Something is Wrong but I Can’t Put My Finger On It

As a leader, you sometimes find yourself knowing that something isn't quite right. There aren't any obvious problems.  Just a sense that there is something out of alignment in your organization. Maybe performance or morale aren't what they used to be. Conflicts are cropping up a little more frequently. Or something just feels a little off.  Your experience says that this could turn into a problem if you don't do something about it...but you don't know what the *it* is.

You may want to learn to do a quick, yet profound, diagnosis of organizational well-being of your team. This simple diagnosis includes looking at your organization or team through a series of lenses that help you to see what might be out of alignment and how to restore wellbeing quickly.

Knowing how to do so allows you to do periodic check-ups to determine the health and balance of your team...and develop a 'just in time' regeneration plan. One advantage is that you will feel freedom in carrying our periodic checkups through the year so that corrective action can be taken before bigger problems arise. Another advantage of this self-empowered approach to diagnosis and regeneration is that you can employ it whenever your intuition says 'something is wrong but I can't put my finger on it'.

In my own days as a CEO, this was of great value to me as our organization had to be in top-notch form consistently. I knew that the well being of every team and our organization as a whole was essential for this top-notch performance. I also used this way of organizational diagnosis and regeneration as a way to lower my own stress. I increased my confidence that we had the capacity for crisis and change as they arose.

This organizational health and balance diagnosis became a vital ingredient for our organizational success.

One tool I use often in this process is this Cycle of Transformation graphic. In our work with clients, we use this tool so that they can determine where they perceive their organization or team would place itself in the Cycle of Transformation. This is a quick simple assessment tool, giving us all valuable information and a starting point. It is one of the lenses used in the organizational health and balance assessment.  Conceptually, the Cycle of Transformation assists our clients to assess their organizations from a perspective of growth and change, and the need for organizational effectiveness of a team or other organization in motion.

The Cycle of Transformation is a great way to portray the cyclic nature of transformation as an ongoing process, starting with an event and then going clockwise through the diagram, noting first the various stages of grief that must be worked through: shock, anger, denial, memories, acceptance that what was has ended, letting go of attachment to what was, and then stepping into the open space of possibilities of new beginnings. This part of the Cycle of Transformation depicts how as humans we go through endings, though leaving behind the 'old way of doing things'.

And then we get to the other half of the Cycle of Transformation which is very much about how humans work with new beginnings. Something starts and then it needs attention, reframing, planning, managing, fine tuning and so on. There is a sense of creativity, growth, innovation, and of course, doing what it takes to make it all work. However, as the Cycle of Transformation graphic shows, the cycle continues.

There are continually more events, endings, and beginnings. When a leader and his/her team diagnoses their organization, they need to take this into account. It is very useful in an organization when everyone involved is aware of this Cycle of Transformation. It is of great value in discussions as a common framework to look at what is happening. People may be at different stages, some in the endings work, and some in the work of beginnings.

To learn more really useful and easy to understand tools, tips and concepts to diagnose the well being of your team/organization, and to develop a regeneration plan, please join us for a two-day Organizational Health and Balance online workshop on consecutive Fridays February 2nd and 9th, 2018.