What is healthy?

Recently I posed a question to some fellow organization development colleagues about what Healthy means in the context of organizations - since that is a goal of the work I and others in the field help promote, I thought having clarity around the goal would be helpful. Here is the question I posed:

My Email:
I have had a bunch of thoughts lately about the meaning of a healthy organization/team. With this topic on mind here are some general questions. I am curious about your thoughts.

1. Have you worked or been a member in a healthy organization?

2. What makes that (or a place) a healthy organization?

As an OD practitioner my goal is to help, individuals, teams, and organizations improve their health. In fact one of the many definitions of OD states:

Organization Development is concerned with the deliberate, reasoned, introduction, establishment, reinforcement, and spread of change for the purpose of improving an organization's effectiveness and health.
- From Huse, E.F. (1980) Organization Development and Change (not APA format)

He goes on to define both effectiveness and health - but I will stop here in order to hear your ideas...

Here are the responses shared:
A healthy organization...
-Is realistic – sees its market position, resources and strategic options realistically
-Has a management team that is suited to the job, functions well together and models honesty and accountability at the top
-Is progressive in its people practices (values employees and shows it, invests in ongoing development of its people)
-Allows diversity of opinion, encourages debate ideas and individual contribution while keeping focused on day-to-day delivery
-Values performance and accountability and demonstrates this through its policies and practices
-Resources both short and long term bets appropriately
-Is able to make changes as its environment changes

Another response:
Description developed by Jack Fordyce and Ray Weil.
Characteristics of Healthy and Unhealthy Organizations

1. Objectives are widely shared and there is a strong flow of energy toward them. Versus There is little personal investment in organizational objectives except at the top.
2. People feel free to signal their awareness of difficulties because they expect problems to be dealt with and are optimistic they can be solved. Versus People see things going wrong and do nothing. Problems are avoided. People talk about office trouble at home, in the hall, but not with those involved.
3. Problem solving is highly pragmatic. In attacking problems, people work informally and are not preoccupied with status, territory, or second-guessing. Versus Status and boxes on the organization chart are more important than solving problems. There is excessive concern with management as the customer, instead of the real customer.
4. The boss is frequently challenged. A great deal of nonconforming behavior is tolerated. Versus People treat each other in a formal, polite manner that masks issues and controls behavior.
5. There is noticeable sense of team play in planning performance and discipline; a shared responsibility. Versus Managers feel alone in trying to get things done. Somehow orders don’t get carried out as intended.
6. Decision making is determined by such factors as ability, sense of responsibility, availability of information, work load, timing and individual development. Versus People at the top try to control as many decisions as possible. They become bottlenecks, and make decisions with inadequate information and advice.
7. The judgment of people lower down people throughout the organization is listened to and valued. Versus The judgment of is not respected outside the narrow limits of their jobs.
8. The range of problems tackled includes personal needs and human relationships. Versus Personal needs and feelings are side issues.
9. Collaboration is freely entered into. Ways of helping are highly developed. Versus People compete when they need to collaborate. They protect their turf.
10. When there is a crisis, people band together. Versus When there is a crisis, people withdraw or start blaming.
11. Conflicts are considered important to decision making and growth. They are dealt with in the open. People are candid. Versus Conflict is mostly covert and managed by office politics and other games. There are interminable and irreconcilable arguments.
12. Risk is accepted as a condition of growth. Versus Minimizing risk has a very high value.
13. Relationships are honest. People do care about one another and do not feel alone. Versus Relationships are contaminated by “maskmanship.” People feel alone. There is an undercurrent of fear.
14. Learning is easy. There is a willingness to give, seek and use feedback and advice. People see themselves and others as capable of development and growth. Versus Learning is difficult. People don’t approach their peers to learn from them, but learn from their own mistakes. What feedback they get is not helpful.
15. Joint critique is routine. Versus Feedback is avoided.
16. People are stimulated and highly involved by choice. They are optimistic. The work place is important and fun. (Why not?) Versus People feel locked into jobs, stale and bored, constrained by the need for security. They find excitement elsewhere.
17. Leadership is flexible, shifting in style and person to suit the need. Versus Managers are prescribing parents to the to the organization.
18. There is a high degree of trust, sense of freedom and mutual responsibility. People generally know what is important and not. Versus Managers tightly control small expenditures and demand excessive justification. They allow little freedom for making mistakes.
19. "What can we learn from that?" Versus "One mistake and you're out."
20. Poor performance is confronted and a joint resolution sought. Versus Poor performance is glossed over or handled arbitrarily.
21. Organization structure, policies, and procedures help people get the job done and protect long-term organization health. Versus Organizational structure, policies and procedures encumber the organization. People take refuge procedures and play games.
22. Old methods are questioned often and give way to new ideas. Versus Tradition!
23. The organization adapts swiftly to changes and opportunities because all eyes are watching and anticipating the future. Versus Innovation is in the hands of a few.
24. Frustrations are a call to action: “It’s my/our responsibility to save the ship.” Versus People swallow their frustrations: “I can do nothing. It's their responsibility.”
25. Managers look at their organization in terms of how they think it should run, and when it doesn’t’ run as desired, they consider it a "work problem,” not "find the culprit." Versus Managers look at their organization in terms of how it does run and when it doesn’t run as desired they look for someone to blame.

Adapted from Managing with People, Jack K. Fordyce and Ray Weil, Addison-Wesley, 2^nd edition, by McCarthy & Company, Organization Consultants, Inc. www.mccarthyconsultants.com