The Organizational Scan©

The Organizational Scan process is the starting point for everything we do. It is a thorough diagnosis of your organization‘s component systems that allows us to examine the external environment, organizational strategy, culture, infrastructure and stakeholder expectations.

The Organizational Scan leads to the identification and prioritization of key business issues challenging your organization. It also provides specific recommendations on the most cost–effective means to resolve them. The end result is a detailed road map of how to get from where you are to where you need to be.

We use a process and sequence in gathering data about the organization:

• CEO or Functional Head Interview—a one-to-one interview to determine the CEO’s view of the organization’s direction, strategy, culture, health and needs, and of the business context in which the organization is operating.
• Senior Management Interviews—one-to-one interviews of members of the top management team—heads of functions, departments and support groups—to gain their perspective on the organizational situation.
• Documentation Review—examination of all relevant documentation on the organization’s conditions, process, and outcomes. Policy and procedures manuals, annual reports, strategic plans, newsletters, etc., are reviewed.
• Core Samples—targeted focus groups or group interviews representing all levels of the organization, either within functions (horizontally) to develop a profile of the “real” organization and its culture.
• Workplace Observations—informal “walkarounds” in the various worksite environments, at various times of the work day, to get a “feel” for the work, work processes, the physical environment, climate and morale, etc.

Depending on the Organizational Scan’s recommendations, Vector Group can implement a wide range of interventions that are typically focused in four areas:

• Organizational Alignment
• Developing Effective Leadership
• Developing Effective Teamwork
• Effective Mergers, Acquisitions and Alliances

THE BENEFITS

• Provides the CEO/Top Management with an efficient and comprehensive diagnostic scan of the organization at all levels.
• Identifies areas where the greatest potential exists for achieving organizational effectiveness.
• Facilitates planning by prioritizing action steps to move/transform the organization.
• Assesses the organization’s readiness for change and the ability of its leadership to effect that change.
• Enables the organization to align its strategy, culture, and support systems in order to achieve desired results.

THE FOCUS

Depending on the need, the Organizational Scan can have an internal, external or combined focus.

The internal scan looks primarily at the organizational entity and the business context within which it operates.

The external scan focuses more heavily on constituencies and factors outside the organization, such as customers, suppliers, alliances and competitors.

The combined scan is basically a process of cultural due diligence, concentrating typically on two organizations involved in a merger, alliance or acquisition.

Related Organizational Assessment and Diagnosis blog posts:

• Cultural Assessment
• Organizational Diagnosis