The Denison Model
What Counts…
Adaptability
Pattern..Trends..Market
Translating the
demands of the
business environment
into action
“Are we listening
to the marketplace?”
Involvement
Commitment ... Ownership …
Responsibility
Building human capability,
ownership, and responsibility
“Are our people aligned
and engaged?“
Mission
Direction..Purpose..Blueprint
Defining a meaningful
long-term direction
for the Company
“Do we know where
we are going?”
Consistency
Systems… Structures…
Processes
Defining the values
and systems that are the
basis of a strong culture
“Does our system
create leverage?”
Mission
High Performing organizations
have a Mission that tells
employees WHY they are doing
the work they do, and how the
work they do each day
contributes to the WHY.
Vision is the ultimate reason
you are in business – what you
are ultimately trying to
achieve. Strategic Direction
refers to the 2 - 3 year
strategies – high priorities
established to ‘operationalize’
the vision.
Goals and Objectives are the
short-term, specific goals
established that help every
employee see how his/her
work connects to the vision &
the strategy.
1-7
Consistency
All high-performing companies do
some things Consistently well.
Specifically, they have a clear set
of Core Values that help
employees and leaders make
decisions and set priorities.
By engaging in dialogue and
getting multiple perspectives on
the table they are able to reach
Agreement when difficult issues
and problems arise.
Employees understand how the
work that they do impacts others
– and how other’s work impacts
them. They do not just ‘throw
things over the fence’. They make
sure that work is Coordinated
and Integrated to serve the
organization as a whole.
1-8
Involvement
High performing organizations
encourage and support employee
Involvement.
They clarify those areas where
employees can make decisions,
have input, or those areas that
are beyond an employee’s scope
of responsibility. This promotes
‘informed’ Empowerment.
Teamwork is encouraged so
that creative ideas are captured
and employees support one
another in accomplishing the
work that needs to get done.
Capability Development is
practiced in a variety of ways,
including training, coaching, and
giving employees exposure to
new roles and responsibilities.
1-9
Adaptability
High performing organizations are
Adaptive – they look for new and
better ways to do their work.
They welcome new ideas and are
willing to try new approaches to
doing things. They see Creating
Change as an important part of the
way they do business.
Consumer Focus is critical.
Employees recognize that they are in
business to serve their customer –
both internal & external. They
continually look for new and
improved ways to meet and exceed
customer expectations.
‘Calculated’ risk taking is
encouraged. Organizational
Learning means we gain knowledge
from successes and failures.
1-10
Flexible and Stable
 Flexible
Adaptability + Involvement
A flexible organization has the
capability to change in response to the
environment
 Stable
Mission + Consistency
A stable orientation contributes to an
organization’s capability to remain
focused and predictable over time
External Focus and Internal Focus
 External Focus:
Adaptability + Mission
The organization’s focus is on
adapting and changing in response to
the external environment
 Internal Focus:
Involvement + Consistency
The organization’s focus is on the
dynamics of the internal integration of
systems, structures, and processes
Dynamic
Tension:
High performance
organizations learn how to
link the purpose, direction,
and goals of the organization
(top - down) to a shared
sense of responsibility,
ownership and commitment
with all employees
(bottom - up).
Employees understand the
relationship between their
individual goals and the
organization’s goals and are
highly motivated to
contribute.
Dynamic
Tension:
Successful
organizations learn
how to cope with the
dual problems of
external adaptation
(stimulate progress)
and internal
integration (preserve
the core).
It is not an either/or
proposition - high
performance
organizations must be
able to do both at the
same time.
Culture LinksGrowth
to Performance
Innovation &
Customer
Satisfaction
Stable
Performance
Over Time
Profitability
ROI, ROE
Operating Performance
Quality
Employee Satisfaction