Determining the area that needs improvement is one of the most critical steps to initiating effective organisational change. However, diagnosing what needs to change in an organisation requires the application of a conceptual model that will help explain or describe the complex interaction of different organisational elements. This leads to the formulation of a problem statement that will serve as an anchor for the development of a more realistic and relevant plan for change.
Models for Diagnosing What Needs to Change in an Organisation
Each company has its own set of elements that have characteristics or attributes that are different from other organisations. Models represent the interaction of these elements to simplify the complex interactions that define any given organisation. The following conceptual models can help managers and change agents diagnose what needs to change in their respective organisations.
- Kotter’s Integrative Model
John P. Kotter designed the Integrative Model of Organizational Dynamics in 1980. The model describes the relationship between fundamental organisational processes and other elements. The elements that can have an impact on organisational processes include formal organisational arrangements, social system, and technology. Tangible assets and employees also have an impact on organisational processes. So too are dominant coalition and the external environment. Kotter’s model uses an open-systems approach to describe the interplay of external and internal environments in organisational dynamics.
- McKinsey’s 7S Model
This conceptual model assesses the status of an organisation’s 7 internal factors or elements. It is useful in the examination of the capability and readiness of the company for success. The 7 factors are grouped into hard and soft elements. The ‘hard’ elements have a more clear-cut character and come under the direct influence of the management. These include Strategy, Systems, and Structure. The “soft” elements, on the other hand, are more a reflection of corporate culture. These include Staff, Skills, Shared Values, and Style.
- Weisbord’s 6-Box Model
Marvin Weisbord developed a simpler way of assessing the fundamental functions of any organisation. The elements or “boxes” are more general than other models. This allows organisations to adopt the model to suit their needs. The 6 boxes include Purposes, Relationships, Leadership, Structure, Rewards, and Helpful Mechanisms. These are the elements that Weisbord considers essential to any organisation. Assessing the alignment of these factors can help in the identification of what needs to change in an organisation.
- Burke-Litwin Model
This model examines the causal relationship between change and organisational performance. It describes 12 different organisational elements that are instrumental in facilitating organisational change. Burke and Litwin believed that any change in an organisation can come from factors outside the organisation. The way the different organisational elements interact and influence one another can spell the difference between constructive and destructive change.
Creating and Refining Your Own Model of Diagnosis
Conceptual models are a general representation of organisational dynamics. These models are not exclusive to an organisation. A conceptual model may have a missing element or variable that an organisation needs to help in the diagnosis of the need for change.
It is for this reason that companies will have to learn from these conceptual models. They can study the different elements of a model and replace or refine such variables to suit the needs of their company.
There are three very important things that change agents and managers must consider whenever designing or refining their own model of diagnosing change.
- The conceptual model should be relevant and appropriate to the issue which the organisation wants to address.
- The conceptual model should reflect causality and allow change agents to clearly pinpoint effects from causes.
- The conceptual model should focus on variables or elements that change agents or managers can influence.
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Collection and Interpretation of Information
Diagnosing what needs to change in an organisation requires the collection of relevant and accurate data. This results in the effective formulation of a diagnostic statement that defines what the real problem is. The identification of a very clear problem statement can provide managers and change agents a clear idea of what the goal of the change should be.
- Selection of a Conceptual Model
The right conceptual model should be able to describe the different elements or variables that the organisation wants to address. Organisations must examine the different models available. They can decide which of these models is more capable of describing the change phenomenon that the organisation wants to have.
- Clarification of Information
One way an organisation can choose an appropriate conceptual model is by looking at the different terms used in the model. Change agents should have a clear idea of what information the model requires. If the company cannot provide such an information, then the model will not be a good fit in diagnosing what needs to change in the organisation.
- Information Gathering
Clarifying the information that the conceptual model requires paves the way for the creation of specific data gathering tools. These tools should be able to collect all the different information that is necessary to explain the relationship of variables as described in the model.
- Analysis of Information
Using appropriate statistical tools can provide change agents and managers with a more objective understanding of the information gathered. There are also applications that organisations can use to help in the overall management of the changes they want to implement.
- Interpretation of Information Gathered
Numbers mean nothing if not interpreted in a more sensible manner. Change agents should be able to use their creative resources in drawing valid and accurate inferences from the data analysed. The issue with data interpretation is that it does tend to be subjective. One can address this by employing a team of experts to create a unified stance on what the quantitative information really means and its implications for the organisation.
Coming up with a clear problem statement can help lay the foundation for a more realistic plan for organisational change. Using the right conceptual model can provide direction for the gathering, analyses, and interpretation of relevant data. Change managers and organisational decision-makers can then lay out a more concrete plan of action for change.