Organisational Improvement Programme

Background and purpose

The Organisational Improvement Programme is aimed at Direct Reports to Director-level in an organisation - the Next Tier Down in UIMPROVE language. This level of the organisation is where the high-level direction set by the top tier, or Corporate Brain, is made real. This is where the "rubber hits the road" to quote one of our long-term clients.

The benefits of getting this level working cohesively are massive. Conversely the consequences of not getting it right can significantly hinder the smooth running of an organisation.

The programme is 12 days in total in four modules each of 3 days spread over 10-12 months. The overall objective of the programme is to improve the organisation, in particular how this tier of the organisation drives forward the direction and strategies set by the Corporate Brain. In order to do this, participants need to understand their role in and how to:

(1)	Contribute to and implement strategy
(2)	Identify, champion, lead and participate in projects at a variety of levels
(3)	Ensure routine operation is running effectively and is actively controlled
(4)	Develop effective meeting structures, run and participate in productive meetings
(5)	Use data in project work, for the control of routine operation, to understand and improve process performance and drive improvements in customer satisfaction
(6)	Continuously improve the organisation (practically year-after-year and not just use the phrase)
(7)	Ensure the people who work for them (at all levels) understand and are practically involved in all of the above and not just passive receivers of instructions and information

Who should attend?

•	Direct Reports to the Corporate Brain
•	It is sometimes appropriate for leaders of large teams or areas of routine operation at levels below to attend but please discuss this with us before making a decision

Typically these senior managers:

(1)	Lead or champion projects, i.e. either carry out project work themselves and/or delegate project work to others
(2)	Are responsible for systems of routine operation - significant parts of the day-to-day work of the organisation
(3)	Run meetings
(4)	Lead a department or team

What participants will be able to do

Organisational improvement and strategy

•	Understand how to go about organisational improvement
•	Understand the underpinning history, philosophy and principles
•	Understand the link between philosophy, strategy, projects and routine operation
•	Contribute to and implement organisational strategy
•	Lead their part of the organisation's Annual Corporate Planning Process
•	Adopt a consistent approach and language across the organisation
•	Understand some of the jargon and fads that are around

Projects

•	Develop and participate in projects to deliver organisational strategy
•	Establish an annual plan of all the projects they and their team need to carry out
•	Steer projects
•	Push project work down the organisation
•	Involve people in a systematic and participative manner
•	Champion projects
•	Lead projects
•	Kick-start, refocus and review projects
•	Use the methodology and tools appropriate to each project
•	Work with a Facilitator

Routine operation

•	Understand systems
•	Work on a process to analyse and improve it
•	Measure how a process is performing
•	Manage routine operation
•	Set up day-to-day work so that it runs smoothly
•	Use Statistical Process Control

Data

•	Understand how data is used in the context of organisational improvement
•	Understand and practically use the concepts of variation and Statistical Process Control
•	Develop a balanced view of how the systems and processes under their control are performing
•	Collect and analyse customer satisfaction data and use it to drive improvement
•	Understand the difference between, importance of and how to go about data collection, display, analysis and reporting

Meetings

•	Run effective meetings
•	Use tools and techniques in meetings
•	Ensure balanced contribution and participation at meetings
•	Be aware of how their behaviour affects meetings
•	Model positive meeting behaviours
•	Work with a Facilitator

As a group

•	Understand the importance of this tier of the organisation and how they need to work both individually and collectively across functional structures
•	Fully participate in a variety of activities at the organisation's Leadership Forum

Download

Click here for the Organisational Improvement Programme Briefing Note.