Organizational Development: A Manual for Managers and ... - FPDL

New situation
Development
Inplementation
Initial
‘problematic’
situation
Action
planning
Problem
diagnosis
Decision
making
Elaborating
alternatives
Picture 19. Problem solving cycle
This cycle is commonly known, and has a variety of slight modifications (see, for example, Cooke
and Slack, 1991). The first time I learned about it was from Fred Fisher (see Fisher, 1991).
Problem diagnosis
Merely to ascertain a state of discomfort is not enough. A manager must understand the whole
picture. Causal relationships within the organization are not simple: different causes may condition
similar consequences; the same cause may result in different consequences depending on other
factors or conditions. It is not necessary to deal with absolutely everything to ensure
comprehensive control over a situation in an organization. However, it is very difficult to decide
which things are worth dealing with first in order to be the most effective overall.
Identification of key factors that should be taken into account in order to control the process of
organizational development - is the genuine, specific, and most difficult management function.
This is often called problem definition. We prefer the term problem diagnosis, because the process
is really very similar to the process of diagnosis that a physician undertakes before prescribing a
cure. Sometimes it is also called root cause analysis.
To be effective, a manager should understand that not everything that is bad should be called a
‘problem’ and addressed as such. Most things within an organization are interrelated. Many things
that look wrong are just consequences of something else. It makes no sense to waste time and
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