Jeanne Crane Coaching and Consulting

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Testimonials

"Jeanne was practical as well as creative in helping us find a solution to…" LS

"She helped us increase profitability by addressing communication issues between functions and getting department heads to work together." JPD

CONSULTING

CONSULTING is about bringing knowledge, experience, insight and tools to a problem, a goal or challenge. It is a proactive role which offers analysis, feedback and recommendation based on experience and expertise with similar situations and organizations.

The core competencies of a good consultant are:

Needs assessment- Being able to give an upfront analysis of the situation, using observation, interviews, surveys, and review of policies.

System thinking-Understanding the linkage of systems, structure and strategy and helping leadership align mission, vision, goals, daily activity.

System intervention-Choosing the right approach and the right entry point to appropriately effect the desired result without creating pushback.

Process consulting - Observing, giving feedback and offering alternatives about the “soft” people side of the work (decision-making, etc)

Benefits of working with Jeanne:

She has experience in the dynamics of family systems, living systems, participative systems, learning systems, and/or open systems so that she can differentiate needs of your organization.
She understands that time is money and that a practical solution in real-time is preferable to lengthy surveys and reports.
She will refer you to someone else if she finds she is not the match for your needs.
She uses a strength-based approach, using the tools of appreciative inquiry and offers creative and integrated solutions.

She is committed to multi-culturalism, has experience as a diversity trainer, cross-cultural teacher of organizational behavior and as a woman manager.

FACILITATING ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING

Sometimes the organization is seeking or the consultant recommends a customized training program as the primary intervention. It may be skill- based; or it may be a series of events designed to shift the culture or to roll out a new initiative. Size of your organization, time constraints and internal capacity will determine whether you want a consultant to design and deliver a program or if you want your own people to facilitate or deliver it.

TRAIN-the-Trainer programs can be involved for any or all of the competencies involved.

See COACHING/BUILDING CONFIDENCE AND SKILLS if individuals or groups are in need of support and skill development. Real-time observation and feedback, perhaps with videotape review of performance can be powerfully effective.

For many years, I led a 5-day Train-the- Trainer program at Cornell’s School of Industrial Labor Relation. The HR and training professionals attending helped me develop an extensive tool kit ( e g. Military models for JIT, behavioral modeling for customer service , etc.).

I also wrote a major supervisory and management development program for all NYS agencies and led the TofT for internal trainers at large agencies, facilitated the executive programs. and led direct training for smaller agencies.

BUILDING TEAM AND COMMUNITY

There is always a creative tension between the task and relationship aspects of organizational life. A high performance organization team or organization works well because it attends to both. The flow of work is dependent on the collaboration and communication of those inside the organization and its stakeholders. Even in a highly relational organization (like a congregation), attention to this creative tension is needed. The high expectation of safety and desire to avoid conflict need to be addressed as the work is done.

After years of doing this work, I have a wide repertoire of methods to bring to your situation: experiential activities, simulation, open space technology, use of story and metaphor, appreciative inquiry, search for common ground among them.

Two Examples:

I designed a special activity for an executive retreat of a family–owned business to address real issues: an outdoor scavenger hunt (individuals competing) combined with team challenges (rowing, basketball hoops). Individual-team-organizational functions (ITO) were then named, feedback given and learning followed re issues of trust, competition, collaboration, etc.
The faculty of a school for special needs children had deep divisions in the aftermath of the firing of its director. The staff day included a ritual whereby people “ let go” of their grievances.

ALIGNING PEOPLE, SYSTEMS, STRUCTURE to MISSION & VISION

This concept gets a lot of buzz but is not always effectively put into practice and maintained. So much depends on it: “Doing the Right Thing and Doing Things Right”, Empowerment and Accountability, Planning and Evaluating.

When consulting, I sometimes teach folks about the terms and concepts below, facilitate a process where one or all is developed, or help leadership with the actual task of alignment.

Just as the four wheels of a car need to be periodically aligned, an organization needs to see that all system components are connected and headed the same way.

Leadership requires casting and communicating a vision that gets shaped and owned by the stakeholders.

This vision must be within the mission, stated and understood purposes of the organization.

The structure needs to support vision and mission. Form follows function; yet, constant change in structure can be unsettling.

When systems, policies and values are managed, people are empowered.

Transformational leadership is the big picture functions which express vision, inspire people and create needed change. Transactional leadership includes those functions which coordinate the implementation of a vision and long-range plan.