INTRODUCTION

The first generation instruments to help in organization renewal consisted of employee morale surveys, asking for opinions and attitudes about various working conditions. These organization assessments focused on employee satisfaction, an important variable that has been linked to customer satisfaction and business profit. Although customer satisfaction surveys that helped management refine the organization's product and service offerings are not directly associated with organization renewal, selected information was used to improve the organization.

The current generation of organizational surveys emphasizes diagnosis for organizational change. The better surveys use an organizational model to categorize data about the organization. A variety of models exist, each focusing on aspects of the organization that the author would like to see improved. Ann Howard, the editor of "Diagnosis for Organization Change" concludes her review of the literature with a call to "unite visions of organizational change into a coherent whole."

The Capability Snapshot presents such a comprehensive and integrated picture of the organization as a whole. The Snapshot provides numerous direct, indirect and comparison measures of satisfaction for all units, levels and sites. It meets the twin objectives of providing an assessment of 'what is' and providing feedback that can mobilize toward 'what ought to be'. In addition the Snapshot facilitates the management of desired change throughout the organization.

The Capability Snapshot is the centerpiece of an emerging paradigm for implementing a program of continuous organization improvement, organization adaptation to change, and organization learning. The Snapshot serves as a galvanizing event stimulating the entire organization to pay attention to stakeholder feedback. The Snapshot goes beyond the typical survey to offer the organization a learning experience in organizational self-transformation.

FIRST COMPONENT - A VISION

The Capability Snapshot is designed to enable an organization to progress toward the ideal of striving for continuous organization renewal.

Continuous organization renewal integrates three desired processes.

1. A Higher-performing organization [H] strives for continuous improvement.

2. An Agile organization [A] strives for continuous adaptation to change.

3. A Learning Organization [LO] strives for continuous development of capabilities.

HALO is the acronym for a Higher-performing, Agile, Learning Organization.

A HALO strives for continuous organization renewal.

 

The Capability Snapshot uses a unique HALO MAP for its conceptual framework. This map serves as a guide for organization action towards the HALO ideals.

Maps are not the same as models. Current organization models apply an 'analytic approach' for creating knowledge. Maps apply a pragmatic 'actors approach' for creating knowledge. Each orientation advocates its own research methodology. The Snapshot aims for results that are relevant and actionable more than for information that is rigorous and precise.

The HALO Map is for the members of an organization who seek to realize their intentions of progress towards the HALO ideals. This map provides the lines of action for a renewal journey that has milestones but no final destination.

The HALO map parallels the common-sense notion that progress depends upon the interaction between effort and ability. In organizations, the motivational component is referred to as a 'strategic challenge', a call to action in a particular strategic area. The HALO map posits five strategic challenges as long-term objectives towards continuous renewal.

The competence component for organization renewal is referred to as an 'essential capability'. An essential capability is a combination of 'organization practices' that achieves a strategic goal. The HALO map prescribes three essential capabilities for progress in each of the five strategic challenge areas. These fifteen essential capabilities are generic in that they apply to any type of organization regardless of size or mission. (You may wish to refer to the "Discover"/"Understanding It" section of our web site for the definitions of the Essential Capabilities.)

The HALO map becomes the shared language for renewal striving throughout all units, levels and functions of an organization. It provides a common direction of ends to be pursued. This map converts ideals [HALO] into long-term objectives [strategic challenges] into short-term goals [essential capabilities] into their means for achievement [organization practices].

When the Capability Snapshot operationalizes the HALO map, the explicit message to respondents is, "Tell us to what extent we have succeeded in becoming a higher-performing, agile, learning organization. We need to enlist your help in eliminating our weaknesses and building on our strengths". The Snapshot questionnaire clarifies and simplifies this message.

THIRD COMPONENT - MULTISOURCE [360⁰] FEEDBACK

HALOs are nourished by feedback from representatives of all categories of stakeholders. Stakeholders are those persons, both within and outside the organization that have a stake in the continued well being and effectiveness of the organization. Stakeholder feedback to the organization creates an awareness that can mobilize resources for improvement and development.

Some organizations, with a human resource emphasis, focus on feedback solely from internal stakeholders - employees and management. Some organizations, with a marketing emphasis focus on feedback solely from external stakeholders - customers, suppliers and others within their network of contacts. The Capability Snapshot is an information feedback system that integrates the feedback from both internal and external stakeholders.

The same questions are asked so that the measures can be compared. For example, management may rate its organization high on customer satisfaction while the customer scores are significantly lower or vice-versa. Such discrepancy between one group's perspective and another's become the occasions for organization sensemaking. The organization needs to become aware of the extent that the culture of the organization is integrated, differentiated, or even fragmented amongst diverse groups of stakeholders.

An optimal feedback system would provide the organization with knowledge that serves as a basis for deciding on strategic and operational priorities. The organization needs to know to what extent its stated or intended strategy is the actual strategy perceived by stakeholders in different relation with the organization. In addition the organization needs to hear the voices of all its stakeholders regarding the strength and weaknesses of its current performance practices.

 

I've presented a conceptual framework for organization renewal, as well as, discussed the importance of involving all key stakeholders in the process. In Part II, I will outline some of the key elements to consider when gathering information which will answer the question "what is" about the organization and how to analyse it to mobilize the organization to "what it ought to be".