Our Competencies in Organizational Development and Change

OD Network

Our Focus

Founded in 1985, Watts & Associates is a creative, dedicated, and client-centered organizational development and change consultancy. We collaborate with clients to design strategies that help them achieve their goals.   

 

Vanguard for Healthy Organizational Culture and Growth

Watts & Associates maintains its position as a leader in healthy organizational development. For over thirty years, we have been a vanguard. Our work is based on the principles and values outlined in the books and experience of our resident thought leader, practitioner, and founder, Dr. Robert Watts.    

Consulting Value Delivered and Recognized

Dr. Watts and Dr. DaShori Crocker
Completion Ceremony The City of Clovis Public Utilities Department

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Value Design Scenarios

Consultation/Facilitation/Training/ Coaching for Healthy Organizational Development and Growth

After years of staff complacency, mediocre performance, and its consequences, a large Central Valley school district office sought assistance from Watts and Associates. The office's core functions were managing an afterschool job placement program, social skill development, and an academic tutorial program for high school students.

Deploying the first phase of LADS, we learned that habitual lateness, excessive sick leave, poor execution of tasks, and neophyte and laisser-faire leadership were central themes that needed attention. Consequences of these themes were persistent complaints from community partners about staff disorganization, mismanagement of events, poor follow-through, and a general lack of accountability.

We launched a plan with an initial strategy to strengthen leadership’s capacity that included the creation of a mission, vision, and discovery of core values and a 3-year strategic plan. These items were used to inform and drive the build-out of our SOIG (Show, Observe Interact, and Grow) digital organizational development and performance management platform.

SOIG provided the 1) Framework for designing training and coaching goals and objectives that supported leadership’s capacity building, 2) A digital messaging function that allowed for remote assistance that was structured and archived, 3) Accountability partnership functions to support the intrinsic desire to be accountable, 4) digital connects and linking by shared goals and influence, 5) Transparency of purpose and direction, and 5) Leadership with the capacity to delegation with competence and confidence and redirect constructively.

After two years of engagement, leadership reported significant increases in satisfactory reports from community partners, a marked decrease in absenteeism and sick leave, more interest in producing quality work, and a less stressful work environment.

Consultation/Facilitation/Training/ Coaching for Healthy Organizational Development and Change

After years of financial growth and stability, a significant minority asset management firm lost its market share and experienced considerable turnover in critical areas. Watts & Associates was brought in to assess the situation and recommend solutions. Using our L.A.D.S. Consultancy Model, we discovered gaps in two crucial areas: 1) Clarity of the organization’s strategic plan – vision, mission, and values, and 2) A lack of capacity for implementing and staying aligned with the strategic plan.

We facilitated an organizational change/development intervention that produced 1) a Clearer, more meaningful, and practical strategic vision, mission, and values, 2) Defined and codified work policies and procedures, and 3) Implemented a transformational leadership model that strengthened relations at all levels. Through this intervention, we assisted the client with being more self-organized and referential, which helped them recapture their market position, reduce turnover in mission-critical areas, and establish a more harmonious and productive workforce that continues to thrive.

 

Consultation/Facilitation/Coaching for Organizational Development and Change

We were referred to the management team of a global computer hardware manufacturer by one of its vendors. They were experiencing significant lows in productivity and morale due to budget cuts and downsizing in its software engineering department. A part of their intervention strategy was to incorporate “Valuing Teammates” into their annual employee conference in order to strengthen bonds in the wake of an integration of new tasks and job designs. Using L.A.D.S. we co-created and administered a climate survey that uncovered a strong climate of ‘Blame” within the department that could make change difficult to implement.

Collaborating with the client we chose our “People Are Never the Problem” team building solution as a viable strategy. A one-day workshop was de-signed and successfully facilitated as a platform to launch a full-scale intervention to strengthen group connectivity and communication. All participants evaluated the workshop as a much needed and an invaluable tool for launching the other initiatives of their intervention.

Facilitation: Team Building

Steel union leaders were frustrated and concerned about their union member’s reluctance to embrace opportunities for career training in the wake of industry changes in technology and job shrinkage due to globalization. Using L.A.D.S., we interviewed leaders and managers. We discovered a concern that direct reports were in denial of fundamental industry forces dictating changes in job design, which would require them to acquire new knowledge and skills.

After assessing the situation with the client, it was decided that “You Are the Course, Now Teach It and Get What You’ve Always Wanted” would be reframed to “Know Your Course, Strengthen It and Get All You Ever Wanted.” The reframing strategy produced a presentation highlighting the benefits of self-reflection, challenging comfort zones, managing fear of uncertainty, and learning to value change. The result was a roaring standing ovation!

 

Keynote Speaking: Informative, Exhilarating and Electrifying!