Congruence Model
THE CONGRUENCE MODEL
The Congruence Model A Roadmap for Understanding Organizational Performance
The critical first step in designing and leading successful large-scale change is to fully understand the dynamics and performance of the enterprise. It’s simply impossible to prescribe the appropriate remedy without first diagnosing the nature and intensity of an organization’s problems. Yet, all too often, senior leaders– particularly those who have just recently assumed their positions or joined a new organization– react precipitously to a presenting set of symptoms. They quickly spot apparent similarities between the new situations they face and problems they’ve solved in the past, and leap to the assumption that what worked before will work again. The imperative to act is understandable but often misguided. Leaders would be well advised to heed the advice of Henry Schacht, who successfully led large-scale change as CEO of both Cummins Engine and Lucent Technologies: Stop, take a deep breath, give yourself some time, and “get the lay of the land” before leaping to assumptions about what should be changed, and how. That’s easier said than done. Without a comprehensive roadmap – a model – for understanding the myriad performance issues at work in today’s complex enterprises, leaders are likely to propose changes that address symptoms, rather than causes. The real issues that underlie an organization’s performance can easily go undetected by managers who view each new, unique set of problems through the well-worn filter of their
past experiences and personal assumptions. Consequently, the “mental model” any leader uses to analyze organizational problems will inevitably influence the design of a solution and, by extension, its ultimate success. Although there are countless organizational models, our purpose here is to describe one particular approach–the congruence model of organizational behavior. We’ve found the congruence model to be particularly useful in
The Congruence Model A Roadmap for Understanding Organizational Performance
The critical first step in designing and leading successful large-scale change is to fully understand the dynamics and performance of the enterprise. It’s simply impossible to prescribe the appropriate remedy without first diagnosing the nature and intensity of an organization’s problems. Yet, all too often, senior leaders– particularly those who have just recently assumed their positions or joined a new organization– react precipitously to a presenting set of symptoms. They quickly spot apparent similarities between the new situations they face and problems they’ve solved in the past, and leap to the assumption that what worked before will work again. The imperative to act is understandable but often misguided. Leaders would be well advised to heed the advice of Henry Schacht, who successfully led large-scale change as CEO of both Cummins Engine and Lucent Technologies: Stop, take a deep breath, give yourself some time, and “get the lay of the land” before leaping to assumptions about what should be changed, and how. That’s easier said than done. Without a comprehensive roadmap – a model – for understanding the myriad performance issues at work in today’s complex enterprises, leaders are likely to propose changes that address symptoms, rather than causes. The real issues that underlie an organization’s performance can easily go undetected by managers who view each new, unique set of problems through the well-worn filter of their
past experiences and personal assumptions. Consequently, the “mental model” any leader uses to analyze organizational problems will inevitably influence the design of a solution and, by extension, its ultimate success. Although there are countless organizational models, our purpose here is to describe one particular approach–the congruence model of organizational behavior. We’ve found the congruence model to be particularly useful in
References: Katz, D. and Kahn, R.L. The Social Psychology of Organizations. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1966. Lorsch, J.W. and Sheldon, A. “The individual in the organization: A systems view” in J.W. Lorsch and P.R. Lawrence (eds.). Managing Group and Intergroup Relations. Homewood, Ill.: Irwin-Dorsey, 1972. Nadler, D.A. Champions of Change: How CEOs and Their Companies Are Mastering the Skills of Radical Change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1997. Nadler, D.A. and Tushman, M.L. Competing by Design: The Power of Organizational Architecture. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. Seiler, J.A. Systems Analysis in Organizational Behavior. Homewood, Ill.: Irwin-Dorsey, 1967. Slywotzky, A.J. and Morrison, D.J. Profit Patterns: 30 Ways to Anticipate and Profit from Strategic Forces Reshaping Your Business. New York: Times Business, 1999.