At Panetière Marketing, we are often asked to help the ownership or management determine what obstacles might be in the way of their organization's success.

Perhaps the organization is under-performing as compared to their competition or to their own history?

Perhaps the organization is experiencing extreme employee turnover.

Perhaps there are far too many customer complaints.

That is the moment when we can assist the organization.

The first thing we do is to discover from the ownership and management what their goals and objectives are – and what they would like to see changed or improved upon as a result of our intervention.

In order to improve an organization's functioning so as to meet its goals, increase the productivity and revenues, and motivate the team, we, then, spend time immersing ourselves in the organization.

At the outset we focus on these methods of accomplishment:

• Observe and analyze relationships, communication patterns, and styles.
• Learn about how the organizational culture thinks it works and how it really works - how it positively and negatively affects the functioning of individual staff members, groups of staff and whole departments.
• Investigate the competitive set and how the organization has positioned itself in the market place.
• Survey and review the nuts and bolts of the working methods - the prosaic, day to day needs - work spaces, the tools to get the job done, data keeping, the budgets.

Starting in on the discovery of these methods, we'll be looking for patterns - those that excel, succeed and those that don't.

• How do people communicate within work groups, departments, and throughout the whole organization?
• What tone does top management set for the rest of the staff?
• Does top management "practice what they preach" ?
• Does top management send consistent messages about expectations and company goals?
• Are individual staff members encouraged to be creative and present ideas and alternatives to the "status quo"?
• When – if ever – is the company line "we've always done it this way" appropriate to problem solving, exceeding customer expectations and leading the competition?
• How can organizations improve their functioning – what factors are stunting company growth, causing employee discord, turnover and lack of motivation, and customer complaints?
• Is the organization resistant to change and if so, what factors are causing this?

After spending time with employees and management , we, at Panetière, provide a detailed summary of our findings and observations. With that summary is a working list of suggested tactics and action steps for improvement.

Often we are asked to continue working within an organization to assist in implementing the changes we that we recommended.

We collaborate closely with all staff, from the owners to high-level management to mid level management and hourly employees.

No organizational development work is done without a certain amount of Executive Coaching – this is discussed in greater detail here.

Sandy Heydt of Panetière Marketing Advisors combines her training as a Masters' level Counseling Psychologist with 15 years experience as an employee, as an executive team member, as a general manager, and as a small business owner.

She has the unique blend of personality and experience not only to diagnose a problem, but to work with organizations so as to effect real and lasting change.

Change before you have to.

Always, there is the challenge to grow and the fear of departure.

Depart.