ORGANIZATIONAL MIRRORING INTERVENTION
It is a technique designed to work unites feedback in how other elements of
organization view them. Set of activities in which host group receives feedback
about how it is perceived and regarded from reps across organization.
Mirroring is a process wherein leaders can periodically show an employee
her/his own capabilities and counsel them on how they can build on it further.
The Organisational Mirror The ‘Organisational Mirror’ uses action research
methods including on-line surveys, 1:1 interviews and focus groups to elicit
real data from a cross section of staff in the workplace. The data collection
process is managed with strict confidentiality and can be targeted to focus
upon specific areas of your organisation’s performance or health.
The data is then analysed and becomes the actual examples presented
quantitatively, qualitatively and/or in the third person to participants in a
customised workshop process. Real staff thus work with real issues towards
real solutions and strategies via learning models including presentation,
facilitation & training. Resultant strategies, changes, interventions are then
implemented on a monitored trial basis before being reviewed and refined.
Organisations engaging the ‘Organisational Mirror’ process, open themselves
to internal and external scrutiny and this requires the courage of management
and the trust of staff. Once positioned, the ‘organisational Mirror’ will, like no
other process, identify real opportunities for improvement and engage your
staff in the development and implementation of strategies to produce effective
and sustainable change. The positive implications for organisational culture are
dramatic. The ‘Organisational Mirror’ is ideally suited to small – medium sized
organisations and to divisions/structures within a larger organisation. If you
desire organisational development in terms of improved culture, structures,
systems, processes, the ‘Organisational Mirror’ is the strategy you are looking
for.
This is an intervention, which is used by a section (department / function etc.)
of an organization to collect the perception of other relevant sections of the
organization with the aim of improving its performance, image and
relationships with other sections.
In a large multi unit company the Corporate Personnel Department
wanted to know the perception of the unit Personnel Department and a
few other significant departments. For this a Consultant (in this case
internal) was invited and briefed. With the help of the Consultant and
senior executives of Corporate Personnel, a few significant clients
(customers) of Corporate Personnel Department were identified —
– Corporate Finance
– Personnel Department of Major Units
– Personnel Department of a few sites
– Shop Floor (Production) Deptt.
– Training Department
– Trade Union representatives
Representatives (2-3 from each of these departments) were invited for a
Workshop on a specified date. From Corporate Personnel, the head
along with group leaders and a few others were the hosts. The
Consultant had separately interviewed some representatives of each of
the client group including the host group and collected relevant
information regarding expectations from host group and their
perceptions about the host group.
In the beginning of the Workshop, the Head of the Corporate Personnel
welcomed all representatives and explained that the Corporate
Personnel wanted to bring in improvement in their performance and
satisfaction of the internal customers. He assured that all the
perceptions and impressions will be taken in a real positive way and
requested to give free and frank opinion.
The Consultant divided the representatives in 7 groups and asked them
to discuss and bring out their perceptions about functioning of the
Corporate Personnel covering both the positive and negative aspects. He
also emphasised that the perceptions should be data based, objective
and should be prepared keeping in view the requisites of effective
feedback.
The host groups were also asked to bring out their perception of their
own performance.
After 40 minutes, all groups were called in the hall and the
representatives of Corporate Personnel (group leaders) sat in the Centre
and around them, the members of other groups were made to sit. The
host group requested outside groups to tell them their perceptions. A
person was assigned the task of noting down the points on white board.
By turns each group shared their perception. In case of confusion, the
host group was seeking clarification. Members also interacted with each
other in a controlled manner.
After completion of sharing by every group, the hosts summarised and
divided the main themes of perceptions in three parts:
1. a) positive perceptions (appreciation)
2. b) negative perceptions and
3. c) main expectations (from Corporate Personnel)
Once again, the total participants were divided into 4 groups by the
Consultant and every group was asked to identify and prioritize issues /
areas of improvement of the performance of Corporate Personnel.
After 30 minutes, the groups were once again convened and
presentations were made by the representatives of each group.
Thereafter, a core group was constituted which identified key issues and
presented to the whole group. Once the issues were discussed,
consensus was arrived at and an action plan was prepared for
implementation.
The method used in this exercise is a simple example of ‘Organizational
Mirroring’.
‘Organizational mirroring’ intervention is very effective in improving
performance and optimising the inter-departmental / inter-functional
relationships. The facilitator (Consultant) intervenes for creating a conducive,
non-threatening climate, eliciting desired information, making process
observations to make group process more effective and crystallizing the issues.
