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.
top
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.
top
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.
top
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.
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