character of business culture - unconditionally yes).

In this case the discussion deals with the calculation of the evolutionary development of Russian economic association and each organization individually and with the possibility, or more precisely, the acceptability of use in one or other development stage or another of the organization of various approaches and methods. During the organization of activity in the Russian companies is required the adaptation of effective approaches and methods, which are used owing to developed mature capitalism, to our Russian reality taking into account objective situation, the acting subjects and the subjective relations, which appear in the course of this activity.

This not simply still and because the consultant works in the organization, or more precisely, in the system of the acting organization with its formal and nonformal connections and relations, which were established in the history of this organization. And here for internal consultant it frequently is necessary to contend with the top managers of company, who for the objective or subjective reasons use authority and support of leader (having on it the specific effect), have their interests, its < zone of influence >, which as a result of changes can substantially be changed.

To here there internal consultant is required the skill to find the compromise:
Between the realization of the plan of the necessary professional actions and the actual perception of this plan both by the top managers and by the leader, who doubts under the effect of the top managers, who defend their (including mercenary) interests.
Between the desire to preserve normal relations in the organization, implicating key colleagues into the process of changes, and the need to rigidly defend its position, to consecutively changes. With organization and conducting of the process of changes this measure, as sanctions with respect to the key colleagues, who resist changes, must become faster exception, than by rule. By sanctions you will attain formal performance, which to the positive results, as a rule, does not lead. In this case you never will hear about the reasons for crisis phenomena and about the factors, which have an effect on them, even if they are known to these colleagues. Indeed they with you do not collaborate, but you must seek real positive changes. Therefore avoid sanctions, explain your purposes and position, and also the position of colleagues after changes, implicate personnel into the process of changes, listen attentively the proposal of the colleagues (it will there compulsorily be valuable information) and establish the regime of confidence. Because of this position I was achieved positive results with conducting of changes.
Between the desire to preserve the arrangement of leader and the need for indicating the deficiencies existing in the organization, the need of changing in the principles and approaches, which is often received by leader very painfully, seemingly correctly this information was not given.
Between the tendency by sequential actions to dostich' the desired result and a constant need for compromising for the same progressive system change.
Between the forced need for enter by the chosen tactics and the task of the realization of strategy.

OVERCOMING THE RESISTANCE

It is important to understand that the development of organization must be accompanied by a system change in all composing this development elements. Otherwise you will not obtain the expected result.

The basic reasons for resistance to changes are usually: insufficient status, authority and the authority of internal consultants, who organize the implementation of the program of changes; the fear of the loss of the influence in the company, which was established during the long time, the official position, the nonformal system of authority; lack of preparation to ism to neniyam, caused by the insufficient level of qualification, by the absence of confidence in internal consultants, by the absence in the organization of understanding purposes, consequences, prospects for changes; the absence of the real program of changes in quite internal consultants, orga- nizuyushchikh and conducting changes; the inconsistent, unsystematic realization of changes, as a result of which negative consequences for the organization begin.

To avoid one or other resistance or another cannot, since very nature of man is conservative, but it is necessary to attempt to minimize him, after understanding, first of all, the original cause of this nonacceptance.

For the minimization of resistance for an increase in the effectiveness in the process of reconstruction it is necessary:
to determine purposes and tasks of the development of organization, to match and to affirm them with the leader (owner) and the administrative apparatus;
to ensure the subjects of changes with information on purposes and consequences of the planned changes;
to form the working group, which organizes and which conducts changes, in which should be implicated the top managers, who use authority and respect among the associates. Moreover in the process of both the agreement and of the realization one should implicate < nonformal > leaders;
to give to working group special status, after allotting its terms sufficient authorities;
to manufacture the system of guarantee, control of changes, that makes it possible to exercise a planned development and control over the changes achieved and organization as a whole;
to determine the criteria of the achievement of the objective of reconstruction;
to ensure the budget of development;
to coordinate and to determine the stages of the realization of changes with the leaders of the subdivisions, which undergo changes themselves;
to accompany reconstruction by development and by the introduction of the new system of motivation.

ADVANTAGES And DEFICIENCIES IN INTERNAL CONSULTATION

Company, inviting specialist for the organizational development as the internal consultant, creates basis for the continuous, sequential process of organizational development. Being the colleague of organization, internal consultant actually transfers his knowledge and experience to the colleagues of organization, training and developing them, implicating into the process of changes.

The essence of internal consultation most fully becomes known in the comparison with external consultation, is revealed in the practical comparison of internal consultant with the external (see the Table).

