For every well-crafted strategy there are very few that are successfully executed.  Oftentimes, the reasons for strategy shortfalls lie within the organization and, because of cultural barriers, rarely, if ever, do they get surfaced and discussed in the executive suite.  The Organizational Fitness Profiling (OFP) process provides a structured approach to uncover and address both the barriers and enablers, significantly increasing the likelihood of strategy success.   

Developed by Dr. Michael Beer at the Harvard Business School, Organizational Fitness Profiling™ (OFP) is an organization-wide assessment process that utilizes data collected from throughout the organization to identify enablers and barriers to achieving the organization’s defined business strategy.  Once identified, the OFP process utilizes cross-functional teams to address those issues.

Based on seven “organizational capabilities” and six “organizational levers,” a hand-picked team of high-performing, mid-level employees interviews other employees to gather direct, unfiltered information about what is – and isn’t – working effectively in the organization.  The findings from these interviews are then shared with the senior leadership team of the organization in an intense session called the “Fishbowl,” where the role of the senior leaders is to listen and understand without defending or debating.  Following the “Fishbowl” session, senior leaders define the highest priorities for improvement and initiate cross functional teams to address those priorities.

Organizational Fitness Profiling™ has been credited for supporting accelerated learning, staff development, and accelerated results in the organizations where it has been applied.  To learn more about Fitness Profiling you can visit the Center for Organizational Fitness at http://www.orgfitness.com/ or read the “How to Have an Honest Conversation About Your Business Strategy," which was published in the February 2004 issue of the Harvard Business Review.