LEVERAGE ORGANIZATIONAL ALIGNMENT
About the Method
The method is a comprehensive and practical approach to understanding and improving organizational alignment. It visualizes chains of misalignments, and identifies alignments gaps and alignment leverage points even if they are hidden and counterintuitive.
Method Info
We use systems approach that was originally developed to resolve complex engineering and information systems problems, to create a method for detecting gaps in organizational alignment and uncovering alignment leverage points, relatively small interventions in which can result in large alignment improvements. The method deals with alignment complexity by taking into account main organizational components as well as unique organizational context.
How does the method detect organizational misalignment and alignment leverage points?
What does the method consist of?
The method consists of a context adaptive online survey for organizational participants and its following analysis. The analysis is concluded by a cause-and-effect map of organizational misalignment which highlights alignment leverage points. The interactive map allows to visualize the counterintuitive alignment details and see the big picture at the same time, which facilitates choosing the right improvement strategy.
Why this method can be of benefit to your organization?
The method provides a comprehensive and practical approach to understanding and improving organizational alignment. The alignment tool can give valuable insights for organizations facing alignment problems. It can be used for checking organizations for misalignment and for detecting alignment leverage points. It is a very powerful visualization tool for explaining alignment in an organization.
Who can use the method?
The method can be used by consultant companies as an additional means of organizational analysis of complex organizations. It can also be used by top management and stakeholders, by middle management of any organization that needs an inexpensive analysis tool that can be applied without involvement of consultants.
When and how often the method can be used?
The method can be used after reorganization, restructuring, change of ownership or other big changes when misalignment often takes place. Also, it can be used regularly, for example once a year.
Using this method and acting early on alignment gaps will help organizations identify changes that can lead to significant performance increase.
Method Tests During Analysis Development
Massaro,
an IT Management Consulting Company,
US
The analysis showed correctly cause-and-effect chains of organizational problems and misalignments between organizational elements. It showed correctly processes that were not established by design, employees' knowledge level and their professional abilities.
The CEO revealed for himself what software employees would like to use and how the upgraded software can improve business service quality and efficiency.
BCNLIP,
Language School,
Spain
The organizational problems cause-and-effect analysis was correct and highligted the main organizational problems which was confirmed by the CEO of the organization.
The alignment leverage analysis showed alignment opportunities and the leverage points analysis using centrality measures enriched the results with a few more insights.