Consulting

Organizational Development (OD) Consulting is the practice of helping organizations to develop business and people processes to improve their capacity for problem solving and managing future changes or potential conflicts.  It ensures the systems in place promote an environment of cooperation and efficiency with shared norms, values and behaviors.

"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts." Aristotle.  The OD Consulting Services from Sum Solutions help an organization understand this concept and operate accordingly.

Organizational Assessments

Organizational needs assessments help to identify key issues and opportunities to improve an organization’s overall effectiveness.  Taken one step further, I use them to understand root causes of systemic issues that have historically been ‘treated’ as isolated problems.  Data is collected using various techniques which are analyzed to assess an organization’s processes, work environment, and structure.  I then develop innovative strategies tailored to enhance performance and increase organizational effectiveness.

I work with public, private and non-profit organizations to develop recommendations and to provide transformation roadmaps and tactical plans which offer practical solutions to real life day to day operational challenges.

Leadership Coaching

Coaching is an important resource to support leaders to be their most effective selves.  Many organizations continue to operate in hierarchical structures, leaving leaders with a smaller peer group and less of a support network to lean on and learn from.  The further up the hierarchy, the greater the need to provide coaching as a tool to enhance performance.

Effective coaching improves intrinsic motivation.  It helps develop leaders who are willing to challenge themselves, to work through difficulties, to gain self-awareness and to build on strengths and transform weaknesses. Leadership coaching becomes an investment in the entire organization.  Many of the skills that a leader hones from effective coaching become tools they use as they mentor those in their teams, creating an organizational mindset of self-directed employees, willing to try new things and make new discoveries.

Leadership coaching is no different than coaching in any field and it is not just reserved for new leaders.  Top performing athletes don’t decide that once they made the Olympic team, they don’t need the coach anymore.  In fact, the longer you are in a leadership role, the more critical it becomes to consider other perspectives, to challenge your thought patterns and to recognize how and when to try something new.  Leadership is not an innate talent.  Of course, some people seem ‘born to lead’, possessing certain characteristics that have helped them to achieve a leadership role but, like any other skill, effective leadership requires effort and ongoing learning. Leadership coaching is a tool to empower leaders to do exceptional work, to gain new insights, to enhance performance and to improve communication skills.

Training and Facilitation

Professional Development sessions are tailored to meet your resolution strategy.

Training offers an opportunity to build skill sets and increase capacity of an organization to meet strategic goals, improve performance, and enhance workplace culture.

Training can be designed for half day, full day or multi-day formats.  Recurring competency training can also be accommodated.  Virtual or in person is available.

Facilitation sessions are situation specific and developed to meet the outcomes required.  The process typically includes consultation meetings to determine the scope and expectations of the project, initiating the process within the organization, data collection & analysis and final reporting.

Facilitation strategies can be used to help individuals or groups articulate their needs, problem solve and plan for future outcomes.