Internal consultant

External consultant

We depend:

It is independent:

It is material, from the employer as from the sole source of income

It is material; financial responsibility in the limits of contract sums; the definite dependence exists within the framework of the prisoner of contract, but there is no fundamental dependence on the organization, since this project is not only

It is administrative; with the organization of processes and conducting of works it depends on the position of leader, his views and persuasions; it depends also on the system of subordination in the organization

It is administrative; the system of subordination has no effect on the motion of organizing of process and conducting of the works

It is under pressure of internal interrelations, since it is the component element of organization; it is forced to consider the accepted in the organization conditionalities and the nonformal system of influence and authority. There is no possibility of thorough study and realization so on

It is emotional; it is free from the internal obligations and the conditionalities, there is no burden of intra-organizational interrelations. It is objective and not preconceived

With the development of the program of changes it depends on subjective principles, persuasions and position of leader, it is often forced to consider the position of the top managers

With the development of program, it rests on the subjective principles, the persuasions, the positions, the personal relations with the leader and the top managers, but to the fundamental approach to the development and the realizations of changes (their sequence) these relations and the evaluation of influence not

It has personal interests in the organization

It has no personal interests in the organization

It depends on the current processes, the results of work and consequences of the changes

It does not depend on the development of business and does not always answer for the consequences of the changes

Internal consultant

External consultant

It is located in the working relations with the organization

Work on the contract is carried out. Interrelations are regulated by the acting contract, technical task and graph of the fulfillment of the works

Completely it works on the organization

It is hired for fulfilling the definite missions, for the specific period

Not the high, in comparison with the external consultants, level of the payment of services (wages). The low level of wages is not for the leader that price and value, to which should be focused serious attention, by that stimulus of changes, they are which

The high cost of services these are the criterion of internal readiness for the changes and the pulse of these changes, since leaders give special attention to the well paid processes, their costs and values for the organization

Long time of the realization of the changes

Due to the command work is ensured the normal temporary period of the realization of project, depending on many factors (complexity of business, the state of enterprise so forth.)

It examines special features and finesses of business; in special features and finesses of organization; the current processes are understood; it is familiar with the facts and the tendencies in the organization, the cause-effect connection of various events is intelligible; it is familiar with the system of formal and nefor

It is not often familiar with the business of client, and time to his mastery is actually paid by client. Is required sufficiently much time, in order honestly to be dismantled with all special features of the organization of client, and ignorance of various tendencies or facts m

Internal consultant works, as a rule, one. Even with the comprehension of the development of all system elements of organization to be by professional in all regions complex

It works in the command, which unites "narrow" specialist- professionals; if necessary it draws partner organizations. Thus, it possesses the possibility to solve the problems of any degree of the complexity

"precipitation" from the process (disease, release) of internal consultant actually stops the process of the changes

The possibility of replacing the specialist, ensures the continuity of the process

At the basis - personal experience, limited by operating cycle in the companies

They possess the large experience of solution of similar problems in another organizatsiya.kh

They possess the professional information based on the personal work experience in the companies and the theoretical material

They manage comprehensive information about the problematic regions, the practice and the methods of solution of these problems

At the basis - personal experience, the theoretical preparation

It manages procedures and technologies, which it constantly develops

The required level of the document turnover is ensured

Ensures the proper level of the dokumentarnogo tracking of the consultational project

It transfers in the process of work its knowledge to the colleagues of organization, thus step by step developing them

It is oriented only for the solution of problem, but not to the development of the personnel

The step by step system development of the organization conducts

It solves the definite missions in the specific stage

Purposes - interests of the organization

Purposes - maximization of the profit of the external consultants

Thus, for guaranteeing the maximum effectiveness in the processes of development should be combined the efforts of internal and external consultants for the realization of the stated goals.

The formed from the key qualified colleagues of organization working group, headed by internal consultant, must become the nucleus of future changes (after the accomplishment of its objectives by external consultants). It will be able also subsequently to level of organizational development, with the periodic observation from the side of external consultants.

The process of the development of organization begins from the moment of its establishment and must be constant. There is a steady error, that sufficient one time to draw consultants for the organizational development, to prescribe further development and to 5-7 years it is possible to be quieted. This is far from thus: the development of organization - this is continuous process, but its ideal flow there does not exist.

P.S. This article and examples given in it are based on the real work experience of the author in the Russian and offshore companies in the period from 1994 through 2001.