Business owners and executives across the country struggle to answer this question. Most make some comment that they are moving forward and growing. Others say they think everyone in the company knows where they are going. Yet when asked, employees respond by saying, “Wherever the company tells me we’re going.”

Preston Pond, from the Center for Organizational Design, Inc. says, “When you are lost in the desert and you don’t know where you are, any direction can be the wrong direction.  Many organizations, in an effort to be more efficient, merely redouble their efforts in the wrong direction.” Do these words reflect your company? Has your company created a concrete plan for the future? Have the owners and leaders taken an assessment of where the company is now and, more importantly, where it will be in the future?

"Strategy: We like to call this the “big picture” of the organization."

 In many organizations, the owners and executives of the company sit around a big table at an “off-site location”, conducting a SWOT analysis and discussing goals for the upcoming year. However, just like Pond’s words, many companies don’t know where they are to determine where to redouble practical efforts.

The Transformation Model

The Transformation Model, by 360 Solutions, was created to help companies assess themselves in seven critical areas. It provides a framework for viewing an organization as a living system. Using the model, leaders can see how the pieces of the organization fit together and then make conscious choices about how to improve their effectiveness.“The model breaks down organization complexity into seven key elements: Results, Environment, Strategy, Core Process, Structure, Systems, and Culture. The elements are viewed as a whole system of interrelated parts which fit together and coordinate for success.

High Performance is built into every aspect of the organization by using this model to guide a comprehensive approach to change.”We like to call this the “big picture” of the organization. The first step is to analyze and understand each of the elements. Doing so helps better understand what is working or not working in the organization and how the elements are affecting each other. The next step is to adjust or redesign the elements. Thus, making the elements better aligned with the strategy and with each other.

Think about it.  Moving forward at a very efficient and fast pace – in the wrong direction, gets you where you don’t want to be very quickly. Stop. Take a good hard look at your company. Do you know where you are? Do you know exactly where you are going? And do you know how your business might be different in the future? If you head in the wrong direction, the cost of resources and morale can be devastating. Assessing your organization’s course and making adjustments to improve the direction and focus increases confidence and productivity.  You can’t afford to wait!