The Healthy Organization

THE HEALTHY ORGANIZATION

This book will outline the path to achieving the vision of a healthy organization. That vision can be summarized as follows: It is an organization with the optimal number of layers of leadership, which demonstrably adds value to the work of others. This includes the design and delivery of mission and strategy. The conundrum of how to provide space and challenge for individuals to achieve, continue to learn, grow and enjoy their work and be duly rewarded for their performance, will be solved. It will become clear how to ensure the right number of jobs as the basis for a cost-effective organization. It will be demonstrated that the identification of talent is easier, as is the planning of relevant development opportunities to meet the needs and objectives of both the individual and the organization.

In short, the DMA model will turn claims about ‘flatter structures, faster communication, quicker decision making, better innovation, being closer to the customer with a highly motivated workforce’ from the realm of fantasy and platitudes to that of reality.

The field tests established conclusively that DMA directly enhanced all but one of the eight drivers of business success. Focus on customers is the core ethic in Tesco. The DMA model demonstrated how to build a healthy organization that was closer to the customer. Their logo (see Figure 2.1), set by the board, was 44 The healthy organization.

Designed to reinforce this aspect of the Tesco values in both Tesco and Unilever a number of examples (see Figures 2.2 and 2.3) were given, showing scope for improved cost effectiveness. The scope for improved innovation and more effective deployment of projects was established, and will be covered more exten...

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... time in being able to meet the challenges of at least the early part of this century.

For this reason it is now apparent that time-in-accountability level is the powerful new concept for leadership development and planning an individual’s lifetime work patterns. As already illustrated, DMA is well attuned to the developing needs of e-business. Furthermore, without DMA these processes will become more random and haphazard as existing approaches are built around the central tenet of ‘having a job’ which is quickly becoming outmoded as a reliable basis for individual development and life-planning of work. It will also call for a radical rethink of reward practices and associated HR management concerns. In short, DMA arguably provides the most powerful basis for building a healthy organization in the 21st century – a revolutionary approach to people and management.