Why Organizations Need a Concept of Organizational Effectiveness PDF Guide

In this article, we will explain how to create a concept of organizational effectiveness PDF, guide, or document … and how it can benefit your organization.

Documented policies, procedures, and rules are crucial communication tools in any organization. 

Defining and documenting the concept of organizational effectiveness in a PDF – or in some other format – can improve efficiency, productivity, and effectiveness across an organization.

Below, we’ll see:

• How to create and use an internal organizational effectiveness document
• The benefits of creating and distributing it
• What topics to cover

The first question on most professionals’ minds though, is probably “Why?”

Why Develop a Concept of Organizational Effectiveness PDF, Guide, or Document?

From technical documentation to internal communications, documentation is a fundamental communication tool in any organization.

Defining and documenting a concept of organizational effectiveness can:

• Clarify the reasons behind an organization’s policies, procedures, and strategy. Each organization likely has its own definition of organizational effectiveness. Articulating this definition in writing helps employees gain a high-level overview of the organization’s behavior and how they can better contribute.
• Act as a communication tool. Policies, procedures, rules, training material, and many other types of content are commonly documented and distributed. They can act as a communication tool for employees, helping them understand the reasons behind rules, policies, codes of conduct, and so on.
• Improve alignment between employees and the organization’s mission. When workers understand the concept of organizational effectiveness, they can better align their work with the organization’s approach. 

Defining a concept of organizational effectiveness can, in other words, act as a guiding beacon that improves a range of employee metrics. 

Using it as a communication tool can help employees, teams, managers, and business units become more productive and ultimately more profitable.

What to Include in an Organizational Effectiveness Guide

What should be included in an organizational effectiveness PDF, guide, or document?

Here are a few topics to consider:

A Concept of Organizational Effectiveness

A definition or concept of organizational effectiveness provides a rationale for organizational behaviors, practices, and processes.

Common concepts of organizational effectiveness revolve around:

• The successful achievement of organizational goals. That is, how effectively an organization can achieve its stated objectives and targets.
• Business process efficiency. How efficiently business processes operate and whether or not they achieve desired results.
• Whether a business meets the needs of its stakeholders. Whether or not an organization satisfies the expectations of various stakeholders, such as investors, customers, business partners, and so forth.
• The efficiency of a set of business systems. A set of separate systems or dimensions, such as organizational productivity, employee commitment, leadership, and interpersonal conflict.

There are many concepts and models of organizational effectiveness – each organization should review such models carefully and choose the one that best meets their needs.

Expectations and Accountability

Expectations transform the more abstract concept of organizational effectiveness into a concrete system of accountability.

Adding this to an organizational effectiveness document offers a few benefits:

• Employees gain a clear understanding of what is expected of them – in terms of behavior, output, and so on
• A system of accountability ensures that employees actually follow those rules and procedures
• Defining expectations also demonstrates how workplace behavior contributes to the organization’s performance

As with the other sections covered here, this section is designed to help each and every employee become more productive and more efficient.

The Organization’s Vision, Values, and Mission

One important aim of an organizational effectiveness document is helping employees understand how and why their contributions matter.

Defining organizational effectiveness helps to clarify expectations, best practices, and procedures.

Explaining the organization’s vision and values, however, helps to:

• Add meaning and purpose to employees’ individual job roles
• Cultivate a desired organizational culture
• Ensure that candidates, new hires, and employees are aligned with the corporate mission
• Reduce employee resistance and friction from workers who are unclear about the organization’s mission
• Demonstrate how organizational effectiveness helps an organization achieve its mission

In short, clearly articulating and communicating the organization’s mission can align workers with the company’s aim, improving engagement and performance.

Workplace Rules and a Code of Conduct

In many cases, codes of conduct are separate documents. 

However, it can be useful to include this information in an organizational effectiveness PDF. After all, employee behavior is a major contributor to organizational effectiveness.

A code of conduct can cover areas such as:

• Dress codes
• Rules and expectations around workplace behavior
• Attendance policies
• Disciplinary policies

And so forth.

How and When to Use the Guide

An organizational effectiveness guide does not have to include all of the sections mentioned above.

It can be distributed separately from other documentation, or included within the employee manual.

However, as mentioned, defining a concept of organizational effectiveness in a PDF can provide a high-level explanation of expectations, rules, and policies.

Used correctly, a document such as this can enhance the employee experience.

Also note that the earlier it is provided to employees, the more useful it will be.

For instance, this guide can be offered to employees during:

• New Hire Orientation
• Onboarding
• Employee Training
• Organizational Changes
• Organizational Transformation
• Mergers and Acquisitions

Providing the document at the outset will point employees in the right direction early on. 

If it is provided later on during the employee life cycle – or if it is not presented at all – then workers are more likely to develop misconceptions or misunderstandings about the rationale behind an organization’s mission or work processes.

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