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  • "It is much more difficult to measure non-performance than performance." 

     

     Harold S. Geneen 

     

    “ How you measure the performance of your managers directly affects the way they act”

     

    Gustave Flaubert  

     

     

    The Sampson Hall Gordian Model is a system of metrics that holistically records how an organisation functions and the effects of leadership upon that organisation.  In the past the impact of leadership upon an organisation has been considered intangible and hence measured in subjective, qualitative and often personally devised ways. This leads to most organisations focusing on the failings of leadership rather than identifying the real leadership opportunities that are available, as failures are far more evident!  

    Leaders of successful organisations will generally consider themselves to be successful leaders based on their organisation's achievements, although the business may have grown despite rather than because of their input. If this is the case in an organisation there is the potential to make successful business even more successful, the secret is identifying clearly where those rich potential opportunities and streams lie.


The Gordian Model

 
The Gordian Model

In order to measure the impact of leadership on an organisation the Sampson Hall Gordian Model combines subjective and objective systems and qualitative and quantitative metrics to measure hard and soft skills, practices and attitudes, producing an ‘x-ray’ of the complete organisation.

The Model draws from surveys, profiles, interviews and case studies, which after complex analysis, generating a comprehensive picture of an organisation which is delivered back as a comprehensible and actionable evidential report.

The model produces a non judgemental picture of an organisation’s current position and orientation. It identifies areas of opportunity that can be exploited if desired. :”When you can measure what you are speaking about and express it in numbers, you know something about it”. Kelvin (1883)

The Model enables organisations to make informed decisions on strategies, operations, developments, mergers and transformations. The impact of any changes in decisions, practices or structure can also be tracked through the organisation.

The Model’s holistic approach across nine generic domains is its uniqueness, its strength and affords it its validity.

 The Model can be used in a large number of ways in terms of developing, optimising an organisation, tracking the effects of leadership within an organisation. It can be used in any size of organisation and any type of organisation; as the dimensions of measurement are common and ubiquitous and the orientation, size or scale of the organisation is reflected in the tailored information requirements which need answering. 

The first survey conducted in the process is a generic one that is relevant to all within an organisation. It consists of 90 questions, ten from each of the domains and is designed to inform the targeting of the next set of questionnaires.

The next sets of questionnaires are targeted only at selected parts of the organisation and are designed to glean detailed information from whichever of the nine domains which have identified in the analysis. The questions can be aimed at specific levels across the organisation or departments/teams within the organisation. Information may also be drawn from without the organisation from customers or suppliers and this can be collected in the most suitable and efficient manner.

Once this second set of targeted information is collected and analysed interviews and case studies are used to garner essential additional information on processes and the actions of the organisation. 

Once all the information required is collected and analysed the complete picture is generated and areas of opportunity identified. 

 The Gordian Model's uniqueness is its holistic approach, not the systems within it but the compilation and analysis of all those systems and the deduced metrics. It affords an objective picture of an entire organisation through its combination of approaches and the synergy achieved between the means of measurement and metrics used.

With the Gordian Model there is no hiding place for inefficiency or ineptitude. Business opportunities can be identified and best practice evidenced, so both can be fully exploited.

 

"We can all count the number of pips in an apple. Though no one can count the number of apples in a pip"

 W. Mitchell