Development of High Performance Cultures

Organizational research indicates that factors such as clarity of mission and vision, alignment with organizational vision, flexibility, and consistency, are key components of high performance organizational cultures. Praxis works with organizations to:

• Ensure that systems, policies, practices, and leadership behaviors are aligned to consistently communicate beliefs
• Support behaviors that will maximize employee engagement and drive organizational performance

Organizational Assessment

An organizational assessment is an important step in any change strategy. It can target specific opportunities for improvement and provide a baseline against which progress can be measured. Praxis employs a variety of methods to assess how well an organization’s culture is contributing to its specific goals. Our consultants use an array of assessment tools including:

• Individual interviews
• Focus groups
• Workplace observation
• Surveys (conventional or on-line)

Organizational Design

An organization’s structure should support its ability to achieve current and future organizational objectives. Praxis works with organizational leaders to:

• Assess the effectiveness of their organization’s current structure in the context of organizational goals and strategy.
• Redesign their organization’s structure either to enhance their ability to achieve current goals and objectives or to better position them for future success.

Culture Change

An organization’s culture should encourage and reinforce behaviors that engage everyone in driving organizational strategies. Successfully changing an organization’s culture involves:

• Fully understanding an organization’s current culture
• Articulating a convincing case for the need to change
• Engaging employees in both the design and implementation of the culture change process
• Realigning all organizational systems, structures, processes, and leadership and management behaviors to support the desired new culture

Culture Integration Strategies in Mergers or Acquisitions

Praxis provides a range of services related to cultural integration in M & A situations including:

• Assessments of the current culture of either or both organizations
• Collaboration with the Senior Leadership team or Integration Team to design and implement a comprehensive culture integration strategy
• Design a Leadership Development program to provide individuals with the leadership skills and competencies needed to suceed in the new organization
• Consultation regarding employee communications throughout the Merger or Acquisition process
  

Gender and Diversity Initiatives

Fully inclusive work environments welcome, value and benefit from having a diverse employee population. Praxis will assemble a diverse team of consultants to carry out the following activities:

• Assistance in setting gender and/or diversity goals
• Completing a study of the organization’s current climate using both qualitative and quantitative methods of investigation
• Collaborating with an internal team to interpret study findings and to develop a workable set of recommendations
• Assisting with the implementation of recommendations
  

Employee Involvement

Research indicates that employee involvement is a central factor in high performing organizations. Opportunities to express ideas and concerns and feeling valued for contributing to organizational success are among the main motivators of employees who are looking for more than just a paycheck. Praxis works with client organizations to:

• Clarify how employee participation can help an organization achieve its goals
• Develop effective structures though which employees at can participate in appropriate decisions
• Define the nature of employees' involvement
• Design and deliver employee and management training necessary for effective participation
  

Performance Management

The highest levels of performance throughout an organization result from ongoing attention to a series of factors that influence each individual’s performance. Praxis assists organizations in designing and implementing each of these elements:

• Job descriptions that include functional skills and responsibilities as well as behavioral expectations
• Development of realistic and appropriate performance standards
• Management development programs focused on encouraging employees to perform their best
• Training programs to enhance people’s skills in giving and receiving verbal and written feedback about performance
  

Compensation and Incentive Alignment

Organizational rewards are one of the key drivers of employee performance because they are tangible evidence of what behaviors are valued. Praxis works with client organizations to:

• Align short-term and long-term cash, stock and recognition programs to more effectively support overall strategic goals
• Assess existing financial and non-financial incentive systems to determine which elements provide the most direct motivation
• Identify and reconcile conflicting incentives
• Identify and recommend short-term incentives to fill any existing gaps, including design of new bonus programs when appropriate
  

Employee Education

Praxis provides employee education and training services as a component strategy supporting broader organizational development efforts. As part of any change effort Praxis can:

• Assess your organization's training needs related to enhancing organizational performance
• Design a series of training modules that focus on achieving your company's strategic improvement targets
• Design and conduct training programs that link specific organizational programs to employee behaviors and organizational performance outcomes
• Develop your internal capacity to create and deliver in-house training and education programs
  

Business and Performance Latency

Employees make better decisions -- they contribute to business and organizational success more effectively -- when they understand how their own roles fit into the overall functioning of the organization, how their work drives organizational results, and how their interactions with others combine to enhance or impede achievement of the mission and strategic plan. Praxis assists clients in:

• Assessing what business and financial information employees at different levels need to understand in order to contribute most effectively
• Designing highly participatory initial educational exercises that build on employees' existing experience and help them understand the basics of financial performance and organizational outcomes
• Assisting client teams in customizing initial training and ongoing communications around these issues, so that the educational process itself builds internal capacity to carry the process forward
• Delivering engaging and compelling training and education that inspires ongoing thinking about organizational goals and success
• Establishing ongoing business and performance data sharing mechanisms and monitoring processes to insure successful ongoing implementation

Conflict Resolution

Conflict is almost inevitable, but left un-addressed, it can cripple an organization or team.

However, there is great potential to use conflict as a starting point to bring about positive and lasting change. Leaders who understand the constructive potential in conflict are better able to leverage the contributions that different perspectives bring to their organizations and achieve greater results.

Praxis consultants help create a “safe space” for the discussion that must occur if organizations are to move forward. Our experienced consultants use an integrative approach, combining education, coaching and reflective practice to work through the conflict management process. And, we teach the skills and process that can be applied to conflicts that might arise in the future.

Our aim is to provide an organization with practical conflict management tools and learning, rather than just a quick fix for the problem at hand.

To contact conflict management specialist, Ann W. Martin, Ed..D., click here.

Developing a Customer-Focused Organization

The voice of the customer must have a specific and actionable presence that is heard without resentment at all levels of an organization. Praxis consulting will help its clients achieve a culture of organizational responsiveness that rises to the level of competitive advantage. A culture wherein improvement projects are planned and implemented based on anticipating customer needs. Praxis consulting will help clients develop a culture where:

• Business needs and drivers are transparent and well understood at all levels of the organization;
• Customers are partners and visit often;
• Everyone is able and willing to answer customer questions
• Everyone has a role in improving performance and customer service;
• Customer service is modeled by how the organization treats its own workforce;
• Customer service is built into the reward, recognition, and performance review systems.