THE ULTIMATE ORGANIZATION

 

Several years ago a friend of mine, Don Curtis, wrote a brief article entitled, “What Does the Ultimate Organization Look Like?” At the time I remembered thinking I could add to the list he started. Only recently as I have been working with some libraries and someone asked, “So what would a transformed library look like?”, did I remember our initial thoughts about the ultimate organization. Below is a list, in no particular order, of characteristics that I think would be observable. I welcome comments and additions to the list.

 

1. Each and every employee has a clear understanding of the organization's aim.

 

2. Each employee is able to describe to a visitor or friend how his or her function contributes to achievement of the organization's aim.

 

3. Each person in the organization knows that the work they do must satisfy the desires of some internal and external customer. They know who their customers are. They understand how what they produce is used by their customers and why. They have established a method for receiving timely statistically significant feedback from these customers that enables them to improve their own processes.

 

4. The organization has a long-term single source of supply for every item it purchases. The vendors of these products and services work collaboratively with the organization to design, develop, produce, monitor, and to continually improve their products. Costs are consistently reduced.

 

5. Each task has a standard operating procedure which is described in a way that is precise enough and understandable enough so that anyone, even a newcomer can perform the task perfectly.

 

6. Hiring practices are well defined and rigorous. Assessments of basic skills, aptitudes, and current competencies are performed on all candidates prior to selection. Hiring is done very carefully in order to decrease the chance of hiring the wrong person for the job.

 

7. Each member of the organization from the CEO to the new trainee, has a few key indicators of performance which are important to him or her. Each of these individuals keeps control charts of data on these indicators to gain knowledge for personal improvement.

 

8. People work collaboratively. They smile and laugh a lot. They meet frequently to work on process improvements and innovations that will better satisfy customer desires. In conversations, people express respect for coworkers, suppliers and customers. They are having fun and it is obvious that they take pride in their work.

 

9. There is a never-ending pursuit of eliminating wastes. Every employee is super sensitive to all types of waste.

 

10. There is an air of urgency -- not stressful deadlines but a recognition that cycle time is very important.

 

11. There is a new language in place. Words like process, system, variation, customer, and team come up frequently. Words like problems, performance appraisal, winning, employee of the month, bonus, incentive, fault, and competitive bids are rarely spoken.

 

12. There are few written policies.

 

13. Meetings are frequent but well run and productive.

 

14. Everyone is expected to contribute and there is no fear in doing so.

 

15. There is a lot of careful risk taking.

 

16. Everyone is well trained to do his/her job as well as trained in quality improvement tools and teams.

 

17. There are many control charts in evidence.

 

18. Data is used to make decisions and to make predictions - in particular at the top management level.

 

19. There is little employee turnover, and when a new person is hired, they are well indoctrinated in the organizations culture and brought up to speed very rapidly.

 

20. There are high expectations for individuals and the organization.

 

21. Leaders view the workers as colleagues working in the system together on behalf of outside customers.

 

22. Everyone thinks from a process and system perspective.

 

23. It is clear to everyone why the organization exists and where it is going. Everyone is very knowledgeable about the key success factors for the organization and where they individually can contribute to the plan.

 

24. Competition between individuals, departments and perhaps organizations is gone. Everyone realizes that cooperation is so much more efficient.

 

25. There are quiet celebrations and communications about improvements and studies going on all the time across the organization.

 

26. There are very few customer complaints, and when there is one, it is treated as an opportunity to improve.

 

27. On a formal and informal basis, employees are constantly searching for ways to provide new, attractive products and services for customers.

 

28. Processes are all documented and are constantly being improved.

 

29. Processes are stable and thus there is little need to operate in a reactive mode.

 

30. Profit making organizations are very profitable. Not for profits, including governments, operate at low cost to benefit ratios.

 

31. Employees are paid well. There is internal and external equity. Pay is based on the future need and value of the person and the job, not performance over the last year.

 

32. Pay increases are given independent of performance. When an employee is not performing satisfactorily, he/she is counseled, trained, and encouraged. If after a short period he/she can still not fulfill the necessary role, he/she is transferred to a position where he/she can be successful (if such a position exists) or asked to leave.

 

33. There is continuous/routine feedback to all employees on how well they are doing pleasing their customers. Personal growth and improvement, however, is primarily the responsibility of the employee.

 

34. Wherever tasks and processes are examined you find built-in mechanisms which prevent them from being done wrong.

 

35. Employees are very productive because they are focusing on the most important issues or barriers to improvement rather than fire fighting and fixing things that didnt go right.

 

36. This is a very safe place to work.

 

37. The organization is a very good neighbor. It is constantly working on minimizing adverse impacts on the environment.

 

38. Leaders know that most of the problems that do occur are results of the system rather than the individuals.

 

39. The use of quality improvement tools is evident everywhere.

 

40. The board and management are focused on the customers and the future.

 

41. Employees are empowered to do their jobs and to make decisions because the aim of the organization is clear.

 

42. There is strategic planning going on at least annually with heavy emphasis on continual improvement.

 

43. It is obvious to everyone that quality begins at the top and that this organizations leader understands and models this. Leadership knows its job is to optimize the system.

 

44. The organization encourages and supports employees educating themselves in many fields even those presently unrelated to the workplace. This is a learning organization.

 

45. There is a relentless pursuit of improvement. Every employee and work team is continuously going around the PDSA cycle. Numerous cross-functional teams are working on special improvement opportunities.

 

46. Employees spend a lot of time with customers learning how they can change and improve their services to better satisfy the customers.

 

47. There is very little end-of-the-line inspection being done.

 

48. The organization and employees get many compliments.

 

49. Change in this organization is constant. Change is not a struggle, because it is brought about by employee decision and choice not imposition by management.

 

50. Relationships between and among suppliers, customers, and employees have a very high priority.