Diagnosis Project

Identify an aspect, activity or process in your organization that you think deserves some diagnostic analysis for change.  Based on the pros and cons suggested in the readings and in class discission, select an appropriate diagnostic framework(s) from either the Tabrizi article (Phase 1 - Diagnosing the Patient - Rapid Transformation) or the Complex Change Models diagnosis framework discussed in class.

This will be a project that forces you to be creative in how you complete it and to make some assumptions.  The output should be a type-written report that details the outcome of your diagnosis.  You do not have to go beyond a diagnosis.  REMEMBER:We are not as interested in solutions or prescriptions as we are in the diagnosis.  I will be focusing on how you applied the model(s) to come up with your problem statement, disconnects and root causes.  You will have a chance to offer solutions in a later project

Guidelines for diagnosis project selection include:

Diagnose some aspect of a current situation in your organization

Do not select a change which has already been implemented or in the process of being implemented.

Select a situation that will involve multiple departments (i.e. cross-functional).

Select a change that will impact more than a handful of people (customers/clients can be included)

Some deliverables in the diagnosis paper include:

Evaluation of what needs to be changed through a comprehensive analysis. Clearly explain the extent/complexity of the change(s) required and how you arrived at these changes.

Describe the change(s) in terms of problem statements, major disconnects and their root causes.

Clearly state the case for change and use data to justify it.

Guidelines for problem statements:

A good problem statement should not telegraph the solution. An example of a poorly written problem statement might be: "The problem with company culture is that increased employee empowerment is needed." This example is more of a solution statement. A better problem statement for the situation might be: "Company culture is very top-down directive and this does not align well with the new de-layer organizational structure."

¨  Change diagnosis project requirement

n  identify key problems/disconnects

n  Identify root causes of these problems

¨  Problem Statement Guidelines

¨  Describes the needed improvement, but does not suggest the solution

¨  Is specific in its definition of the problem

n  avoid generalities which leave room for varied interpretations

¨  Is not stated as a question

¨  The consequences of the problem often form the basis of the "burning platform"