How Organizational Health Enables Your Business to Overcome Change

 A runner approaches the track. She stretches. His muscles have received specific training to allow him to perform the movements necessary for this race. His health regimen is carefully calculated and adapted to his sport. She was trained for success and her body functions as a cohesive and harmonious whole that will propel her to the finish line. Like a runner, the success of a business depends on its good health and the development of certain strengths and abilities. Organizational health requires concerted effort, practice and willpower. During periods of change , this element plays a vital role in ensuring the stability and resilience of a business.

 

Organizational health is about alignment, execution and resilience

 

The definition of organizational health is simply the health or well-being of an organization. According to Mckinsey & Co., healthy organizations are those that “function well and have long periods of success. » Successful companies are perfectly aligned internally. The services are all synchronous and work in symbiosis to optimize their combined efforts. They pursue their goals with determination and efficiency based on research and data. More importantly, successful companies are agile and resilient , allowing them to succeed over the long term, even when going through waves of change.

 

Does your business need a check-up?

 

The health of your organization can be assessed in the same way as the health of the human body. The holistic well-being of an organism requires constant attention. It needs the nutrients necessary for its development and functioning, it is prone to illnesses and weaknesses, and it can experience dysfunctions. That's why we exercise, follow a nutritional diet, live in safe environments, and visit the doctor for regular checkups. An organizational check-up involves taking an inventory of your company's features, systems, and culture.Like the human body, a company is vulnerable and endowed with a delicate health that must be preserved to give it the means to survive, perform and develop.

 

Short term performance vs long term health

 

Companies often underestimate the importance of organizational health and do not give it the same level of priority as overall performance. But there is a direct correlation between companies that prioritize their health and organizations that are successful. In fact, research has shown that "almost all companies perform better if they improve their health." An extensive study by the Health Enhancement Research Organization found that more than 90% of business leaders say promoting workplace wellness affects the productivity and performance of their employees. If an athlete is training for a sprint race, she will prepare methodically to produce an explosive and intense effort without necessarily aiming for duration. Business practices work the same way. If your goal is to achieve immediate and rapid performance growth, long-term growth will not be sustainable.

 

Performance rates increase dramatically when employees feel valued and engaged, when business strategy is concise and consistent, and when all departments communicate seamlessly. But these practices take time to build and develop. Investing in these qualities within your business may seem incidental to performance, but in reality it builds the muscles of your business to ensure its longevity. If a sprint runner tried to maintain her sprint speed for a long distance race, her knees would likely end up in really bad shape.