Weisbord’s six box model was created by American business analyst Marvin R. Weisbord as a generic framework for assessing the functioning of an organization. Weisbord’s six box model is a framework used to evaluate how well a business functions and executes on a strategy based on purpose, structure, relationships, rewards, leadership, and helpful mechanisms.
Understanding Weisbord’s six box model
According to Weisbord, the framework is used to perform an organizational diagnosis.
In this context, a diagnosis involves evaluating several criteria to determine any variance between where the organization is and where it wants to be.
Weisbord also suggested this process be done systematically and by the same people so these individuals could learn from their mistakes and seek improvement.
Ultimately, Weisbord’s six box model helps businesses avoid assuming they know everything there is to know about operations and competitive presence in the market.
Organizations that take the time to go through every facet of the model are more likely to be rewarded with interesting or revealing opportunities for growth.
The six components of Weisbord’s model
In Weisbord’s model, six components are analyzed to perform an organizational diagnosis:
Purpose
Or the reason a business exists and what it does in the marketplace. For some businesses, purpose is obvious.
For businesses that have experienced organic growth or employed a diversification strategy, purpose may be less clear.
Or the way the relationships between team members, functional units, and departments are designed.
Does the structure of the organization align with what it is trying to achieve? Is the ratio of managerial staff to employees correct? How is work assigned? Who is responsible for goals being met?
Many businesses have been derailed by poor structure despite possessing good products and innovative thinkers.
Relationships
Conflict is inevitable in the workplace, but strong employee relationships and an established chain of command can overcome issues and make the company stronger.
Poor employee relations, on the other hand, create a toxic culture that makes strategy execution difficult.
Rewards
Or any incentive or scheme designed to increase employee motivation. How are the various contributions of different team members celebrated?
Do achievements ever go unrecognized? Indeed, do employees who have been recognized feel a sense of ownership and pride?
Leadership
In Weisbord’s model, defining leadership styles is less important than instituting leadership appropriate to the situation or organizational structure.
Ideally, these leaders need to utilize the human, material, and fiscal resources at their disposal to carry out the organizational strategy.
Helpful mechanisms
These are particular technologies, skills, or raw materials essential to the success of the business.
Helpful mechanisms can quickly become outdated or ineffective, so the organization needs to be adaptive, flexible, and stay abreast of current trends.
Key takeaways
Weisbord’s six box model is a framework used to evaluate how well a business functions and executes on strategy. It was created by American business analyst Marvin R. Weisbord.
Weisbord’s six box model helps businesses avoid becoming narrow-minded and encourages them to challenge the status quo and identify growth opportunities. For best results, Weisbord suggested the same key individuals complete the evaluation on every occasion.
Weisbord’s six box model asks businesses to evaluate six components: purpose, structure, relationships, rewards, leadership, and helpful mechanisms.
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Gennaro is the creator of FourWeekMBA, which reached about four million business people, comprising C-level executives, investors, analysts, product managers, and aspiring digital entrepreneurs in 2022 alone | He is also Director of Sales for a high-tech scaleup in the AI Industry | In 2012, Gennaro earned an International MBA with emphasis on Corporate Finance and Business Strategy.
