Parameters

Considering the following four parameters can assist you in determining if you are a perfect candidate for creating an Extraodinary Organization

• The personal attributes of those who seem to succeed in such endeavors [read]
• Your motivation to undertake a change project [read]
• The willingness of everyone involved to embrace change [read]
• Type and size of your organization [read]

Your personal attributes look like this

The people who will enjoy this work and be most successful at it share most or all of these characteristics:

They are highly motivated to strive for only the best

• They are both aware of and unsatisfied with a large gap between their current state of affairs and what they see as ideal.
• They want to reach for the absolute best and will not settle for just being "better" or "as good as the rest.

They are trend setters not followers

• They are always exploring possibilities and are open to new, even revolutionary, ideas.
• They are pioneers, revolutionaries, and paradigm setters. They enjoy being on the cutting edge even with its risks and unknowns.

They are highly people-centered

• They believe people are the core of their enterprise and are committed to making the quality of the work experience as fulfilling as possible for everyone involved.
• They want to promote freedom, autonomy, equality, responsibility, relationship, and accountability in the work experience.
• They know that to meet the needs of people they also have to create an enterprise that is exceptional in getting operational results and serving customers.

They are individuals of strong character and capability

• They are very competent and professional in their work and have been successful in the past.
• They are impeccably honest, are of the highest integrity, and meet their commitments.
• They are growing and developing in their personal life along with their work life.

They are intelligent and constantly learning

• They are avid learners and seek out new situations in which they can add to their knowledge and skills.
• They are very intelligent and enjoy thinking and thoroughly exploring what they are doing.

They are intent on creating the organization they want

• They are very clear about their purpose for engaging in an organization change or creation project.
• They know the benefits they will get from it and believe they are well worth any effort.
• They are able to devote the time and resources needed to succeed and have made a commitment to do so.
• They provide the drive to make the project a success.

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You have an exceptionally strong desire to create an Extraordinary Organization

A high level of motivation is essential for success because the challenge of creating an Extraordinary Organization is so great. Such motivation can come from a number of conditions like:

You have made a commitment to create an ideal organization, but none of the usual approaches seems to work.

• You have tried standard "OD" approaches like TQM, team building, MBO, or performance enhancement and found they just don't do the job.

You are an innovator/explorer/pioneer that is never satisfied and is always looking for a better way even though it way may seem revolutionary or radical.

• You enjoy being out front even though there is never a crowd on the cutting edge.

You believe there just has to be more to business than making the quarterly numbers.

• You are all spending a major portion of your lives working your heads off and feeling no real satisfaction, meaning, or joy in doing so. There must be more to work than this.

You agree with one client who said, "I got up one morning and said to myself, 'There has to be a better way than kicking them in the ass.' "

You are getting results but at tremendous personal cost.

• Everyone is stressed to the limit. Work is definitely not fun, and for many it is a nightmare.

You are starting a new enterprise or expanding a current one, and you want an Extraordinary organization right from the start.
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You are willing to embrace considerable change

While the rewards are great, this journey to Extraordinary requires significant change. All members of your organization will need to embrace changes in:

What they believe — Extraordinary Organizations are built on different beliefs than the standard command and control type.

How they think — Improving the process of thinking leads to better thoughts leading to better actions and hence better outcomes.

What they think — This experience will lead to thinking about different issues than in the past.

What they know — This will be a major learning experience about people, organization design, collaborative work, and many more subjects.

What they do — Ultimately, creating an Extraordinary Organization will require that everyone act differently. For instance everyone will need to accept responsibility and accountability for their part of making their joint enterprise successful.

How they perform — Through increased knowledge, skills, and commitment performance will exceed what people currently think is possible.

What they feel —They will need to become aware of, honor, and share feelings. They will need to focus on "being" not just "doing". In order to follow a path that will be seen by many as different if not downright crazy, they will need to increase their self-esteem and commitment to developing both themselves and the organization.
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Type and size of your oranization

Organizations that fit this profile are more likely candidates for becoming an Extraordinary Organization

• Any industry or type of business — the fundamental organizational issues are the same across the board.
• For profit or not-for profit — the fundamental organizational issues are the same for either.
• Fewer than five hundred members — this can be a division or segment of a larger company if it is free to change itself.
• A startup or early stage company — This is an especially good time to create an Extraordinary Organizaiton.
• Virtually any geographical location.

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If you see yourself in this list of characteristics, then creating an Extraordinary Organization will be a significantly challenging and rewarding experience for all concerned. If you do not feel comfortable with it, one of the more standard organizational change approaches may be more appropriate for your particular situation.