How Do We Work?
Specialty Areas – to Make Change Happen
The Suran Group helps organizations to grow and to prosper by helping them to accomplish new directions, major changes and expansions. We help to accomplish change by providing services in these areas:
- Strategic and Operations Planning
- Organization Structure Development and Restructuring
- Process Development – Planning and Implementation
The Suran Group has provided services in these areas for over 30 years.
Specialty services within these areas include:
- Strategic and Operations Planning – Preparation and facilitation; follow-up, reporting and implementation processes
- Governance – Planning and development of structures, roles and responsibilities, selection criteria, policies, and processes
- Information Sharing, including financial structures and processes – Integration of these processes throughout the organization and consistently within all finance/information related departments and personnel
- Management development and coaching in:
- Leadership to motivate and increase momentum
- Collaboration and use of teams to accomplish change
- Alliances and linkages (internal and external) to expand and develop capacity
- Process thinking to improve effectiveness and increase potential for success
- Effective use of information (financial and non-financial), for internal and external purposes
We Specialize in helping to Accomplish Change
Change is a given in today’s environment. A major key to success is constantly watching trends and events for changes that may affect the organization (its products, customers, vendors, environment, employees) and reinventing portions of the organization to meet or, better yet, to LEAD the emerging changes from within the organization, efficiently and effectively.
This is what The Suran Group does. According to our clients, we help to make changes HAPPEN – whether at a segment or division level or at a comprehensive, organization-wide level – whether implementing a new initiative or reorganizing to condense, simplify or focus.
Planning for Change
Constant reinventing requires strategic assessment of the organization from two perspectives: 1) Internal effectiveness and efficiency and 2) Responsiveness to external factors
Constant reinvention also requires looking ACROSS the organization, viewing it from new perspectives, both on a macro and micro level - looking at the organization holistically - to determine new ways to be more effective and responsive.
Effectively Implementing Change
Implementing change requires collaboration and involvement of teams. Change doesn’t happen without buy-in from everyone affected. Buy-in takes awareness, understanding and belief that the change will improve the situation – for the organization, for the department and for the individual.
Change doesn’t work without integration of the change throughout the organization’s operations at every level, in every department. That’s why focus on processis critical to success. The questions are: Which processes will be affected? What is the simplest, most effective way to incorporate the changes, without needless duplication? How to motivate and assure employee trust and belief that the change will benefit them and their role within the organization?
A Unified and Diverse Team -- to most effectively and efficiently accomplish client needs
Today’s changes and challenges within all organizations are incredibly complex – much more so than 10 or even 5 years ago. A segment-by-segment, or organization-wide approach alone, using one discipline or functional approach, does not work. It takes both a unified and a diverse approach.
For this reason, The Suran Group utilizes diverse, highly skilled, proven specialists as needed, based on the project’s requirements and timing, along with strategic, broad, and unifying skills in the project leadership.
Constantly Preparing for Change
Giving back – The Suran Group believes that we grow – mentally, spiritually, experientially and socially - by helping other organizations to grow and prosper - helping those small, wonderful, or new organizations that need to grow for the benefit of the greater good. While we help others, we see new ways of doing things, learn new strategies, hear about new trends, and gain skills in working with diverse personalities, cultures, and attitudes. This ultimately helps to build ourselves and our organizations while we help others.
Constant learning – In a time of constant change, The Suran Group believes every organization, and individuals within the organization, need to focus on constant learning – both within their major expertise areas as well as in areas that affect their overall growth and development.
For the Suran Group’s clients, this sometimes means we recommend specific higher education for executives, special seminars and courses for management as well as staff. It may mean mentoring or coaching for groups or specific personnel, or suggestions to join organizations that will provide access to courses, brainstorming or networking with peers to share “real life” lessons.
Sample Situations
Sample Situation 1
Let’s say we have three entities looking at joining forces to create one unified group. They all do similar things separately and together would create enormous value to their clients. They could share resources, share facilities, save on costs. The problem; no one wants to budge from their current situation. Arguments erupt over small issues, these issues soon grow to become big issues. The window of compromise has closed and the three entities end up going no where riddled with resentment and frozen by fear. How would they move on? Who wins?
Every voice should be heard and valued. Finding common ground is important in moving forward. A consultant team with knowledge and experience in finance, strategic planning, organizational structure, management coaching, and process development is imperative. The Suran Group isn’t just about “change management” we help to make change happen.
Sample Situation 2
An important decision needs to be made that will have a great impact on a group of people. The issue is one that brings conflict and strife. Instead of collaboration and discussion, someone makes a decision. Now, there is conflict amongst everyone. Every step forward seems like it’s through a muddy bog of controversy. The group is now stuck, can’t move forward, can’t go back.
Collaboration is an important part in making change happen. The Suran Group works with teams to accomplish change, through assessing the situation, objectively and openly listening to views and alternatives. Then using their knowledge of organization structure, processes and systems, facilitates a small group towards the 1st step, then bringing in more players to plan and to take the next steps – together.
Note: These are sample projects only. The Suran Group has numerous other projects which display our experience in Strategic and Change Planning and Implementation which we will summarize upon request.
