FAQs

Why use it?

In a study of over 8,000 managers in more than 250 companies, researchers at MIT found that by far the leading cause of poor strategy execution was poor alignment of the workforce.

Strategia Analytics’ DnA® assessment—developed from over twenty-five years of research, with over 160 industries in a wide variety of industries—reveals the specific behaviors and beliefs in your organization that are blocking successful execution of your strategy and realization of your business objectives. Because it narrows down the causes of poor execution to a few key blockages, it simplifies what to do next. As a result, better-made operational decisions will accelerate successful execution of the changes needed to meet your specific goals.

Just as human DNA contains a set of instructions for how people function, organizational DNA contains instructions for how organizations perform. It’s the blueprint for your company culture—the genetic code that helps leaders create environments that engage, align, and influence people to get things done. Our process reveals your unique DNA.

By showing you how the different aspects of your operating culture interact with each other and impact your strategy execution, we provide tailored insights that provide sustained success.We show you what works for you.

How is it different from most other culture surveys?

Most other culture surveys measure employee satisfaction or engagement. These surveys give you indications of the impact your culture is having on employees. On the other hand, the Strategia Analytics’ DnA® assessment measures the impact of employee behavior on your ability to execute your strategy. Both are important, but they serve very different purposes.

How is it different from other approaches?

There are three major differences:

  1. First, most other approaches that look at a company’s culture can be fairly disruptive. They often involve time-consuming interviews, providing copies of lots of reports, and sometimes even observing meetings and operations. These practices consume lots of time and energy: our questionnaire takes only 10-15 minutes to complete.
  2. Secondly, we get input from as many people, from as many different levels and departments, as possible. Many other approaches only get input from a company’s most senior levels and never explore what is going on at the junior levels—where the strategy actually gets executed. We get a complete and comprehensive look at your organization with minimal disruption to your day-to-day business.
  3. While we provide you with targeted actionable data and insights, you make the final decision on what, if any action to take. We believe that you, not some outside team of consultants less knowledgeable about what is best or realistic for your organization, are superlatively equipped to determine your own solutions to your own problems.

    How do you know your approach works?

    We repeat the assessment process 6 months and 12 months later to objectively measure:

    1. Whether people’s behaviors and beliefs are getting more aligned with your strategy as a result of any actions you have taken.
    2. The impact of any actions you have taken on business results.

      Our clients who implement the actions, suggested by our joint analysis of the data, typically experience positive changes in their ability to implement their strategies and grow revenue. Some experience dramatic improvement. If interested, we can provide you with redacted studies.

      It is important to note that it takes time to change people’s behavior. While we often see differences in just 6 months, in our experience, adjustments are always needed. Not only does change take time, but your priorities may suddenly shift due to major disruptions in your business environment. As your situation changes, so does the need to adjust your culture.

      Is there an organizational culture that works best?

      The simple answer is “no.” The “best” culture is one that is aligned with and supports your strategy. There is no “one-size-fits-all.” For example, if your strategy is to grow revenue through acquisition, you need a different culture than if your strategy is to grow by increasing margins. What is “best” in one culture may be counterproductive in another. That is why we measure how your culture aligns with your strategy.

      How have your clients used Strategia Analytics’ DnA® Assessment?

      Past clients have used our assessment for a variety of purposes including gaining insights into the most effective ways of:

      • Transforming their organizations
      • Improving organizational performance
      • Executing new strategies
      • Developing strategic capabilities
      • Assessing the viability of acquisitions
      • Implementing new software and IT programs

      How Long Does It Take to Complete?

      The questionnaire consists of 54 questions and some demographic questions. Typically, most people finish the entire questionnaire in 10-15 minutes.

      Can Strategia Analytics’ DNA® Assessment Be Customized?

      The Strategia Analytics’ DnA® assessment is typically customized for each organization by tailoring a set of demographic questions that are a part of the survey. For example, we can collect data about department, organizational level, physical location, tenure, age, gender, et cetera. We work with you to be sure to ask the demographic questions best suited to your purposes. We can then “break out” the data we collect by department, level, et cetera, to give you a deeper understanding of where blockages may be happening. Additionally, questions on your unique strategic issues may be added. The assessment is also available in governmental, non-profit, and NGO versions.