7 Essentials for an Effective, Sustainable, Healthy Organization

by | May 10, 2011 | Management, Uncategorized | 0 comments

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What’s the point of any organization? “To make money,” says the businessperson.  “To fulfill our mission,” says the non-profit person.  And so begins the false debate that keeps the two worlds separate and often leads to missed opportunities and wasted potential.  If all organization leaders recognized that both financial viability and an inspiring mission are essential, they could then focus on the key levers that would make their organization effective, sustainable and healthy, thus transforming the experience of work for so many people which, in turn, would transform the performance and results of the organizations they serve.

Here are some guidelines for how to do this. Isn’t it time for businesses and non-profits both to take these principles more seriously and put them into practice?

Leadership Ability and Commitment

At the heart of every successful organization lies the quality, competency, vision and drive of its leader or leaders.  The culture, tone and nature of the environment stems from choices they make and priorities they favor.  Have you ever worked for an incompetent or uncommitted boss or for a lame duck manager?  Think of the effect this has on the morale and performance of the team.  What a contrast to organizations led by inspiring, dedicated people of high integrity and intelligence who have masterful leadership skills.

Strategy

Organization leaders who have a clear strategy understand where they are going and what they want to achieve.  If the time is taken to align individuals with this strategy – not by coercion but through dialogue – and to use the strategic priorities as a way to remember what’s important, you will have the makings of a productive, efficient organization. With clarity and direction, people can set goals and accomplish them, but without such a focus, employee activities can be rudderless and redundant, time and resources will be wasted and not much will be achieved for beneficiaries, investors or any other stakeholders.

Communication from and Visibility of Senior Leaders

The first two concepts are necessary but not sufficient conditions for organizational success.  Highly capable leaders who craft a brilliant strategy and stay in their offices or out of sight will not create high performance or healthy organizations.  It is essential to establish two-way communication systems – listening widely and well as well as constantly reminding people not only of the purpose of their work but also to encourage progress toward their goals.  It is a primary function of leaders not only to be the voice of the organization to the outside world but also to keep their people “in the loop” by updating, including and recognizing them.

Accountability

Building a sense of personal responsibility is part of a healthy culture.  Setting goals and clear expectations about roles and responsibilities is fundamental to a performance culture.  So often, managers and other leaders get the balance wrong.  Either they are too directive (prescribing to the letter how employees should meet those goals which ends up dampening all initiative, motivation and engagement), or they are too lax (refraining from  confronting or even conferring with their team members about performance targets or issues).  Setting limits, boundaries and clear expectations gives necessary structure and order and facilitates the accomplishment of goals.  But, a performance culture need not be harsh or dictatorial.  On the contrary, leaders who insist on accountability have empowered, engaged, productive and purposeful employees which is the hallmark of a healthy, sustainable culture.

Remove Structural Impediments

In some organizations, effectiveness is not impeded by people’s attitudes or practices.  It may, instead, be hampered by structures intrinsic to the organization.  If there is the political will and power to dismantle these structures, that may be a good place to start if you want to transform your organization.

Creating a Sense of Team and Trust

The three T’s of a successful 21st century organization are: Technology; Technical Expertise, and Teamwork.  All too often, the focus is on the first two when organizations make investment and hiring decisions.  But, without creating a sense of Team and Trust, which is the glue that holds the organization together and enables it to accomplish its mission and deliver bottom line results, the whole enterprise will flounder.

Focus on Coaching/Development

Seeing each employee as an asset filled with potential and talent and whose passion and needs can be met by their work fosters a worker whose output can benefit the organization financially and existentially.  This way of seeing each person creates a very different kind of organization from one that views humans as resources or capital that are fungible and dispensable.  Leaders who systematically develop talent by offering constructive performance feedback, coaching and career support are the ones in organizations that are most likely to thrive in the future.

Fredia Woolf, Founder of Woolf Consulting, writes about career and workplace issues.  She coaches leaders on how to reach their people, their goals and their potential, and designs programs for organizations to enhance their effectiveness and the quality of their leadership.  She can be contacted at fwoolf@woolfconsulting.com.

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Last updated on March 6th, 2012 at 09:27 pm

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