The Beginning.

I started my career as the trainer at Indonesian Planned Parenthood Association (IPPA)’ Training Center in Jakarta. IPPA was an NGO founded in 1957 by a group of medical doctors, social workers and women leaders when the Government of Indonesia has pro natalis policy. When the Government changed its policy in 1967, IPPA gradually handed over its family planning services to Ministry of Health. I joined IPPA in 1982 when the Government has implemented family planning program for 15 years, and took over most of the functions that IPPA performed. However, IPPA continues experimenting with innovative family planning methods (for example injectibles contraceptives), and new way of working (for example integration of family planning with parasite control). IPPA’s National Training Center was still function as the referal for the Government’s training centers. At the time of my appointment, IPPA was contracted to train the trainers for Government’s training centers, and to train family planning officials from Bangladesh who just started their family planning program.

The training center was busy “doing training” when I joined. In that year, Indonesian NGOs was just exposed to Liberation Theology. So, I joined few other young trainers who are experimenting combining andragogy (adult learning theory) and insight from Liberation Theology, most specifically from Paulo Freire.

At that time, at the apex of General Soeharto dictatorial power, foreign books are difficult to find, more so for the books considered as progressive or left-leaning. So, most of us are getting a second hand ideas on liberation theology from people who went training to the Philippines, or through the Jesuits brothers. Only latter the Pedagogy of the Oppressed was translated to Indonesian Language in mid-90s.

Although later on, I moved from training center to research and evaluation, then to program management, and consulting, my main framework about development has been set in this induction to development in my early career.

The Framework.

From the beginning all participants of training are recognized as creative adult with the capacity for action. Freire provided practical methods to get the group actively involved through problem posing approach, dialogue and praxis (reflection and action). The role of trainer or animator is to help them identify the aspects of their live which they wish to change, to identify the problem, find the root causes of the problem, and work out practical ways in which they can set about changing the situation.

During my “Training Center period”, I have developed the feedback mechanism from trainees. Following up post-training evaluation with visits, or correspondence. At this stage, mentoring and coaching are not yet in my toolbox. I just interested in how the trainees implemented their new knowledge and skills. These post-training contacts have provided insight on the dynamics of individual change (through training), and organizational change (through more comprehensive organizational development).

My interest on Organization and Development (OD) deepened when I work as Training Coordinator for a large rural development program implemented by the Government of Indonesia funded by one Official Development Agency (ODA). In that role, I have assisted the local planning offices to acquire different planning tools for program implementation. My team responsibilities were not only delivering training courses for the planners, but also introducing new standard operating procedures and restructuring of the planning office. I started reading OD guidelines, and learning the organizational design.

At the time of my appointment, Indonesia is very much centralized. Central Government made most of decision regarding Local Government. For example, the functions and structure of local planning office set by the central government. However, personnel management is the responsibility of the Local Government. In one district where I worked, the planning office has 48 positions based on the standard organization from the Central Government. All position is filled. However, the planning office has only 24 desks, and during two weeks of my training assessment mission, I have never seen all desk occupied. Training was clearly not a solution to the planning office problems.

Organization Development has been defines differently by different authors. The one that I used at that period is this:

“Organization Development has been defined as a series of planned processes by which human resources are identified, utilized, and developed in ways that strengthen organizational effectiveness by increasing problem solving capabilities and planning” (OD Institute, 1991:4).

Training of human resources has to lead into organizational effectiveness, mediated by increased problem solving capability and planning. OD expands people’s ideas, belief, and behavior so that they can apply new approaches to old problems. OD approach will also need long-term commitment. It is not a quick fix strategy to solving short-term performance problems. It needs top manager support, and employee participation.

Through the years of my “OD period”, I developed the understanding that organization is not static. Although for the sake of analysis, one can unpack the organization to its components, each organization has its own story. It is conditioned by its specific social and political economy context. The organization “learned” from their failures and successes in responding to their changing environment.

The Strategy.

 I started my consultancy works after years of program management experiences. In those “Management period” of my career, I have managed the nation-wide program, a multi-countries program, and the country office of International NGO. At one point of my career, I was managing 200 people, and 35 million US dollar project. In this period, I always value team-works, and set a personal mission to build the team capacity to perform. My measure of success is when the job is done; my team is satisfied because they can see their contribution to the achievements. I am happy to reflect that I keep continuing good relationships with my former team members, and I keep coming back to the institutions that I have worked with as their external consultant.

