In the past we have already blogged on the topic of organizational development and presented you, for example, the 5 Forces – our design fields for optimizing your procurement organization. The basic idea behind organizational development is the fact that every company and every procurement department is unique. It is characterized by the purpose of the company, special challenges, usually historically grown and is brought to life by its individual members.

This is the reason why there is no patent recipe for the perfect organization. In the context of its development, a holistic approach is therefore all the more important to ensure that all gears can function smoothly in practice. Because only when the structure, behavior, culture and personality of an organization are in balance can you operate optimally with each other.

Description of the individual pillars of an organization

The structure of an organization forms its basic framework. It provides hierarchies, positions and teams in the overall structure, as well as processes and working methods. Is it a centralized purchasing department or is it decentralized? Who are the technical and disciplinary superiors and which methods and tools are used and which processes does the organization have to meet? Which official channels must be followed and how does the interaction between individual organizational units and members take place?

The behavior of an organization can be represented by competencies, performance and knowledge and the interaction of the individual members in these points to fulfill the purpose of the organization. As the old saying goes: The whole is more than the sum of its parts. At best, individual team members complement each other in their competencies and responsibilities and thus find the opportunity to achieve optimal work results together.

The culture of a company is particularly reflected in the topics of communication, relationships and manners. While a few decades ago, a distanced form of work in a usually clear commanding tone was the order of the day, today we often experience that in many companies there is often a downright friendly „you“ working atmosphere.

Within the organization, the personality must also be taken into consideration. This pillar includes the character and work attitude of an individual as well as his or her attitude in particular, which can range from self-oriented („I fight“) to rational-functional („I calculate“), self-determined („I do“) to systemic-autonomous („I support and lead“).

What does this mean?

In the context of an effective and optimal organizational development it is important to pay attention to all pillars equally and above all to their balance to each other.  For example, an authoritarian management style does not fit into an agile team structure and a team that works predominantly remotely requires employees with an independent and responsible way of working and a high degree of willingness to communicate.

But as I said at the beginning: In general, there is no right or wrong. The requirements for the individual pillars vary from organization to organization and therefore require detailed consideration in each individual case.

 

Oliver Kreienbrink

Managing Director, ADCONIA GmbH

Jessica Murawski

Consultant, ADCONIA GmbH