INKOVEMA Podcast „Well through time“
#156 – Organisational consulting
How do you go about advising an organisation? In conversation with Christian Rieckmann
Well through time. The podcast about mediation, conflict coaching and organisational consulting.
Christian Rieckmann, Educationalist by training, organisational consultant, coach, management trainer and facilitator for 30 years. Lecturer in organisational consulting at the University of Kassel until 2024.
Contents:
Organisational consulting, organisational development and process consulting as well as management consulting are terms from the field of management consulting:
- Organisational consultingOrganisational consulting refers to the consulting of companies and organisations in order to improve their structures, processes and strategies. The aim is to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and adaptability of the organisation. This can involve various aspects, such as change management, strategy development or cultural change.
- Organisational developmentThis is a specific approach within organisational consulting that focuses in principle on the development and improvement of the entire organisation or significant parts of it. The aim is to shape the organisation in such a way that it can respond better to challenges, achieve its goals more effectively and create a positive working environment, but above all offer a better, i.e. more humane, place for the people working in it. Organisational development stands for the humanisation of the world of work. Methods of organisational development therefore often include group work, employee participation and continuous learning – and focus on people.
- Process consulting/process supportThis approach focuses on improving specific processes within an organisation. In contrast to expert consulting, where the consultant prescribes solutions, the process consultant works closely with the organisation's employees to identify problems and develop solutions. The focus is on optimising workflows, communication channels and decision-making processes.
- Management ConsultancyManagement consulting is the service that helps companies or organisations to improve their business processes, performance and strategy. Management consultancies bring expertise and external perspectives to an organisation to address specific challenges and achieve long-term improvements. They often work closely with the organisation's management to develop and implement tailored solutions. This can cover a variety of aspects: Strategic consulting: Focusses on the long-term planning and orientation of a company. Consultants help with the development or revision of corporate strategies in order to promote growth and respond to market changes. Management consulting: Focuses on improving leadership and management practices. This can include optimising organisational structures, improving management methods and promoting employee engagement. IT consulting: Specialises in the implementation and optimisation of information technologies in companies. This includes the selection and implementation of software solutions, the digitalisation of business processes and advice on IT security. Financial counselling: Focusses on the financial aspects of a company, such as cost management, investment strategies and financial restructuring. Operational consulting: Focuses on improving day-to-day business processes. The aim is to increase efficiency, reduce costs and improve operational performance. Personnel consulting: Includes advice on HR issues such as talent management, employee development, remuneration systems and organisational culture.

This is a really valuable contribution to clarifying the concept of organisational consulting. We are an organisational consultancy in Hamburg and, in our experience, we as consultants are often asked to facilitate a workshop at the beginning of an assignment. In the further development, we then see through very different lenses. It's like it becomes clear in your podcast: A large portion of flexibility and agility in role design is absolutely necessary in order to work for organisations in the best possible holistic way. So it can be quite normal to start as a workshop facilitator and end up as an organisational consultant. From our point of view, organisational consulting is therefore never finished, but, as in psychology, always on the way. When environments change, processes change. In short: organisational consulting is a big pot that we fill according to the requirements of our client organisation.
Thank you for this podcast and I would like to add a link to our magazine article on organisational consulting vs. change management to clarify the terminology.
Thanks for the feedback and confirmation! Have a good time!