NOTABLE ELEMENTS OF ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS ARE A SENSE OF PURPOSE MIRRORED BY A VISION, MISSION OR VALUES, VISIBLE LEADERS, AND AN ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE THAT MATCHES THE ORGANIZATIONAL PURPOSES AND STRATEGIES.
Notable elements of organizational effectiveness are a sense of purpose mirrored by a vision, mission or values, visible leaders, and an organizational structure that matches the organizational purposes and strategies, employees that feel a sense of ownership of their particular jobs, and leadership decisions with inputs from the lowest appropriate level.
In an effective organization, its people are highly motivated partly because rewards are tied to achievements. Its open communication culture enables a faster resolution of any contentious issue rather than allowing it to fester and degenerate into political arguments. While managing its boundaries well including those with its customers, its suppliers and the world at large, it sets up processes to learn and develop its capabilities, equip its managers to act as coaches and enablers instead of bosses, sets strategic goals and objectives at all levels, adheres to its stated values, inspires its people to solve problems innovatively and be the best at what they do.
The ultimate measure of an organization’s values is what it does, not what it says. To set the right tone of trust in an organisation, it is important for senior managers to make their behaviour congruent with the stated organizational values. Timeless, wholesome values shine forth from the key elements of organizational effectiveness.
As they occupy themselves with leadership, direction and focus, sound organization and financial competence, matters of customer orientation and communication, and its environment, great companies also anticipate and embrace change innovatively. In addition, effective organizations value and develop their people, encourage the cultivation of positive beliefs and attitudes, develop cohesive teams that learn together, foster systems thinking, encourage their people to think “outside the box” and create conducive work environments.
Analysts have shown that total quality programs with an understated human element have a high failure rate. Quality is about system and passion. The core of passion is positive beliefs that manifest as positive attitudes galvanizing staff into outstanding results in all facets of the organization.
Excellence also shines its beams on teamwork that cuts across the entire organization, from frontline operators like service teams, production teams, shop floor operators and manufacturing cells to board of directors, presidents and vice presidents. Compared to isolated activities and dysfunctional groups, teams that operate in harmony tend to cope well with pressure and produce excellent results. Political turf guarding encumbers the cohesiveness of an organization and hampers its productivity.
Identifying the most promising areas, orchestrating some changes, observing the results and modifying the change program appropriately is the right task of leadership. A leader would become better than average if he is believable and operates from a sound knowledge base that guides him to communicate his reasons for any changes in operational approach, if he views situations from other’s perspectives and looks for the common ground, areas of mutual agreement with people that they are trying to influence, in a bid to minimise resistance.
