DEFINITION AND THE INFLUENCE MODEL
Organisational vitality is the ability of an organisation to face the challenges presented by doing business. It is the ability of acting proactively, the ability to react, to thrive and to survive.
Organisational vitality depends on:
- Individual vitality of the members (do they want and are they able to perform),
- Transparency of the business model (vision, goals, strategy, availability of resources),
- Influence of the management systems and the leadership on the members of the company (perception of justice).
THE SOURCE OF ORGANISATIONAL VITALITY
The basis for the organisational vitality is the vitality of the individual members of the organisation. If the vitality of the members is low, it is difficult to expect that the organisation will be vital. Individual vitality is comprehensive and it is affected by factors both in domestic (private) environment as well as in the workplace. An important factor causing the reduction of individual vitality is negative stress. A significant, if not dominant, share of stress an individual receives from the working environment.
Added value
The concept of organisational vitality gives us a further illustration of what is happening in the organisation. It explains in an alternative way the role of leaders in relation to their subordinates.
STRESSORS IN THE WORKPLACE AND THE POINT OF INTERVENTION
Some elements of the work environment create stress for employees. Stressors through the impact on the mental health affect the vitality of the individual, which is one of the preconditions for the organizational vitality. When personal vitality of the members is reduced, also the vitality of the organisation is reduced. That brings negative direct and indirect consequences.
The main stressors that we encounter in the work environment can be divided into two groups: the work content and the work context.
Stressors related to the work content are:
- poorly defined objectives and tasks
- lack of meaning at work
- ambiguity / conflict of job roles
- facing the uncertainty at work
- work with clients
- responsibility for people
- working time schedule
Stressors related to the work context are:
- interpersonal relations at work
- inadequate problem resolution
- stagnation in personal development / career
- inadequate communication
- salary that does not cover personal needs
- exclusion from decision-making
- problems at home
HOW TO NEUTRALIZE THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF STRESSORS?
Analysis of the stressors shows that the management is a large source of them.
Leadership is seen as the only possible point of intervention. How leaders lead their subordinates? Which management systems are at their disposal? How high quality the systems are and how well they are integrated into the company daily practice?
When we want on the one hand to improve the organisational atmosphere and job satisfaction, and on the other hand to manage stressors in the workplace, improve the vitality of individuals and the vitality of the organisation, then we need to change something. The only thing the organization can modify (without questioning the existing strategy and business model) is the management systems and the way these systems are used by the leaders.
The above confirms the already known and in practice many times confirmed findings. At the same time, it represents a new, additional way of explaining the role of leaders and leadership in the life of an organisation. We see how the lack of leadership and inadequate use of management systems lead to unnecessary costs and create a negative spiral.
What do we need?
We need a sufficiently robust and practical approach to the vitalisation of management as well as for the vitalisation of all employees in the company. Meeting the challenges of today’s and tomorrow’s business requires a lot of vigour, a lot of vitality.
How vital is your organization?
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