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Greiner’s Model for Organizational Development & Growth

Greiner’s Growth Model is a framework that shows the different phases a company goes through to achieve growth. Each growth phase is made up of a period of relatively stable growth, followed by a “crisis” when major organizational change is needed if the company is to carry on growing.

Although the word “crisis” is often linked to a state of panic, it can also mean “turning point.” While companies certainly have to change at each of these points, if they properly plan ahead, there is no need for panic, and so we will call them “transitions.”

Stages

These evolutionary phases (and ensuing revolutionary phases) are:

  1. Growth through creativity which leads to a crisis of leadership.
  2. Growth through direction which leads to a crisis of autonomy
  3. Growth through decentralization which leads to a crisis of control
  4. Growth through coordination which leads to a crisis of red tape
  5. Growth through collaboration which leads to a crisis of internal growth (also dubbed the “consultation crisis”)
  6. Growth through alliances which leads to a crisis of identity ³

Resources

Lucidity Guide
Evolution and Revolution as Organizations Grow by Larry E. Greiner
Mindtools – Introduction

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Implicit Bias Training

Found this free online course on implicit bias on LinkedIn! It is short, clear, and focused on understanding how common biases show up in hiring and how we can work together to mitigate them.

I’ve also pooled together a few extra readings here:

  1. What is Implicit/Unconscious Bias?
  2. Learn about the different types of implicit / unconscious bias
  3. Unconscious Bias: Stereotypical hiring practices?
  4. How to Outsmart Your Own Unconscious Bias
  5. Overcome Unconscious Bias in Job Interviewing
  6. Bias-Free Hiring Guide
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Managing Complex Change

Managing Complex Change
  • Vision – Form a strategic vision for the project.  Link strategic outcomes with key initiatives.  Share the vision freely and make sure everyone in your project team is capable of explaining the desired state.
  • Skills – This variable is not a direct match with the Kotter model but it makes sense to me.  It is important to make investments in the people who will help bring and sustain the change.
  • Incentives – It’s time to resist the do more with less mentality.  In my opinion, we’ve permitted the pendulum to swing too far on this topic.  Work needs to be prioritized and key change initiatives need to be incentivized.  This doesn’t necessarily have to mean direct compensation.  It might mean recognizing people that take the risk change when change is unpopular or difficult.  Sometimes the only incentive necessary is an explanation of how the project will improve the lives of customers, or patients, or staff.
  • Resources – Enable action by equipping with the tools to do their job and remove obstacles.  This would be one of the first questions I’d ask to my change team – what do you need to be successful?
  • Action Plan – Keep it simple.  Make sure it’s always updated and easily accessible.  Finally, make sure people understand there is only one plan and who is accountable for its success.  Usually there is one project owner – they are ultimately accountable for the project’s success.  There are also multiple contributors to a project – they too are accountable for their contribution.
https://implementtoimpact.blog/2017/11/13/managing-complex-change/
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The Hawthorne Effect

Currently I am helping an organization develop an internal leadership manual that details culture around the processes and practices in the organization. We look at how to resolve conflict, make decisions, deal with information sharing, and more.

We recently hired a consultant to assist us with improving equity in the organization. During our meeting today asked if they could join in on our next staff retreat to observe our conversations around our leadership manual development. Our tiny staff has been working together now for several months and built a stronger sense of trust–and as a result–honesty through that process.

I was hesitant and tried to vocalize my concern that I didn’t want to create a situation where we were inserting a ‘stranger’ into the process midway (our 3rd out of 5 staff retreats)–and that this could possibly result in a backslide and close down the openness and candor I’ve been able to cultivate.

She understood immediately and said that she agreed after further dialogue, citing the Hawthorn Effect.

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Nonprofit Notes | Board of Directors Cloud Server / File System

One thing that many smaller nonprofits struggle with is getting board members onboarded, organized, and informed. The goal is to set up a precise and easy-to-navigate system that will allow your board to access information and work smoothly. Create a shared cloud-drive folder that will include all critical board related data, including a dedicated folder with onboarding materials.

Before You Begin

  1. Review & update your data sharing and security policies.
  2. Designate an administrator who has access to view, edit, or delete files on your company’s shared drive.
  3. Set up and document a naming convention: Having a consistent format will ensure files remain chronological and easy to find.
  4. Schedule a board training, providing an overall orientation on how to access, navigate, and utilize your new system.

