Four Key Factors for a Healthy Organization

Are you facing any of these issues?

  • Elevated number of employee turnover
  • Disengaged teams
  • Low performance
  • Interdepartmental fighting

If you detect any of these symptoms, chances are that there is a high level of disconnection. Not all is lost. Depending on the source of the problem, there are concrete actions that can be taken to turn the situation around.

  1. Culture

Culture is the one of the most important but often overlooked aspects in an organization.  If employees do not feel part of the whole, then there is no team, but rather a loose group of individuals doing what they deem correct.

It does not matter whether your company is large or small, it is essential to provide a sense of identity for your employees so that they can feel part something bigger than themselves. It would give them a sense of pride and purpose for their work. Involve them so they embrace and embody the company’s values, beliefs, standards and attitudes that would guide their behavior and decision making.

Team building activities should be designed with the company culture in mind.

  1. Clear communication of business goals

In addition to the bond created through a strong culture, all employees should feel engaged and accountable to the business. When goals and results are known by only a select few, the work force would not own any responsibility in the success or failure of the company.

Have your organization’s leaders maintain the teams informed of the goals and the monthly/quarterly results. Celebrate achievements. If things are not going as planned, motivate them to find solutions. Set clear expectations on what individual contributions are required for success. Separate time in the calendar to ensure these tasks are done properly.

  1. Data and information systems

When the departments handle different sets of data, or when the criteria for analyzing said data are dissimilar, you will encounter endless misunderstandings and fights. Instead of focusing on how to win in the market, the teams would be spending the time defending their positions.

Whatever system you use, be it SAP or simple Excel sheets, provide clear KPIs as well as a common source of data. That way, you make sure that everyone speaks the same language and the collective effort is aligned.

  1. Processes

Notice how the big corporations restructure every so often? They do this to strengthen processes, improve efficiency, be more competitive. Having clear processes and alignment between departments is crucial to the health and success of the business.

This does not mean you have to do the same and start making big adjustments. However, it is smart practice to sit the teams together to identify opportunities to improve the effectiveness. Oftentimes, the solutions to problems comes from the people that do the work. They are the ones who deal with the issues on a daily basis and can give valuable insights.

If you happen to make changes to the culture, structure, or process, ensure the switch is accompanied with a proper change management plan. Success depends on having people buying into the idea.