Chances are that if you’re an entrepreneur, you’re pretty smart. And you must be savvy to build a sustainable business in today’s highly-competitive business climate.
For most of my clients, smart and savvy are not the issue. It’s the overall health of their organizations that needs help.
Healthy organizations create open, honest, trusting and cohesive working environments. No politics. Clear roles. All employees are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work. No holds barred.
In his latest book, The Advantage: Why Organizational Healthy Trumps Everything Else in Business, Patrick Lencioni makes the case that organizational health surpasses all other disciplines as the key component to achieving competitive advantage.
So what makes an organization healthy? As Lencioni puts it, “Healthy organizations outperform their counterparts, are free of politics and confusion, and provide an environment where star performers never want to leave.”
Lencioni identifies four disciplines necessary for organizational health:
Did someone say “clarity?”
Lencioni mentions clarity in three of the four disciplines, not because he has a limited vocabulary, but because it truly is that important. As simple as the word may sound, lack of clarity is the primary reason organizations get off course and lose their competitive edge.
As much as you may not want to hear it, the only way to achieve consistent clarity in an organization is to hold frequent meetings. BUT… I’m not talking about those tedious staff meetings where everyone stares at the clock, plays on their smart phones, and wishes you would hurry up and let them get back to work. I’m referring to highly-productive meetings (i.e. Level 10 meetings) – where you not only accomplish a lot, but also watch your organizational health skyrocket.
Smart and healthy. What a great way for organizations to live!
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Excellent post, Randy. Before I saw the book being referenced, another book immediately came to mind. I recently got my hands on a pre-release of “The Culture Blueprint (http://www.cultureblueprint.com/).” This book is so comprehensive that I believe every coach will be recommending it to their clients (dare I say … even above The E-myth).
Steve, thanks for sharing “the culture blueprint.” Just went to the link and downloaded the top “10 culture hacks.” Will review while traveling to CA on Friday and I also plan to get the book when it’s available.