Systems Thinking Assessment Process in Detail

PURPOSES

These instruments have a variety of applications. Here are some of their uses:

• To assess Best Practices for your organization on an annual strategic basis.
• As pre-work or opening exercises for related seminars or workshops, including executive and management development.
• As a workshop summary or end-of-seminar diagnosis to take away and use on the job.
• As part of a Plan-to-Plan or Plan-to-Implement day.
• As quick assessment tools to begin Strategic Planning or Change Management projects.
• As guides for strategic change (planning and implementation).
• To highlight current areas of effectiveness and to identify and prioritize areas that require improvement.
• To trace congruence and discrepancies in how Strategic Management concepts and practices show up at different levels of the organization.
• To identify next steps to improve systems thinking and learning in your organization.
• To assess how existing structures do or do not support systems thinking and learning.
• To identify gaps or progress in creating the desired changes in your organization.
• To focus daily meetings and/or agendas for reinforcement at all levels.
• To provide overviews of the current state of management processes in your organization (corporation, division, function, department) and compare them to Best Practices.
• To guide your Annual Strategic Review and/or to update your Strategic Plan.

METHODS OF DELIVERY

• Our assessment instruments are available in two delivery methods: hardcopy and online.
  • The hardcopy assessment instruments are available for you to administer, score and analyze directly.
  • Our online instrument program (detailed later in this package) offers many advantages, such as customization, anytime access, security, and the scoring and reports are included.
• The assessment instruments are designed for:
  • Any member of management, employees, or staff, unless otherwise indicated.
  • Internal consultants and auditors especially trained for the task.
  • External consultants as part of a Strategic Management (planning or change) engagements, either prior to beginning the engagement or at the Annual Strategic Review and Update time.

BEST USE OF INSTRUMENTS

When choosing an assessment instrument be mindful of whether it serves best to:

1. Provide an overview of your organization's awareness of, or commitment to, the ideal principles and best practices of Strategic Management.
2. Assess your organization's current level of competency in the enactment of those practices.

ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT LENGTH AND TIME TO COMPLETE

In today's fast-paced environment, these assessment instruments allow you to focus quickly on the core issues and purposes of each assessment tool. The brief 20-50 question formats afford completion times between 5-20 minutes.

USING ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS EFFECTIVELY (Helicopter View)

It is not enough for you to just decide to use one of these instruments because you like it. You need to take a 5,000-foot Helicopter or ?Systems View? of what you are trying to accomplish. You need an overall Game Plan.

SUGGESTED GAME PLAN - Click here for Process Chart details

1. Review the Assessment Feedback Process chart and develop your own specific “Game Plan” of how you are going to do this effectively.
2. Review the sample assessment instruments for applicability and uses for your situation. Choose which instrument(s) you need.
3. Select whether you want to administer the assessment instrument by hardcopy or online.
4. Contact the Centre for ordering/consultant support/advice/certification.