Master the art of conflict resolution to foster collaboration and organizational harmony.
Evolving from Human Resources to Internal Consultant: Making the Transition
Presented by:Howard M. Guttman Principal, Guttman Development Strategies, Inc.
Guttman Development Strategies, Inc.
©2004 Executive/Management/Organization 15 Lookout Drive, Ledgewood, NJ 07852 Phone: 973-927-3026 Fax: 973-927-5771 Website: www.guttmandev.com Email: hmguttman@guttmandev.com
Agenda
Introduction/Expectations
Getting in the Door
Defining Your Role
Tough Situations
Keys to Success: Mindset/Personal Dimension
Getting in the Door
Recognize Symptoms:
Turnover
Conflict/Employee Relations (ER) problems
Issues raised in training sessions that are not skill-based
Influx of new team members
Recognize Opportunities:
Organizational change (positive or negative)
Mergers/Acquisitions
Downsizing/Audits
Leadership changes
Defining Your Goal
1 (Reactive) | 10 (Proactive) |
You own outcome (rescuer). | They own outcome (facilitator). |
You collude with the "underground." | You “call it” and act as a mirror. |
You play it safe. | You take risks. |
You allow the client to set up the venue. | You assertively and proactively contract. |
Tough Situations
Difficult to be a “prophet in your own land.”
Game plan decided before you arrive.
Expectations change midstream.
Client fails to do the work required to support the effort.
Symptoms or agenda are not shared transparently.
Client unwilling to acknowledge their part.
Clients value external consultants over internal ones for certain skills or candor.
Keys to Success
Mindset:
Be ready to walk away from the organization.
Embrace a “cosmopolitan” vs. “local” perspective.
For more complex challenges, protract the process.
Stay aligned with the core business line.
Maintain a "Teflon" demeanor to prevent issues from sticking.
Act with integrity—your work reflects who you are. Avoid triangulation.
Treat external consultants as part of a virtual team.
Personal Dimension:
Display “impacting assertiveness.”
Be willing to say “no” to a contract.
Maintain confidentiality.
Mirror issues to the client instead of jumping to solutions.
Be candid and confident.
Do not collude with dysfunction.
Hold clients and colleagues accountable to act with integrity.
About Howard M. Guttman
Howard M. Guttman is the principal of Guttman Development Strategies, Inc., a management consulting firm based in Ledgewood, NJ. The firm specializes in executive development, management alignment, and organizational strategy.
Focus Areas:
Aligning senior management teams.
Developing horizontal organizations (e.g., matrix structures, global teams).
Executive development.
Clients: Guttman’s clients include major corporations such as Campbell Soup, Colgate-Palmolive, Johnson & Johnson, Masterfoods USA, Motorola, Pfizer, Philip Morris, Sara Lee Corporation, and The New York Times.
Corporate Experience:
Johnson & Johnson (Director of Human Resources).
Automatic Data Processing (Senior Organizational Development Consultant).
Education: Master’s Degree in Applied Social Sciences from Case Western Reserve University.
Publications and Media: Howard Guttman is the author of When Goliaths Clash: Managing Executive Conflict to Build a More Dynamic Organization. He has appeared on MSNBC, New Jersey News 12, and other platforms. His articles have been published in professional journals such as Harvard Business School Working Knowledge and Executive Excellence.