Organizational Development
Does your business or organization desire a healthy workforce?
Do you need solid program/service development to take things to the next level?
The Counseling Col:lab offers organizational wellness programs for non-profits, social services, and healthcare agencies who seek to develop a culture that takes care of employees as well as it takes care of the clients. I myself have 15+ years of experience in the non-profit sector. From writing those pesky policies and procedures, to grants, to staff improvement plans; I can help you with all of these important tasks that often get left to the side by busy managers and leaders.
What is Organizational Development?
When social scientists look at human organizations, they have found that certain strategies make people work together to achieve the same goals more efficiently.
Organizational development is the study of how organizations or companies can manage themselves successfully to produce the best outcome.
Why Does It Matter?
As a leader in your organization, everything under your management can improve when you take the time to carefully plan and optimize your business processes.
By making procedures more efficient, employees enjoy a less stressful environment, allowing for creativity and comfort. You’ll save money, and you’ll be more productive.
When you employ best practices in organizational development, you’ll make everyone’s lives better:
your employees, your clients, and your own.
Ready to take your organizational strategies to the next level?
"I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear."
— Rosa Parks
The Goals of Organizational Development
The goal of organizational development is to optimize your organization.
This can happen through:
Building trust and confidence with employees
Updating strategies to accomplish goals
Encouraging a sense of ownership and pride
Decentralizing decision-making
Developing cooperation
Promoting a reward system based on achievement
Organizational development is not easy. It requires change, which for an organization made up of many people can be difficult. One of the main goals of organizational development is welcoming and enabling that change, both in attitude and strategy.
By helping employees identify areas that need change, they can be empowered to create a more ideal work environment.
What Your Trauma-Informed Business Needs in 2021
Rethink the 9-to-5
After 2020, the world of work is becoming increasingly flexible. Almost half of all employees expect to be working remotely full-time after the pandemic. While many thought being remote would mean less productivity, the opposite has proven to be true. This means organizations and companies need to find other ways of assessing performance. By focusing on output and outcomes rather than time on the clock, you can give your employees the independence they might need and let your organization enjoy greater productivity.
Digital Adoption
Technology is paramount to a successful business in 2021. And since technology advances faster than we can change organizations, your company needs to have a digital transformation strategy set in place to prepare for significant changes on the horizon.
Your organization’s ability to adapt to the changing technological landscape will mean the difference between stagnation and success.
Support Your Employees
Your employees and the members of your organization are the lifeblood of your operations. During the pandemic, less than a quarter of employees reported feeling well supported. Organizations that don’t make their employees happy end up having many other problems.
By providing your employees with a better work-life balance and more support for their health and well-being, you are investing in your own organization and its continued success.
Could Your Business Benefit from Organizational Development Strategies?
Measure the effectiveness of current trauma-informed business practices
Review policies related to assessment, care-planning, and treatment
Developing your workforce’s knowledge base and skillset
Strengthening resilience and protective factors organization-wide
Formalize agency response to address parent/caregiver trauma
Ensure continuity of care and cross-system collaboration
Spotlight the presence of secondary traumatic stress, minimize, and treat
Establish specific routes of partnering with youth and families
Address the intersections of culture, race, and trauma
My Organizational Development Webinar
Amanda Gibson, LCSW
I have worked for over 15 years in clinical and leadership roles in non-profit organizations specializing in helping people and organizations put their best foot forward.
I firmly believe we are amazing human beings who are adaptive. Since we spend a large portion of our lives at work, I believe we should make that space comfortable and safe for all. When we create our work environments with intention, we find greater productivity and flexibility in our employees as well.
Why Work With a Therapist
Organizations are made up of people, and no one out there understands people better than a therapist. My training has allowed me to gain key insights on many aspects of organizational development like performance management, talent management, employee wellness, diversity, and more.
Know that you’re not just working with a therapist—you’re working with a business owner who can show you their knowledge, obtained from both research and experience.
Don’t know where to start?
We are happy to provide a needs assessment of your organization, which includes focus groups, policy analysis, and strategy development.
We can develop webinars based on your organization’s needs, or you can review other ways to elevate your workplace here:
Be an Anti-Racism Workplace
It is no longer enough to just say you oppose racism in the workplace—it is now time to show it. To fight racism in the workplace, you must educate yourself and those in your organization to act as allies and support people from diverse backgrounds or those with multiple identities. Your organization benefits from making everyone feel included and making their voices heard, contributing to overall well-being and higher work satisfaction.
Understanding Culturally Responsive Care
In our multicultural melting pot of a nation, we must be aware of spaces where different cultures interact. Again, self-education is essential to navigate the cultural and implicit biases that you and your colleagues might encounter in the workplace. By being aware of the possible pitfalls, employees and members of your organization will be better able to manage conflicts and reach compromises that feel genuine.
Be a Trauma-Informed Workplace
How many businesses operate from a trauma-informed perspective, despite the collective trauma we all faced in the past year? Many organizations turn a blind eye to this underlying factor, yet trauma remains one of the biggest reasons employees lose productivity. Learning about trauma in the workplace can help you spot the signs of trouble brewing and create an environment that considers the person behind the employee.
ACEs Training
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that transpire during a person’s childhood that affect their adult lives in countless ways. The economic and social cost of living with a history of abuse, neglect, or other hallmarks of a rough childhood is vast. To improve your organization, it’s essential to understand all the aspects of a person’s past and how it might be affecting their work.
