Rational organization of human life. Life of the organization Life of the organization

Organization appears at the same time How living, developing complex socialorganism and how rationally organized, goal-orientedmechanism.

An organization as a living organism has the following characteristics:

· your special behavior, your way of reacting to various events, to changes in the external environment;

· certain capabilities, abilities, skills, competence, including those of a unique nature;

· unique individuality - character, temperament, “habits”, prevailing emotional mood;

· age, your history, your biography, your destiny;

· internal laws of life and development.

The presence of an organization’s internal logic of self-development (life processes, life cycle stages) does not at all imply that organizational life can befully planned and completely depends on the plans and actions of leaders. An organization as a living organism is always characterized by some unpredictability and even uncontrollability.

However, since the organization is, to some extent, a specially created social mechanism, the manager has the right (and the obligation) to take care of the best device and the functioning of all its parts, high efficiency, so that the organizational “machine” is operated optimally.

This view of the organization allows us to assert that it can be in different modes of life.Life mode - these are the features and specifics of work at various stages of the life of an organization. The main modes of life of an organization are: formation, stable (stationary) functioning, development, crisis. These modes have many characteristics, but the most significant are - effectiveness And sustainability (stability).

Formation mode - the period from the moment of creation of the project, model of the organization to the beginning of its opening and functioning. The result of this stage is: the creation and mutual adjustment of the structure of objects and subjects of management, all their links, sections, components, connections and relationships between them. With this mode of life, work productivity, stability and stability almost always increase.

Stable operation mode - stable operation in a given mode according to given parameters. While in this mode favorable circumstances, the organization can achieve the highest possible results under existing conditions with rational expenditure of time, effort, and money. From the point of view of stability and stability, this mode may turn out to be redundant. This may result in poor production results.

Crisis mode - characterized by the fact that the organization ceases to function effectively. The result may be decline, decay, disintegration, regression. This regime is usually caused by a long period of overstabilization, stagnation, and stagnation in the activities of the organization.

Development mode - implementation of individual projects or holistic programs for improving the organization. This mode is designed not so much for higher results according to old standards, but rather for changing the standards themselves. At the same time, performance does not always and not immediately reach the expected levels. During this period, stability decreases. Risk – main problem this mode of life. This involves solving two complex problems:

· how to develop without allowing a significant decline in results.

Finding the optimal balance of stability and renewal – aerobatics development of the organization.

Between the regimes of stability and development lies transition period. The period begins when the organization sets itself new, most intense goals that correspond to the projected future. These goals require new means to achieve them. They involve mastering new rules of the game, new evaluation criteria, and creating new technologies.

The transition period is characterized by preparatory work. It includes: a problem-oriented analysis of the situation in the organization, identifying priority problems and ranking them in order of importance, searching for ideas to eliminate identified problems, designing a renewed organization, developing a transition to it, setting new goals, developing an action plan and, as a result, an organization development program .

After the organization’s development goals and values ​​are implemented at the required level, a period of stable work begins. It will continue as long as the organization is satisfied with the results achieved. However, if this period drags on, stagnation and regression will begin. The organization will have no other choice but to update itself, that is, urgently enter the development mode.

Thus, the development of an organization is not a unidirectional, progressive process of moving only forward and upward. Development includes crises, stagnation, dying, as well as reform, continuation of what has already been done and is being done well, compensation for losses inevitable in the course of any development, restoration and revival.

At the same time, stable operation and development are two types of processes that are constantly inherent in the organization. These processes are practically combined into a single whole.

Often these modes are unreasonably opposed, and the mode of functioning is presented and perceived emotionally only as something lagging, stagnant, the past - as a whole as negative, and the mode of development - only with a “plus” sign. Such a contrast is incorrect without analyzing the results of a particular organization.

An organization operating in a stable mode of operation can for a long time provide sufficiently high production results. The regime of stable, stationary functioning of the organization only then deserves negative assessment when the organization does not achieve its goals.

Exists objective dialectical relationship between modes of operation and development:

· the more an organization achieves in a stable mode of operation, the higher its initial level for development, the greater the reserve for the successful development of new things;

· the question of the development of the organization should be posed on the basis of a comprehensive assessment of the achieved level in the operating mode;

· it is impossible to immediately switch to the development mode, this process occurs in stages, and therefore in some areas the organization will continue to live in the functioning mode, but in others it will switch to the renewal mode;

· after a period of assimilation of innovations, a stationary mode of operation sets in again for some time, because endless innovations lead to a loss of stability, which is extremely necessary for the organization, in addition, people cannot live indefinitely in the perestroika mode;

· all modes of an organization’s life are simultaneously moments and conditions of its development;

· at any point in its history, a progressive organization both functions and develops.

