biomatrix organisation transformation programme
The aim of the Biomatrix Organisation Transformation Programme is to transform the client organisation into a systemic learning organisation. The organisation becomes wired for ongoing change and can adapt creatively to a continuously changing environment in a sustainable manner.
The programme combines management education with management consulting. It trains a cadre of Organisational Systems Experts who act as internal consultants in designing and facilitating the systemic transformation of the organisation.
In the course of the programme, the delegates learn about Biomatrix Systems Theory and create the organisational designs and change management plans that – if implemented – transform the organisation.
The Biomatrix Organisation Transformation Programme also exists in a public sector version. It is delivered in the context of the Biomatrix Societal Transformation Programme and deals with the (re)design of public sector organisations (e.g. government departments, national and international governance bodies, private and public sector partnerships, industry bodies).
clients of the programme
The clients of the programme are private and public sector organisations who want to
- transform themselves into a systemic learning organisation
- become more creative, innovate or reinvent themselves
- create a cadre of Organisational Systems Experts that can facilitate the systemic transformation of the organisation, maintain its functioning and can act as internal systemic business and organisational development consultants in future interventions
- establish synergistic partnerships with other organisations (e.g. industry bodies, private and public partnerships)
selection of participants in the programme
Ideally, programme participants include the current organisation development and change management specialist(s), at least one member of the executive board and representatives of the different business units and functional departments.
It could also be useful to select the talent earmarked for top management positions, as participation in the programme will fast-track their career development, develop their top management and leadership skills, expose them to all facets of the organisation and enhance their creativity. Involving the next generation of top management in the organisational (re)design will also ensure its future sustainability.
structure of the programme
The programme consists of the following phases:
Note: The phases overlap and involve iteration. Their sequence and content can also be customised to suit the specific needs and realities of the client organisation.
The delegates complete an extended version of modules 1-4 of the Biomatrix Management Education Programme and an additional module on the Seven Faceted Learning Organisation.
Delegates use the organisation as their case study throughout the programme. The individual and team assignments produce the organisational redesign.
The delegates conduct a survey amongst heads of business and functional units to identify problems and elicit proposals for solutions.
The survey output is incorporated in a diagnostic report and design notebook with specific comments added by BiomatrixWeb, based on our consulting experience.
The aim of the Executive Workshop is to
- educate the executive board of the organisation and other key stakeholders in the Biomatrix Systems Approach to Organisation Transformation
- discuss the diagnostic report, solutions and designs generated by the delegates
- produce additional information and insights for the organisational (re)design from a top management perspective.
Before attending the workshop, delegates are requested to complete an online survey which will supply additional input to the workshop discussions and to the organisational (re)design.
The delegates form design teams and work with the data generated by the education assignments, survey and workshop to make an ideal design for the organisation as a seven faceted systemic learning organisation.
They also make a change management plan for implementing the organisational design and facilitating the organisational transformation.
After receiving the board’s mandate to implement, the delegates facilitate the actual change management process according to their change management plan. This will involve design iterations with a widening circle of stakeholders as well as pilot implementation.
If required, BiomatrixWeb provides mentoring and coaching support to the delegates during the implementation phase.
While transforming the organisation as a whole into a learning organisation, it may become obvious that some parts of the organisation (e.g. business units and function departments) need to be redesigned.
This involves interventions such as restructuring of a functional department, business process redesign or value and supply chain redesign.
This intervention requires the completion of an additional module on Function and Supply Chain (Re)Design. This module guides the redesign. However, complex process flows could require the involvement of external consultants. In this case, the module contextualises and manages the intervention.
delivery of the programme
The programme involves individual e-learning and facilitated team work.
It is delivered in partnership with the client organisation which manages and administers the delivery of the programme. It appoints a Biomatrix Change Management Board for this.
The Board works together with BiomatrixWeb to ensure that the programme is implemented correctly and customised appropriately to meet the requirements of the client organisation.
The contributions of BiomatrixWeb are:
- providing the e-learning programmes, frameworks and templates for the organisational redesign and change management plan
- integrating the data from the education assignments and stakeholder surveys
- feeding the data back as diagnostic reports and design notebooks with specific comments
- reviewing and commenting on the designs and change management plans
- providing a roadmap for the programme delivery and guidelines to the Biomatrix Change Management Board for customizing, managing and administering the programme
- supporting and coaching the members of the Board and the learning facilitators.
The amount of support that will be required from BiomatrixWeb will depend on the complexity of the case study, the specific organisational setting within which the programme is delivered and the availability of change management skills within the client organisation.
The Executive Workshop can be delivered by a Biomatrix representative or by the trainees supported by video presentations, exercise templates and a course outline provided by BiomatrixWeb.
duration of the programme
The education phase involves the following for each module:
- 1-2 days for individual e-learning and doing the individual exercises
- 1 day for the facilitated team workshop
- 1-2 days for the team exercises involving both preparation for the workshop and post-workshop information processing.
To make the first draft designs (which include the processing of the survey data) will require each team to spend a minimum of three days.
As soon as stakeholders are involved in design iterations, the programme changes from the realm of management education to one of management consulting. From this point onward, the time involvement will differ according to the size and complexity of the client organisation.