ORGANISATIONAL

DIAGNOSIS
Organizational Diagnosis

Organizational Diagnosis is an effective

way of exploring an organization to
discover its current state, desired state
and the energy for change
Diagnosis – the OD difference

Word “diagnosis” comes from a doctor-patient paradigm,

but in OD, the patient decides the diagnosis based on
data provided by consultant
OD recognizes presence of multiple realities and hence
facilitating consensus is the task of OD consultant
OD diagnosis focuses on both the system and the field –
the figure and the ground
Diagnosis focus on both conscious and unconscious – the
seen and the unseen.
 The Consulting Process

The organizational Diagnostic phase is often

integrated within an overall OD process, commonly
called 'a consulting process'. An example of such a
process is:

Entry/ Contracting --
> Diagnosis --> Action
Planning --> Interventions/
Review --> Termination
 The Diagnostic Paradigms

 The purpose of a diagnosis is to identify problems facing

the organization and to determine their causes so that
management can plan solutions.
 Purpose of diagnosis is to explore readiness to change in
an organization
 An organizational diagnosis process is a powerful
consciousness raising activity, it helps to change
organizational dynamics. Diagnosis is an intervention.
 Diagnosis implies possible disease… we should move to
dialogic, implying conversations for health and wellbeing.
 Diagnostic cycle Steps

 Orientation
 Goal setting
 Data gathering
 Analysis/ Interpretation
 Feedback
 Action Planning
 Orientation

Orientation is the process of preparing the

client system to enter into the diagnostic
phase. This helps in:
a)Readiness to be diagnosed
b)Build a certain level of trust
c)Get commitment to process and
timelines
 Goal Setting

Goal setting has to be a shared process

between the Sponsor, Client, Consultant and
customers.
Spending time in goal setting will help establish
common goals, scope of project, boundary
conditions, target groups, methods…
 Data Gathering

Data Gathering is a complex science and art.

Data can be classified as follows:
a.Quantitative and qualitative
b.Past, future and here and now
c.Individual and group
d.Stories and opinions
e.Stated and Observations
f.Thoughts and Feelings
 Analysis and Interpretation

This is the toughest part of diagnosis.

Organizations are organic and hence
constantly changing… how do we hold on to
what we saw?!
Steps in analysis and interpretation are:
a.Organizing the data
b.Using models for fitment of data
c.Triangulation
d.Researcher bias
e.Confidentiality norms
 Feedback

What to feedback, how and to whom…

Steps in Feedback are:
a.Providing raw data
b.Presenting data using models
c.Triangulation – validity of data
d.Receiving data and generation of here and
now data
e.Order of presentation and hence the myth of
priority
f.Working hypothesis
 Argyris Principles

•Validdata,
•Commitment to change and
•Free choice
 Self Awareness

•Personal Values and organization values

•Personal “hot spots”
•The seductive power of being seen as
“expert”
•Detached attachment – the stake of losing the
assignment
•Staying within role boundaries and contract
 The Path to Masterful
Practice

“In school they told me practice

makes perfect, then they told me
nobody’s perfect, so I stopped
practicing” Steven Wright
Organization Development and Change

Chapter Five:
Diagnosing Organizations
Thomas G. Cummings
Christopher G. Worley
 Open Systems Model
Environment

Inputs Transformations Outputs

• Information • Social Component • Goods
• Energy • Technological • Services
• People Component • Ideas

Feedback
Cummings & Worley, 9e (c) 2008 South-
5-16 Western/Cengage Learning
 Diagnosing Organizational
Systems

 Thekey to effective
diagnosis is…
 Know what to look for at each
organizational level
 And more important, how the
levels affect each other

Cummings & Worley, 9e (c) 2008 South-

5-17 Western/Cengage Learning
 Organization-Level
Diagnostic Model
Inputs Design Components Outputs
Technology

Effectiveness
General

Organization
Environme Strategy Structure

Culture
nt

Industry
Structure HR Measurement
Systems Systems

Cummings & Worley, 9e (c) 2008 South-

5-18 Western/Cengage Learning
Frameworks for
Diagnosis
McKinsey’s 7-S Framework
Structure

Strategy Systems

Shared
Vision*

Skills Style

Staff
* Super-ordinate Goal
Burke Litwin Model
 Elements of a working
hypothesis
 Hypothesis
1. What I see happening

2. The evidence for it – data 1, b, c

3. Because – processes and dynamics at conscious &

unconscious level and at individual, group and
systemic level

 The Working
Tentative, up for exploration, testing, modification
and even rejection!
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