Functioning and development are two types of processes that are constantly inherent in effective organization. Thus, the name of the organization’s mode of life is only relative character and is determined by dominant trait.

The transition of an organization from one mode of life to another is not easy. To ensure a quick, painless transition of the organization to a new state (development mode), managers need to solve a number of complex problems:

· scientific and methodological (development of concepts, programs, transition strategies, etc.);

· resource(finance, equipment, premises, personnel, time, etc.);

· human(formation of a positive attitude of staff towards a change in lifestyle, motivation, overcoming resistance to the new, etc.);

· regulatory (development of regulations, charters, constituent documents, accreditation, certification, licensing, etc.).

In solving these problems, a huge role belongs to competent management, which ensures not every , namely the most economical (in terms of time and effort) and the most reliable (in terms of obtaining predicted results) way.

Stages of development and life of the organization

Have you ever asked yourself: why do so many organizations and firms appear and disappear? or what could have happened to the giant plant, whose glory and power gradually subsided?

You can name many reasons: economic, political, social, etc., but rarely in this list will you hear a reason that is psychological character. At the same time, it does not occupy the last, but in some cases the dominant place.

Any organization in its development goes through certain stages that are cyclical in nature. There are quite a lot of classifications and these stages are called differently, but their essence is the same: all organizations are born, mature, and die. Their life activity is similar to the life and development of a living organism. Thus, the stages of development of an organization can be called: origin, childhood, adolescence, maturity, withering. At each of these stages, the organization undergoes a change in the following characteristics: structure, development goals, innovative ideas, planning, commitment, management. Dangers that can destroy an organization lie in wait for it at any period of its “life” if its leader does not know what exactly needs to be done when symptoms of “diseases” characteristic of a particular age appear. Let's take a closer look at this issue.

So, the birth of the organization. It doesn’t exist as such yet, there is only a person (less often a group of like-minded people) obsessed with a business idea. The actions of this person resemble a “one-man show.” He "sells" future success his organization and takes on increased responsibilities.

In order for an organization to be born, several conditions must be met. First of all, this is the presence of an objective necessity, in other words, the presence of a social order. There must be a demand in the market for the product of the organization's activities, which is either not satisfied or is not fully satisfied. Without a social order, it is very difficult to find your niche and survive. Also, those who undertake the organization of a new company should be characterized by an increased motivational background. Without high spirits and faith in success, if something happens, it will not last very long and, most likely, will end in nothing. Another stumbling block during the period of “gestation” of the organization is the excessive workload and chronic lack of funds. All this leads to a critical point: they either go bankrupt or cross this line and find themselves in the next stage. Here you can remember Lerman's law: any technical problem can be overcome with enough time or money. I will probably not be mistaken in asserting that at the inception stage, the life of an organization depends entirely on the personal and business qualities of the founder.

A new stage in the development of the organization is “childhood”. At this stage, the company is registered physically: i.e. she has everything she needs: an office, employees, etc. The most difficult thing here is to move from dreams to real action. Emerging activities are usually associated with many problems and difficulties. The organization has an unclear structure, a constant budget deficit, practically no work procedures, no subordination, everyone calls each other by name. Management is carried out from crisis to crisis. The organization cannot develop a strategy because... she has no business experience.

At this stage a necessary condition survival become such factors as: mutual support, mutual assistance, “a sense of comradeship”, where “one for all and all for one.” In the absence of such attitudes, the company's employees are more likely to fall apart than to reach a level of sustainable functioning.

What is required from the manager here is the ability to form a team, the ability to notice, encourage and pick up on the natural manifestations of employees. The measure of fairness in the distribution of tasks at this stage is of a key nature: everyone does what they know how to do, what they like, what corresponds to their capabilities, which is agreed upon and interdependent on the rest of the employees. A characteristic feature of the beginning of the journey is the sensitivity of employees to changing conditions (for example, when the child is still an infant, the mother must always be on the alert, because the child is not yet strong and cannot resist on his own external conditions). This time in the life of an organization is characterized by the fact that decisions are made intuitively, based on feelings. Many good undertakings collapsed precisely because the initiator of the ideas was unable to gather around him like-minded people capable of acting in the conditions of new formations.

