Example of task 2:
Merging of three municipal departments

Background

The department has been merged due to the Local Government Reform, and it consists of 16 employees.

Most employees come from the largest municipality. Five employees come from two minor municipalities. The department is to be expanded by 18-20 employees. The merged department suffers from a severe burden of many tasks. The employees are insecure about their future, their functions and their competences. It is necessary to develop the future culture of the department and to ensure the general well being of the employees. 

Purpose

The purpose is to create a mutual idea of the resources and challenges of the department as well as prioritizing the future developmental efforts. Moreover, it is also the purpose to create a culture in the department which generates efficiency as well as new qualities at work and which ensures the well being of the employees.

Activities and process

PHASE 1:

Pre-meeting (1/2 day)

• Meeting with the manager
• Meeting with the manager and representatives of the employees

At the meetings the organizational structure and the commercial matters of the company are discussed, as well as future goals and pros and cons of the present situation are covered.

Furthermore, we will discuss future ambitions and the needs for development in the department as well as the expectations the participants may have to the role of the consultant. On basis of the meeting we make a proposition that describes the process of development and the economy of the project.

Meeting for the entire department (1/2 day)

At the meeting for the entire department the project of development as well as the pivotal principles of the interaction between the department and the consultant are presented. We discuss the employees’ attitude towards the process and we adapt our future expectations to each other.

PHASE 2:

Developmental dialogues with the employees in groups (2 days).

We arrange a developmental dialogue of about 2-3 hours in groups. This is in order to ensure that each employee is respectfully involved in the process and thus creating a successful point of departure for the entire process. Furthermore, each employee must feel a personal engagement and responsibility to the future process. The dialogues will be the point of departure when forming the common priorities and goals of the process.

As a preparation dialogue plans will be forwarded to the employees. The dialogues are confident. At the end of the each dialogue we agree on what can be used in the ongoing process. At the end of the dialogue meetings the consultant writes a paper, which is to be discussed among all the employees.

Development meeting 1 (1day)

Viewpoints and opinions from the dialogue meetings are discussed and interpreted. Hereby we identify the number of developmental themes that are prioritized. We agree on the exact schedule and content of the meeting together with representatives of the department.

PHASE 3:

Following activities (3-5 days)

In the final phase the department must focus on the developmental themes of priority. The department deals with some of the themes on its own and works on other themes with the consultant.

Phase 3 also has 3 – 5 days of activities with the consultant. The days may be spend in the department, in the management team, in the two groups of the department or by individuals. This is dependent on the priorities of the developmental process and is decided by the manager and the consultant. The final day is a follow up which takes place 3 months after the last activity.

Results

• The department got a mutual understanding of the differences and similarities rooted in the old cultures and it established a mutual platform for cooperation, i.e. output, structure, organization as well as common values.

• A management group of the manager and two heads of department was established. The roles and the expectations inside and among the groups became more distinct.

• Frustrations and conflicts were solved so that the well-being and general satisfaction grew in the department.

• Specific structures governing the cases, methods and flow were established. The efficiency increased and new colleagues were employed in order to relieve the burden of the many tasks.