Organizational Development: A Manual for Managers and ... - FPDL
Organizational Development: A Manual for Managers and ... - FPDL
Organizational Development: A Manual for Managers and ... - FPDL
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• A healthy organization defines itself as a system, <strong>and</strong> the organization’s work is to take in<br />
needed raw materials <strong>and</strong> to trans<strong>for</strong>m them into goods <strong>and</strong> services.<br />
• It has a strong sensing system <strong>for</strong> receiving current in<strong>for</strong>mation on all parts of the system<br />
<strong>and</strong> their interactions (system dynamic thinking).<br />
• It has a strong sense of purpose. It is managed in alignment with its own vision of the<br />
future.<br />
• It operates in a “<strong>for</strong>m follows function” mood. The work to be done determines the<br />
structures <strong>and</strong> mechanisms to do it<br />
• It employs team management as a dominant mood<br />
• It respects customer service – both to outside customers <strong>and</strong> to those within the<br />
organization – as a principle.<br />
• Its management is in<strong>for</strong>mation-driven. Large amounts of in<strong>for</strong>mation can be received <strong>and</strong><br />
processed in seconds.<br />
• It encourages <strong>and</strong> allows decision-making at the level closest to the customer, where all the<br />
necessary in<strong>for</strong>mation is available.<br />
• It keeps communication relatively open throughout the system.<br />
• Its reward systems are designed to be congruent with the work <strong>and</strong> to support individual<br />
development.<br />
• The organization operates in a learning mode. Identifying learning points is part of the<br />
process of making all decisions.<br />
• It makes explicit recognition <strong>for</strong> innovation <strong>and</strong> creativity <strong>and</strong> has a high tolerance <strong>for</strong><br />
different styles of thinking <strong>and</strong> <strong>for</strong> ambiguity in all things.<br />
• Its policies respect the tensions between work <strong>and</strong> family dem<strong>and</strong>s. Parental leave <strong>and</strong><br />
childcare are seen as responsibilities of the firm.<br />
• It keeps an explicit social agenda. Community citizenship, protecting the environment, <strong>and</strong><br />
supporting the arts are corporate policies, not isolated activities.<br />
• It gives sufficient attention to efficient work, quality <strong>and</strong> safety awareness in operations, <strong>and</strong><br />
identifying <strong>and</strong> managing change <strong>for</strong> a better future. (Hesselbein, Goldsmith, Beckhard,<br />
1996).<br />
In this manual we will address most of the aspects cited by Richard Beckhard, who proposed a<br />
kind of ‘health st<strong>and</strong>ard’ <strong>for</strong> contemporary organizations. However, we will go further, to discuss<br />
not only the health, but also the behaviour of organizations.<br />
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