Adapting Within an Ever-changing Environment
Operating successfully in a fiercely competitive society, means having the ability to change your environment quickly and with minimum impact. By analysing your organisation as it currently stands, you will be able to understand your environment, respond to it and plan for its future.
Five key organisational influences to consider when gauging their true importance include:
1. Customers or clients: current or future recipients of your services; do 20 % of your client base take up 80 % of your time and resources? Do *you* provide the best service, on time?
Really listen to your clients and their requirements. Even though you can provide expert advice; they usually know what they want. Work with your clients to improve their business. Strive to always improve your services and update your skills. Let your clients know how you are offering more value and enhancing your services. Offer a guarantee. By showing trust in your organisation to deliver, your client is more likely to trust you.
2. Stakeholders: people or organisations that influence the way you work.
Your stakeholders include employees. Are your employees portraying the appropriate image to your clients? Do they take the time to build a relationship with your top clients?
Another key stakeholder is your supplier. You are your supplier’s client. Are you getting the best service and product from your supplier? If not, negotiate with your current supplier or replace them.
3. Industry: the field within which you work; are you diversifying too much, or not enough?
Diversifying makes sense only if it complements your existing business. You are then able to use existing staff, procedures and infrastructure to “on sell” any services or products. By generating a number of different streams of income, your risk is reduced.
However, introducing radically new products and services is similar to starting a new business. Is your current operation able to support a “new” business, even for a short time?
4. Climate: the environment within which the organisation works; is it stable, or unpredictable?
By creating and maintain a healthy work environment, employees remain motivated, absenteeism is reduced, take necessary risks, are innovative, reach targets and boost production. Providing clarity, challenge and support for your staff ensures that you are all working towards a common goal, within a supportive and positive environment.
Meet regularly with your staff and form a relationship with them. Employ a democratic dictatorship policy, by listening to your employees, looking at data, and then taking decisive action. By providing clear direction, your employees know what is expected of them (and you), and can trust you to make the necessary decisions for organisational progress.
5. Rules and regulations: external means of organisational control; do all of the rules make sense, or do they need to be changed?
If your policies are 10 years old, review them and adapt what is necessary for a productive environment. If nobody can remember why a particular regulation exists, and there seems no logical reason for it, then why is everyone still following it?
For example: An airline’s accounting system demanded that four invoice copies be printed: one for the client, one for the airline branch, and one for the head office. Where did the fourth copy go? Generally, in the bin, or into another duplicate file. When the procedure was queried with accounting, no-one could remember why they needed four copies. The fourth copy was subsequently dismissed, saving the airline thousands of dollars in paper and printing costs.
Teamworks Pacific can provide a “snapshot” of your organisation’s ability and help you achieve your business outcomes. We will work with you to analyse your strategies, structure, environment, systems, culture and leadership processes; and provide a strategic, unique plan for your business to reach the highest possible potential.
© 
Joanne Grey – may not be copied without express permission from the author.
Tags: “Do not waste worry. If you're going to worry, worry well. Put that energy to good use; aim it at an answer. Don't forget: Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action.” – Walter Anderson
© 2008 Teamworks Pacific Ltd