Setting Up Your System

I set up my system the same way you might set up a Chart of Accounts, with the following:

  • 100 Level – Orientation / On-Boarding Kit
  • 200 Level – Administrative
  • 300 Level – Legal
  • 400 Level – Finance
  • 500 Level – Committees
  • 900 Level – Everything Else

0 – Start Here Cheat Sheet – A one pager document that sits outside of all the folders, outlining and annotating the contents of your board packet. This should help board members quickly find what they’re looking for.

100 Level – Orientation – All the materials necessary for a new board member to get successfully oriented. Check out my other post on Board Orientation / On-Boarding materials for an in-depth list of my recommendations.

200 – Administrative – Board reports & meeting minutes, annual reports, board trainings, etc.

300 – Legal – This should include your bylaws, articles of incorporation, and IRS determination letter. Leases, where applicable, and key contracts.

400 – Finances – This should include historical copies of your 990s, annual financial reports including statements of activity & statements of financial position, endowment details, audits, narratives, specific policies, and so forth

500 – Committee Folders – Each committee should have its own folder, with a charter, minutes, workplans, and all other relevant data.

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Nonprofit Notes | Onboarding New Board Members

Building an onboarding packet for new board members can make a meaningful difference when it comes to getting new directors up to speed and confidently engaging with the work of the organization.

Create an orientation folder on your shared drive titled ‘Board Member Kit’. Inside you will be setting up separate files instead of creating one unified packet pdf. This will be easier to keep the various components up to date without needing a full re-release.

I like to include the following:

  • Welcome To The Org Slide Deck – Get-to-know-us slide-deck that introduces the organization, including the mission, core values, a brief history, overview of programs, and lifelong impact. When designing this deck, frame it with a general audience in mind: staff members, donors, partners, and the general public. Update every 2-3 years.
  • Welcome To The Board Slide Deck – Slide-deck that introduces board operations, including information on strategic priorities, key partners, key policies, tenure, board structure/org structure, committees, including
  • Your First 3-6 Months – 1-page overview of what details what board members should be trying to do in their first 3-6 months, month by month.
  • Board Guidebook – Detailing
  • Operations Calendar – Details key activities of the board over the course of the year, including budgeting, events, financial submittals, elections, etc.
  • Member & Officer Responsibilities Overview – Job description of board members and the different officers of the board
  • Directory – Biographies and contact information for all board members, including terms.
  • Committee Overview & Links to Charters– 1-pager that lists all board committees and their general scope, as well as copies of each board committee charter. If you don’t know what a board charter is, check out my classroom for a copy.
  • Board Contract & Disclosure Forms – Template copies of the forms board members fill out when they onboard with the organization.
  • Any Additional Board Service Information – I like to include a 101 on serving on a board, a recommended reading list, email set-up guide, and so on.
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Notes | The Speed of Trust by Stephen Covey

About

Why trust? The simple, often overlooked fact is this: work gets done with and through people. The Speed of Trust offers an unprecedented and eminently practical look at exactly how trust functions in every transaction and every relationship—from the most personal to the broadest, most indirect interaction. It specifically demonstrates how to establish trust intentionally so that you and your organization can forego the time-killing, bureaucratic check-and-balance processes that is so often deployed in lieu of actual trust.

Link
Smart Trust™ – a smart idea for the team and the business – LeAP
Crisis and the Speed of Trust - kith.co
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August Round Up | Trust and Hope

August

I‘ve been a bit swamped the last month ahead of a major career transition, so I haven’t been able to document all that has been coming across my desk and into my brain. However, here are some of my highlights!

Building Trust

I really like the concept of an organization consciously developing a Trust Agenda, and engaging in a process where they research and develop Trust Profiles for different stakeholder groups–getting to the bottom of what each group deeply values and prioritizes–and then using these tools to align business practices.

“When a culture is built on an ethical framework of principles, convictions, and norms, rather than rules, the right tone can be set not only from the top, but also from the middle and bottom. Employees are empowered to make decisions about trade-offs at critical moments.”

Other highlights

  • Book: On that same note of trust, I completed the book Radical Candor by Kimberly Scott which I am definitely going to add to my top reads for managers.
  • Book: Doing Agile Right by Rigby, Elk, and Berez
  • Book: The Count of Monte Cristo by Andre Dumas
  • Book: The Poppy Wars