by Liliana Dias
In the world of social consultancy, it’s common to hear that changing an organisation is an almost impossible mission.
Cultural change is often seen as a difficult, painful process, sometimes yielding limited results. But is that really the case?
If we think of an organisation as a living organism — constantly adapting, transforming, and responding to its environment — we realise that change is not only possible, but inevitable. Relationships, synergies, tensions, value creation, conflict… all are part of a system in motion, with a latent potential for evolution. This potential is not always channelled in a positive way, that’s true, but it is always present.
In my experience as a consultant, I understand how much more comfortable it can be to adopt the external role of an observer. We create precise diagnoses, supported by data collected from teams who are willing and motivated to share what isn’t working and what could be done differently. We clearly identify challenges, vulnerabilities, and opportunities.
But then… the plan often hits a wall — due to a lack of resources, focus, or clear intention.
The diagnosis is important, of course. But it is only the starting point. It should not be an end in itself, nor should it determine, by itself, the future funding of an organisation. More than a prescriptive tool, it should open up possibilities — flexible solutions, tailored to the context and reality of each organisation.
And this is where the true nature of this work lies: organisational development (OD) does not happen from the outside in. It is, above all, a collaborative and emergent process. It is not a service delivered by experts, but an authentic partnership between those who know the organisation intimately and those who are there to facilitate, inspire, and support. The role of the consultant is not that of a “change-maker”, but rather a strategic ally, helping to create the conditions for change to happen — sustainably, organically, and with real impact.
The moment that excites me most in this process is precisely when the consultant becomes, to a certain extent, dispensable, because change is already underway, led by people within the organisation. Often, that transformation is subtle: a small adjustment here, a new practice there, an alignment between individuals or teams… And gradually, meaningful gains accumulate — which make all the difference.
A delicate balance
Over the past six years, I’ve had the privilege of accompanying several environmental protection and awareness organisations in West Africa on their journey of organisational development, supported by Stone Soup Consulting’s client organisations. It was in this context that I deepened my reflection on the delicate balance between three essential parts:
- the organisation,
- the funder,
- and the consultant.
It is vital to establish a functional triad that responds to different needs and priorities over several years, without losing sight of the central focus: promoting the organisation’s autonomy and empowerment.
With the Stone Soup Consulting team, we’ve consolidated several key learnings in these OD projects, which I share here:
• Respect the organisation’s pace, avoiding the imposition of a typical consultancy project logic;
• Build a relationship of trust and transparency with leadership;
• Create regular moments of reflection and adjustment of the OD plan (monthly or bimonthly);
• Promote a culture of continuous learning — including among consultants;
• Facilitate simple, practical tools oriented towards the organisation’s concrete challenges;
• Avoid idealisations and focus on what is feasible and appropriate in each context;
• Measure and value all the small wins, as a way of validating the relevance, impact, and satisfaction of those involved in the OD process.
Helping to develop organisations is, ultimately, a process of active listening and observation, of co-construction and deep respect for each organisational context’s identity.
It’s not a magic formula. It’s a shared journey of growth and maturity among different actors invested in the success of organisations.
About the Author
Liliana Dias is a Principal Consultant at Stone Soup Consulting, specialising in Human Resources Management and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Liliana holds a Master’s degree in Psychology from the University of Lisbon (2003), a Master’s in Human Resources Management from ISCTE Business School (2009), and a Postgraduate Diploma in Creativity and Design Management for Business Innovation from IADE (2011).
She brings over 18 years of experience in HR consultancy and organisational social responsibility, with a strong focus on designing and implementing organisational development programmes.
Liliana has extensive experience facilitating participatory processes, team workshops, focus groups, and the co-creation of actionable plans for public and social sector organisations. She is fluent in Portuguese, English, and French.
