The Parallels between Human Body and an Organization

Ageing is a natural process. The human body which was once flexible and agile starts experiencing sluggishness and tardiness. There are many ways the human body can maintain its healthiness. This blog is not entirely about the human body or human physiology. The blog attempts to explore the interconnectedness between human body and an organization. We can draw many parallels between the health  quotient of human body and organization. 

Early Warning Signs

When hearth deteriorates , the body exhibits warning signs. It will be wise to heed the early warning signs and take preventive measures. The same applies to an organization. When there are cracks appearing on the basic structure of the organization there is the need to address the problems. Ignoring these early warning signs will only lead to disorder and the ultimate death of the organization. 

 

Self-Corrective Measures

To set things in order, the affected body will have to adopt certain corrective steps. This is essential for reclaiming the health quotient. The organization should also undergo course corrections or resetting to bring back the robustness of the system. 

 

Information and the importance of data

One of the primary resources for implementing this self-correction or course correction is the available data or information. Data will help in making informed decisions. In the case of human body, it is the health records, and scan reports that will contribute as the data for improving the health. For an organization, the data will be mined from feedback, surveys, polls from the stakeholders which will help in reclaiming the organisational integrity. 

 

Open Discussion/ conversation

One of the ways Dr. Paul Kalanidhi (When Breath Becomes Air) combatted the malicious cells that had cropped up in his body was by engaging in deep conversation with his wife, his doctor and family members. It created tremendous amount of trust and confidence in Dr Paul Kalanidhi  and his care givers. This is true about organisations also where an open channel of communication with the various stake holders would lead to better decision making and instil institutional confidence. 

Swing into action:

One of the ways to achieve positive transformation in human body or organization is by stop theorising or talking and by doing. Planning without any follow up or a concrete action will result in zero results. If weight loss is your ultimate aim, then it is better to hit the gym or follow a dietary plan to achieve the outcomes. If the discipline issues in the campus is something that is bugging the college management, then appropriate steps must be taken (suspending students, creating a strict code of discipline, calling for a department level meeting) to tackle the issue and focus on institutional growth. This action phase also involves making necessary changes by seeking constructive feedback from the stakeholders and monitoring of the outcomes. 

 

This blog is an attempt to find a correlation between a human body and an organization. Like the human body, an organization suffers from bouts of illness, and it is up to the owners / managers to adopt different strategies to improve organisational health.