An Investigation

I am in the process of gathering some data to find out what inconsistencies exist in the organization I am studying.  I will call this organization ABC Early Learning Center.  I have handed out a survey with questions about values, culture, and work structure.  I will get these back this week and begin to look for problems to address in my OD plan.

I am using Weisbord's Organizational Diagnosis workbook to guide my outline.  According to Weisbord, organizations have a "transformation process" which includes the interaction of six areas:  1)purpose, 2)structure, 3)rewards, 4)helpful mechanisms, 5)relationships, 6)leadership. These six areas make up the culture of the organization which interact with the outside environment with its' demands and constraints it places on the organization.

The feedback loop is:  Inputs from outside environment impact the transformational process, which in turn results in Outputs.  The Outputs then inform the new Inputs which impact the transformational process and loop continues.

Some guiding questions to understand the "transformational process:"

1.  What "business" are we in?

2.  How do we divide up the work in this organization?

3.  Are there incentives for doing the work that needs to be done to accomplish our goals?

4.  Do we have adequate coordinating technologies?

5.  How do the people in the organization manage conflict among the technologies?

6.  Is there leadership within the organization that keeps the "transformational process" in balance?  

7.  How does that leader accomplish this?