Corporate Diagnosis

Book excerpt: All too often, strategic planning neglects an essential step -- diagnosing the organization's current state at the beginning and end of an improvement cycle. What's required is a systematic review of the critical factors in organizational learning and growth. These are determinants that require the monitoring, measurement, and management of resources to ensure that your company competes successfully. This executive workbook provides a step-by-step methodology for diagnosing an organization's strategic health and measuring its overall competitiveness against world class standards. The Corporate Diagnosis handbook is used to verify policy or measure the results of corporate strategy and vision (the "business renewal" stage ). Detailed diagnostic questions in each key areas act as guidelines for developing your own self-assessment survey. To support the diagnostic process, three primary aids are provided: a check sheet to record observations and score each area under diagnosis; a radar chart to plot and track your company's position visually; and extensive progress tables that allow you to see your standing in each diagnostic area. Over 50 specific categories of company health are meticulously graded and charted to help you see where your company stands in its quest for world class status. Corporate Diagnosis is an excellent companion and aid for meeting the Deming, Shingo, or Baldrige Award criteria.