Organizational health means different things to different work teams.

• To executive teams, health means unity of purpose, consistency in communications and commitment to long-term profitability.
• The the engineering department in a University, health means constant teaching, generous research grants and fair-minded professors.
• To the R&D organization, health means robust collaboration, continuous learning and a healthy transfer of knowledge to decision makers.
• To the small business. health means management of cash flow, hard work and a niche market.
• To the entrepreneur. health means courage, extreme work ethics and multi-tasking.
• To a church. health means commitment to the mission and creating a core membership motivated by love and openness.
• To the family. health means reliable loving parents, stable income and consistent routines.

Organizational health is important to me because working on or being a member of an unhealthy team is usually horrible for almost everyone involved.  Unhealthy teams waste time, create unfair situations and can slow down progress.  It is important to have a healthy executive team but organization health only trickles down so far, depending on how large an organization is.

I’ve seen unhealthy church leadership altar lives for the negative, producing the exact opposite effect in the people they hope to minister to.

I’ve seen small business leaders push out ethical and intelligent employees in exchange for the corrupt yet loyal.

Leadership at every level should study and strive for health in their organization.

What are some tips at keeping an organization healthy?