What makes a Great Organization "Great"?

The Good to Great Readings were my favorite readings of the semester because I felt like this was directly applicable to my Organizational Project, as well as my future career opportunities.  Learning what makes a “great organization” different from just a “good organization” depends strongly on the traits of the individuals that make up the organization.  A Level 5 leader builds enduring greatness through a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will.  Having modest, passionate, disciplined individuals will make the organization successful no matter what.  For more information, watch this video of Jim Collins discussing what a level 5 leader is like http://www.jimcollins.com/media_topics/level-5.html#audio=81. 

This leads to the importance of “First Who, Then What.”  According to Collins, its all about “getting the right people on the bus” in the first place.  I completely agree with Collins because once you have the “right” people on board, the rest will fall into place.  For our Organizational Group Project we weren’t able to pick our groups.  However, we ended up being lucky because we do have the “right” people on board for our team project.  We are all self-motivated which makes completely our tasks that much easier for the team. 

After working in our groups for a while I felt it was refreshing when the Culture Maven came to speak to us about what makes her Organization successful.  She talked about how being engaged and honest with the organization will make it that much better.  For example, she would talk to employees one on one to get real, honest feedback.  Being able to confront the “Brutal Facts” of an organization is a key component of resolving issues and moving forward.  This helps in our own group when we come across problems that need to be fixed quickly.  Knowing that we can be upfront with each other builds our team dynamics and brings us closer.  For tips on improving your team dynamics, read this http://www.businessknowledgesource.com/blog/how_can_i_improve_team_dynamics_021635.html. 

I think the most important concept of Unit 5 was the “Hedgehog Concept.”  The Hedgehog Concept is an understanding of what an organization can be the best at in the world.  This is necessary for the core of a business, otherwise you can’t form your Hedgehog Concept.  To watch a video of Jim Collins describing the Hedgehog Concept watch this video http://www.jimcollins.com/media_topics/hedgehog-concept.html#audio=79. 

In the future, I want to work for an organization that has strong core leadership, and a place where the individuals are the “right” people on board.  Understanding the importance of not relying on technology or skipping the steps of building momentum in a company and going straight for the breakthrough really makes a “great organization.”  Taking these concepts into my own Organizational Project will help my group be more successful.