Lippit and Lippit see the role of consultant in a continuum between directive and non-directive. Those roles are: advocate, technical specialist, trainer or educator, collaborator in problem solving, alternative identifier, fact finder, process specialist and reflector. (Lippit & Lippit in Mee-Yan Cheung-Judge, 2012: 43).  As consultant, I am more comfortable with non-directive side of the continuum. I tend to see my role as facilitator and enabler. Someone who facilitate the group to identify their own problem, exploring the possible solution, and reach agreement on the path that the group will take.

Of course this is not without challenges. In many situations, the client sees the consultant as an “expert” who can bring solution to their “problems”. Sometimes it was a perceived problem, rather than the real one. All of these expectations have to be clarified during the entry, or early engagement with client. In my practical assignment with the Indonesian Consumers Union (YLKI), for example, the Trustee come to me and say that what they need is a strategic plan to deal with their funding sustainability. I agree to take the job, only after I was doing a quick assessment by talking to the senior management team in their executive office, and attending their internal meetings. It is clear from this assessment that there were communication problem between executive office, and board of trustee. The problem that latter I coined as “the founders trap” where the Board of Trustee is not given the management team enough space to develop innovative programs to respond to changing environment.

The strategy that I used for engagement and understand the client system is to facilitate a Trustee and Senior Management retreat. Going through the questions to analyze their organization system (a modified OD questionnaires), they are able to break the communication barrier and focus on OD plan to improve the organizational performance. The main component of the plan is investment in their IT infrastructure, and using social media to reach more consumers. Two things that have been hold by the Trustees because they think it is too expensive and unnecessary. The trustee convinced on the importance of this innovation when one young staff show them how they organize consumers education to young people by using mobile phone.

I think the most difficult part of any consultancy is building trust with client. Experiences and expertise clearly play important elements in trust building. Client trusts the consultant who they perceived have necessary experience and expertise to deal with their problem. It is necessary, but not sufficient.  Seeing that you interested in the organization, not only interested to the contract helps. But the most important part of it, based on my engagements with different clients, is empathy. Trying to see the organization from the insider’s point of view, their ambitions and fears, what they perceived as their “sacred ground”, and non-negotiable. Having understand these, the next step is playing as a mirror to reflect their problems, and focusing on their strengths to find acceptable solutions.

Being empathetic is not without the risk. The consultant is going native, and the advantage to see a big picture is lost. Navigating between insider and outsider roles is clearly one of critical skills that the consultant must have.

The worst consultancy engagement, which I have as a client, was when the consultant comes with the solution even before they know what the problem is. Just like a seller who promised to cure any diseases with their snake oil. Since then, I promised myself that I will not be a snake-oil seller when I do my own consultancy job.

Exit is another critical point in any consultancy engagements. It is important to have a long-term commitment to client. The promise of after sales services. However, it should be agreed upon from the beginning when the consultant role changes from facilitator to mentor to visitor. In my practical assignment with PEKERTI (Handicraft networks), after facilitating their strategic plan; I agreed to have four meetings with the management team. The first meetings to review their annual business plan against the strategy. The second meeting to review their semester report against the annual plan, and the third meeting to review their annual report. The fourth meeting will be in 2019 when they review their strategic plan. This arrangement was made because PEKERTI has a clear vision and mission to promote fair trade in Indonesia, and a strong management team. Of course, in addition to those arranged meetings, I can always come to their shops to buy their fair trade products anytime.

My engagement with YLKI, took a different path. I will have a monthly meeting with senior management team to review the implementation of OD plan, and to mentoring the management team to deal with implementation issues. In addition, I will attend their annual meeting where the director will report to the Board of Trustee on the progress of OD plan. Any future engagements will be discussed and negotiated after the annual meeting in January 2018.

In short, my strategy for engagement is contextual. It may follow a standardize steps of OD facilitation. However, I will treat each organization as unique. I am open to surprises, and adjusted my tools of the trade accordingly. I would like to conclude this reflection with my favorite quote attributed to Lao Tsu: “ A leader is best when people barely know he exists. When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: We do it ourselves”. This is the gold standard of my consultancy works!

Post notes.

This is a reflection as a part of Consultant for Change (C4C) program.

Reference:

Mee-Yan Cheung-Judge. 2012. The Self as an Instrument: A Cornerstone for the Future OD. OD Practitioner Vol. 44 no. 2.

Organization Development Institute. 1991, Organization Development: A Straightforward Reference Guide for Executive Seeking to Improve Their Organization. Chesterland, OH: ODI.