A 15 Point Inspection of Your Organizations Health

Curiosity and being observant about your organizations health can quickly expose its strengths or weaknesses.  When CMOE consults and works with organizations, individuals often pose the question, “How does our organization stack up against others?”  The question is genuine and is often stated as a hopeful plea of verification.  People working at all levels in an organization want to know how their team, department, or entire organization stacks up against others.     Managers who ask this question are either

• Enlightened individuals who are focused on continuous improvement.

or

• Perspective leaders who see their organizations exhibiting symptoms of sickness, similar to personal health issue.  They can tell that something isn’t quite right and the organization needs a checkup to make sure it’s nothing too serious.

Perspective leaders who see their organizations exhibiting symptoms of sickness, similar to personal health issue.  They can tell that something isn’t quite right and the organization needs a checkup to make sure it’s nothing too serious.

Knowing the health of your organization, team, or department is critical to your staying competitive in the modern marketplace.   An understanding of what your organization does well and what could be getting in the way of your success will help you make a plan for becoming a world-class organization.
Through its continuous research and development, CMOE has pinpointed 15 vital signs that indicate the overall health of your organization.  These are also the vitals that indicate when there is a problem.  When looking at these signs, we focus on the following core areas:

Results: Has the organization clearly defined outcomes it wants to achieve and the metrics to measure people’s progress?  Does it have a history of delivering superior results for its customers, owners, and stakeholders?

Processes: Does the organization operate like a well-oiled machine?  Does the organizations work flow efficiently?  Does it have processes and standards that are clearly defined, and team members who consistently follow and support effective work practices?

People: Does the organization have the right people with the right skills, behaviors, and expertise, making them capable of delivering on established expectations?

Investment: Does the organization have access to the necessary financial resources?  Is the organization willing to invest in the organization so its mission and future strategies can be fulfilled?

Periodically watch your vital signs by creating a checklist that allows you to verify your organizations health on an ongoing basis.  Make sure that this list is meaningful to you.  If you don’t know where to start, you may want to download CMOE’s resource guide, How Does Your Organization Stack Up? This 15 point inspection is a good starting point for you to assess your organizations current health and will provide you with some ideas about what a very healthy – and a less healthy – organization looks like.