If in “childhood” the organization is born physically, then at the stage of “youth” it is reborn spiritually. This is a painful and lengthy process. It is typical for him large number contradictions and conflicts. At this stage, the crisis arises due to the fact that anarchic tendencies begin to prevail in the organization. Let's try to understand this complex process.

Once the idea starts working, the sales level constantly increases, there is a shortage cash overcome. It appears that the company has not only survived, but is thriving. The founder becomes more and more self-confident, he has a desire to embrace the immensity, even those areas of business about which he has no idea. The company moves forward through trial and error. Losses from serious mistakes can be fatal. There is a tendency here that the more successful the company’s activities, the more serious the crisis can engulf it. To survive, an organization must develop rules and regulations that will determine priority areas for development. There must be a transition from intuitive management to more professional actions. If this does not happen, the organization faces destruction.

In its youth, the organization faces another pitfall. It often happens that the founder of an organization, who successfully manages a small group, turns out to be unable to manage an expanded structure. In addition, some of them stop in their development, and therefore can no longer breathe higher impulses into innovation.

Increasing conflicts such as "us and them" (old and new employees), between the goals of the firm and the goals of individual employees, the founder's need to delegate authority and not knowing (in some cases, unwillingness) how to do it. Sometimes this problem is solved by decentralization, thereby giving everyone a chance to shine. The crisis can also be resolved by inviting a professional manager, manager, executive director, etc. to work. He needs to redistribute roles and responsibilities, systematize the norms and rules of behavior of employees in the organization, and create motivation systems. The process of selecting a professional manager is very difficult, because... the requirements for him are high: a person is needed who is similar “to us”, but at the same time does what “we can’t do”, contributes to improving the quality of products/services, and at the same time maintains the same growth rate. A series of hirings and firings turns into torture for the organization and aggravates the crisis. You can avoid this by turning to independent recruiters for help.

If the systematization of administrative activities has taken place, then the organization moves to the next stage - “maturity”. The organization knows where it is going and how to achieve its goals, it achieves a balance between self-control and flexibility. Production growth continues. But! Organizational maturity is a process, not a point! If the centralized control system forgets this, then it is very difficult to stay in this stage of life. The organization is still strong, but is already losing flexibility. The development of innovative processes is slowing down, they are being replaced by more reliable conservative actions. This makes the structure of the organization heavier and, naturally, poorly responsive to the needs of the day. In the actions of management, directive methods of influence are increasingly prevailing; financiers are beginning to play a more important role in the company than specialists involved in marketing, research, and development. Instead of becoming more active, the process of bureaucratization in the organization increases. The number of managers and service personnel is increasing. Something is happening that S. Parkinson once noticed: the number of workers invariably multiplies, despite the fact that the volume of production does not increase. As studies of “mature” organizations have shown, the number of personnel increases by 6% annually. The consequences of this process do not appear immediately; the slide towards death occurs subtly. The aging process can be stopped only by very decisive actions. But since these are usually not undertaken, the organization moves to the next stage and falls into a prolonged crisis.

Withering of the organization. The organization has exhausted its potential and, if it is not put on the rails of renewal, the result will be disastrous: the organization will collapse under the weight of its structures. An organization at the stage of withering is characterized by a difficult moral and psychological climate in the team. Advancement up the career ladder does not depend on work performance, but on loyalty to management, existing reality is denied, there is no working team, information exchange between departments is disrupted, the most talented employees leave the organization, etc. The level of profit is maintained by increasing prices for products and services. At the same time, the quality either remains at the same level or decreases, but the time comes when it becomes impossible to raise prices. The struggle for survival begins, not of the company, but of everyone who works in it. The organization is finally losing its focus on results and is eating up what it has left from the old days. Outwardly, it still resembles a monster, but the slightest change in external conditions can destroy it (unless, of course, it is on state subsidies). “Death” comes when no one entrusts the organization with anything, and its niche in the market is occupied by others.

The main method of treatment here is the actions of management aimed at renewal, its readiness for fundamental changes. However, without knowing how to solve practical organizational problems and being part of an infected system, it is very difficult to determine what actually causes certain difficulties. To achieve high-quality results in diagnosing the state of the organization, you can invite professionals - external consultants in management psychology and organizational development. This profession is still at the stage of promotion in the consulting services market in Russia, but it is firmly gaining ground. Of course, an organization can self-medicate, but sometimes this leads to the transformation of a disease that is easily cured in the initial stages into an organizational pathology.