When I want to get a quick sense of the overall health of a business, I go find the answer to two questions:[1] On a scale of 1-10, how strong is the sense of individual accountability in this organization – at all levels? (Hint – we want it to be higher than 5.)
[2] How is it trending? (Hint – we want it to be going up.)
I can usually get a definitive answer to these two questions in two hours or less by simply talking to people and asking open-ended questions. (If you’d like a list of the questions I ask, let me know.) If there are remote locations involved, I can do it on the ‘phone or by Skype.
In my experience, if those two metrics are good, everything else is fixable. If one of those metrics is bad, something fundamental needs adjusted. If both are bad, it’s time for a hard, honest ‘come to Jesus’ talk with senior management.
p.s. Oh, and do yourself a favor – don’t turn those two questions into some overblown HR exercise. Just do it.