Creating an effective organisation
What makes an organisation effective? Not an easy question, no easy answers. Often organisations find they deal with problems – or symptoms of problems separately. For instance, reviewing systems and processes – without consideration about how this interacts with the organisational culture, staff and skills, the organisational structure, and more that affect and are affected by these ways of working.
Our approach at aCatalyst Consulting is to work with managers using the McKinsey 7S framework to examine organisational effectiveness:
- Staff — right people on the bus
- Skills – relevant and essential in meeting the organisation’s goals
- Systems – are appropriate and aligned to support all 7 elements.
- Strategy — distinctive business strategy in place that shows how the company will gain a competitive advantage, adding value on each chunk of the value chain
- Structure — fits the business model and strategy, and places the right people in the right seats
- Organisational culture — staff are engaged and it shows in the organisation’s performance
- Vision and mission — in place serving as a call to action, mobilising employees toward commo purpose.
aCatalyst Consulting staff have worked with numerous organisations in helping them become stronger and better performing institutions.
Linking human resources management with an organisation’s performance
Human resources management was always considered important but the problem is that HR was always a step removed. It was often hard to see how good or bad HR management affected the performance of the organization.
aCatalyst Consulting ties it’s organisational DNA work right into business planning, beginning with corporate planning and with performance at the departmental level. For instance, how does one measure the performance of a department and link it with HR management? How do we know HR management is working aside from going through the standard routine on the HR cycle and simply hoping for the best?
Our approach is to set up an organisational DNA scorecard that measures the performance of an organisation’s units, link it with the traditional harder measures. And, get managers to look into their area of responsibility through the same set of eyeglasses. Then we make sure an effective HR management cycle is in place including: recruitment and selection, performance appraisals, salary surveys, incentives and training.
Creating engaged staff — increasing morale
There is a direct link between people’s engagement and business performance. In a working population it was found:
- Staff who are engaged, loyal and productive — 26%
- Not engaged, just putting in time — 55%
- Actively disengaged, unhappy and spreading their discontent — 19%.
Source: Marcus Buckingham, Gallup Organization
Trick is to increase the ratio engaged to actively disengaged staff. aCatalyst Consulting asks 12 questions — Q12 — representing core issues that have to be addressed to have staff be more engaged in their work.
Read more about how others have redesigned the performance appraisal process.
Recruitment — finding the right people
You can’t fit a square peg in a round hole. Getting the right person in the right position is critical.
aCatalyst Consulting works in its recruitment and selection process to ensure the right people are hired to add the organisational DNA spark that makes things happen.
The recruitment of someone who just does not meet the needs of the job is a costly and upsetting process for all concerned. At all stages of the selection process we will closely work with you.
To learn more about our work in people and change, contact:
Pinky Omondi
Cell: +254 716 – 452 444