Case Studies
Sample Similar Projects Involving Strategic Plans
Organization 1 (Health Care)
The Situation
An education and health care service organization had six very separate divisions. Each division had its own leadership structure, board of directors, information and reporting systems, administrative and management systems, customer communication and tracking systems (although they had many customers in common), vendors (although they had many product and service needs in common). Obviously, there was significant duplication and overlap.
There was loss of significant opportunities for shared costs, for maximizing marketing and public relations impact. Additionally, there was major frustration by customers who received multiple billings with different billing cycles and processes and by vendors who received multiple and confusing orders for similar products with different delivery dates and requirements. They obviously lost dollars due to lack of using economies of scale and their combined bargaining power. They lost visibility, marketing strength and public relations benefit due to lack of using their entire organizational strength. They lost the high level benefits of seeing and using the strengths and resources of the whole organization, including shared administration, Boards and overall perspective.
What The Suran Group Did:
The Suran Group assisted with a five phase Strategic Planning effort. Our services included:
- Plan, guide the accumulation of materials and research, facilitate and summarize the first strategic plan for the organization
- Plan, coordinate and facilitate start-up of internal Coordinating and Team meetings to accomplish the plan; assist in oversight of internal Teams and Team planning and decision-making processes
- Assist with planning and design of focus group process
- Assist four preliminary/planning teams and Coordinating Team with beginning the implementation process and transition to permanent teams
This project included approximately 60 team members comprised of Board members, members of the professional staff, administrative staff, management and outside customers. Other customers were involved in interviews and focus groups.
The project laid the groundwork for an integrated organization campus with coordinated processes, organization and reporting systems, and integrated information/communication and public/community relations efforts.
Organization 2 (Multi-church merger)
Situation
The sponsoring church organization, faced with declining religious leader resources, increasing costs and declining church membership numbers in a region, needed to combine 3 previously independent churches into one local church. Each church previously had its own leader, advisory boards, programs, administrative staff, financial resources, real estate, information systems and other assets. The members of each church highly regarded their unique culture and personality and local management.
What The Suran Group Did
The Suran Group assisted with this planned merger of three churches. We worked with two central leaders from the sponsoring church organization, leaders of the each of the three churches, advisory boards at each church (program and resources), and established working teams comprised of church members and staff to collect information, analyze, discuss alternatives, develop plans (for alternative use of facilities and centralization of church functions; integration of programs, management and staff, finances, and information systems), and for phased in implementation of the merger. This planning and implementation group ultimately included approximately 300 participants in the advisory boards and teams and resulted in an orderly and successful merger.
Organization 3 (Higher Education)
The Situation
The Suran Group assisted an education program in a large University with fulfilling its vision of becoming a recognized, quasi-independent Institute within the University and the international community.
What The Suran Group Did
Through a four phase, 18 month project, The Suran Group assisted with coordination, development, management, facilitation and implementation of a comprehensive plan for achieving this vision. The plan included planning and facilitation of a Strategic Planning process with situation assessment, development of Mission, Vision, Goals, Objectives, Strategies and Action Plans (including personnel, financial, facilities, equipment, media, partners, etc.). The project included interviews with stakeholders, educators, funders, scientists, media and others in the industry (government, other universities, media, etc.) across the United States and internationally. Subsequent detailed plans and implementation efforts included working with educators, administrators and management throughout the university system including financial and administrative departments, upper university management, related and competing departments and other universities, the Foundation, and all Program staff. The Suran Group worked with approximately 90-100 people in this effort at all levels of the University and throughout the country (a few international).
Note: These are sample projects only. The Suran Group has numerous other projects which display our experience in Strategic and Change Planning and Implementation which we will summarize upon request.
How Clients Describe What We Do
Here is how past clients describe our approach and skills in helping to rapidly and effectively accomplish change:
"There is an art to strategic planning and The Suran Group, led by Sandra Suran, has developed a process that gets to the heart of the issues and maximizes use of people’s time".
"The Suran Group has strong analytical ability and critical thinking skills:
Led by Sandra Suran, with her training as a CPA/auditor, they have the ability to find the problem holes in an organization and fill them with the appropriate pieces. They know the questions to ask and how to apply the information gained.
The “auditor” in Sandra Suran can comb through internal data and use it to illustrate an organization’s current situation and as a roadmap for achieving goals."
"The Suran Group has strong listening skills and a willingness to listen to a diversity of views. When organizations deal with change there are always differing views from various constituencies. The Suran Group knows how to carefully listen to all sides to get a complete perspective in order to assess the situation and develop a process for change."
"The Suran Group is good at identifying opportunities. Led by Sandra Suran, who is well-connected and knows where opportunities lie, The Suran Group knows where opportunities lie to form mutually beneficial partnerships. She can look at a situation and pick out areas of undiscovered potential for improvement."
"Barriers to success naturally come up in a challenging project. The Suran Group, led by Sandra Suran, is not put off by road blocks; she continues to look for new angles and opportunities for a successful resolution."
"To keep a project rolling, The Suran Group gives frequent status reports to clients. Not many consultants do this." |
