Effective organisations

I was stimulated to think about how organisations become more or less effective after a coaching session I delivered to a client who was part of a senior management team.  I ended up with the following model:

The model is all about alignment between the organisation’s Purpose, People, Processes and the environment the organisation works within.  Where these factors are aligned, the organisation is effective.  Where they are not, it is ineffective.  The arrows between the polarities of alignment and dysfunction are to show that each area is a linear scale; most organisations will have some areas which are in strong alignment, and others where there is weak alignment or dissonance.

Different elements of Purpose, Processes and People may or may not be aligned.  For example, the Purpose of the organisation may align with the environment and with the organisation’s Processes, but if the People aspect of the organisation is out of alignment then areas B, C, and D will show dysfunction.  Translating this into practical terms, an organisation may exist in a highly structured environment and will have adjusted its Purpose and Processes accordingly, but the People within in it may be used to discretion and freedom of action, leading to indifference, disablement and ultimately ineffectiveness.

The challenge for leaders is to keep alignment between Purpose, Processes and People and the environment.

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