Chris Worley

A New Model of Organization Effectiveness
July 28-August 1

Most models of organization design and change are over 100 years old; they were born in an age where environments were stable or at least predictable. As a result, we've been designing organizations and change processes with not so implicit assumptions that organizations should be predictable, stable, and in equilibrium. Traditional organizations are characterized by rules, regulations and provisions that limit experimentation, by job descriptions that are rarely revised, by continuous improvement and six-sigma processes that try to control variation, by reward systems that recognize consistent performance, and by numerous checks and balances that ensure that the organization operates in the prescribed manner. Moreover, traditional approaches to change assume stability. The whole notion of "unfreezing" and refreezing implies that an organization exists is some form of equilibrium that needs to be disrupted and then re-established. The logics of alignment, stability, and unfreezing/refreezing were powerful because they supported traditional views of how to be effective. This is a very fragile house of cards when you assume the world is changing more and more rapidly.

The purpose of this workshop is to present and explore a different approach, what we call the Built to Change model. It assumes that organizations are changing all the time. It suggests that organizations need to think about managing dynamic relationships that account for both short and long-term performance and effectiveness. Achieving "critical configuration" and "dynamic alignment" implies that organizations must engage in processes of futuring instead of industry analysis, in processes of strategizing instead of competitive advantage, in processes of creating value instead of capabilities, and in processes of designing instead of searching for the right structure. The whole model challenges the deeply held assumptions of stability and the way they pervade our language and thinking.

Exploring these ideas and their implications are the subject of this workshop. Following an overview of the Built to Change Model, each day explores an aspect of the model, how our traditional logics and thinking are challenged by these new assumptions, and how organizations can move toward a more built to change philosophy.

Monday