The organizational diagnosis is an effective way to see an organization to identify the gaps between current and desired performance, and how you can achieve your goals . The diagnosis can be limited to a team, a project or a company in general.
It is a process that involves three steps: publicly entering a human system, collecting valid data on different experiences, and providing feedback to the system to promote corporate performance. It is a structured approach that evaluates the operation and efficiency of an organization.
In all cases, it works in the same way: first an evaluation of the organization is carried out using different methods (interviews, surveys, observations, etc.) and different sources of information (employees, leaders, clients, suppliers), in order to to have the most specific image possible.
The next step is to compare the actual state of a situation with the desired results and develop a concrete action plan. The activities to be carried out are prioritized and implemented.
In recent years, organizational diagnostics has evolved from being a technique used as part of the organizational development process to an important technique on its own.
The objective of the diagnosis is to identify the problems faced by the organization. Also determine its causes so that management can plan solutions.
Since the early days of organizational development, the diagnosis has gone from being a purely behavioral approach to being a strategic and comprehensive business diagnosis, and from considering human interventions in isolation to exploring people's interactions in the context in which they operate.
Effective diagnosis of organizational culture and structural and operational strengths and weaknesses are critical to any successful organizational development intervention.
Organizational diagnostic models
Many professionals use models developed by experienced consultants and researchers who have applied it to guide their investigations.
These models specify organizational characteristics that have proven critical in the past. Standardized models also help consultants maintain consistency across projects.
Unfortunately, working with the available models runs the risk of generating a lot of data that is difficult to interpret. Likewise, of failing to address critical challenges and problems for the organization, and not reflecting its distinctive characteristics.
To avoid these drawbacks, consultants tailor standardized models to suit the organization and its circumstances.
Organizational diagnostic models can be within open systems or closed systems.
Open systems model
Open systems models suggest that all components within an organization are interrelated. Therefore, changing one component will have an effect on the other components.
Open systems models additionally consider the external environment of the organization and take into account its effects on decisions and changes.
This raises the idea that organizations are an extremely complex set of tasks, leadership, change, and decision-making functions.
Although this complexity is too overwhelming to consider all at once, the open systems model supports the concept that the whole is stronger and more effective than each individual component alone.
Feedback
The open systems model is interesting because it supports a constant feedback loop throughout the process.
Inputs, such as information and human capital, transformations such as social and technological components, and products (goods, services and intellectual capital) are considered within the context of the external environment in which the organization operates.
In each of these categories there is constant feedback, which serves to move the organization forward. It also serves to return it, to rethink concepts or ideas that did not work and need to be improved.
This is similar to the idea of encouraging trial and error: try many things and keep what works. Communication can be considered an important component in this model, to ensure effective and timely feedback.
Closed systems model
The closed systems model does not promote flexibility and adaptability as it completely ignores the external environment and focuses entirely on internal components.
At present, ignoring external forces is a sign of a weak organization, doomed to crisis or failure, because it will not be adequately prepared to face the changes that arise.
In addition, closed systems models support the concept of doing things the right way.
This limits the growth of the organization and its team members, because it does not promote any kind of development or encourage organizational learning, which is again imperative in today's changing world.
Techniques
Diagnostic methods
There are many ways to analyze and diagnose organizations and their phenomena. The following are the most frequently used methods:
- Questionnaires.
- Interviews.
- Observation.
- Analysis of records, circulars, evaluation reports and other organizational literature .
- Analysis of data from organizations and from various units.
- Task teams and task groups.
- Workshops to identify problems / solve problems.
- Seminars, symposia and training programs.
- Registration and examination of critical incidents.
General process
The process for using the organizational diagnostic tool has been to first understand the organization and the industry with which you are working.
Research is then conducted and members within the industry are interviewed. Structured questions are created for interviews with some key members of the organization to be diagnosed.
It is also about being present in the offices and corridors of the organization to observe some of the organizational aspects in progress.
From there it goes on to documentation, which is a fairly simple and straightforward process to divide the information that has been heard, noted, and observed in the organizational diagnostic model.
Intervention techniques
With organizational diagnosis, organizations become more effective by promoting reductions in the differences between power and status. Also in open communication, in participatory decision-making, in cooperation, solidarity and development of the human potential of its members.
To promote change and development, organizational development consultants developed a wide range of intervention techniques. Here is a summary of these interventions, grouped by the part of the organizational system to which they are most directly directed.
Human Resources
The change or selection of skills, attitudes and values through programs and courses of training, recruitment, selection, counseling, placement, and stress management and health maintenance programs
Behavior and processes
Changes in interaction processes, such as decision-making, leadership and communication, through training, team building, process consultation, and the intervention of third parties for conflict resolution.
Feedback of the survey data for self-diagnosis and planning of actions.
Organizational structures and technologies
Redesign of work, administrative procedures, reward mechanisms, division of labor, coordination mechanisms and work procedures.
Goals, strategies and organizational culture
Promote the clarification of objectives and the formulation of strategies through workshops and exercises. Facilitate cooperation links between organizations. Examine and change corporate cultures (values, norms and beliefs).
Example
Organizational diagnosis is a form of intervention, since it interrupts the routine operations of the organization. It can affect members' expectations of change, and it can influence how they think about themselves and their organization.
NASA case
An analysis can be made of NASA's attempt to implement open innovation, which was to share ideas and solve problems with other organizations around the world, in response to their budget cuts. Your HR system can be defined as follows:
- An unstructured job: many projects running on the fly at the same time.
- There are no processes that determine how or what to study within the projects.
- There are clear hierarchies and processes, allowing for success in a field that needs so much expertise.
- Provides a method of how to do tasks based on who wants to work on what, what skill set works, etc.
- A culture of not firing people.
- Many contractors in the office, who were the first to be laid off during the budget cuts.
- Team members very well treated.
- Low compensation caps, although this does not impact the organizational culture. People want to be there and that is why they accept lower salary caps.
- Employees think of NASA as a superior employer, because it allows people to be innovative and contribute to a new idea, or something that has not been done before.
Interventions carried out
In this case, the organization was not buying into the idea of open innovation. This was a project designed to continue to achieve NASA quality results. External collaboration from NASA was required, due to changes in the external environment, which were budget cuts.
Interventions such as training sessions, feedback opportunities, rewards for participating in open innovation were introduced. A checklist was also created to make open innovation usable by NASA.
All of these interventions taken by change agents in the NASA case ultimately worked to reconcile the conflicts created by diminishing resources, survival anxiety, diminished motivation, and resistance to change.
Appropriate interventions, such as working to align the vision of the company with the reality of day-to-day operations, can be used to reconcile and obtain positive results when conflicts exist.
