The Organization Genome Project


Do you think there is a genetic code for organizations?
Could a code help us to better understand organization dynamics?
How would decision-making change if we knew the code?

The results of the Organization Genome Project say, "Yes there is a code! And, yes, it reveals many insights into organization dynamics, systems, health, and innovation." This genetic code, or natural order, is the same for all organizations, and just as human DNA is expressed uniquely in each person, the same is true for organizations. Every organization is an original!

The Organization Genome Project is the name given to a 17-year project that has described and mapped the nature of organizations. The project's name borrows from the U.S. Human Genome Project, which was coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health. The goals of that project were to identify all the genes in human DNA and to determine the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA. In addition, it addressed the storage of this information in databases, the tools for data analysis, use of various technologies, and the associated ethical, legal, and social issues.

The two projects compare in interesting ways:

"A genome is all the DNA in an organism. Genes carry information for making all the proteins required by all organisms. These proteins determine, among other things, how the organism looks, how well its body metabolizes food or fights infection, and sometimes even how it behaves.

The organization "genome" describes the entire make up of an organization, and determines how the organization works and behaves; its strengths and weaknesses; how it handles challenges and opportunities.
 

"Human DNA is made up of four similar chemicals (called bases and abbreviated A, T, C, and G) that are repeated millions or billions of times throughout a genome. The human genome, for example, has 3 billion pairs of bases.

The "DNA" of an organization is made up of four basic elements. The four basic elements form pairs of elements.

"The particular order of As, Ts, Cs, and Gs is extremely important. The order underlies all of life's diversity, even dictating whether an organism is human or another species such as yeast, rice, or fruit fly, all of which have their own genomes and are themselves the focus of genome projects.

While the organization "genome" can be easily described in theory, each organization has a unique nature, or face, which accounts for the rich and fascinating diversity of organizations. No two are exactly alike.

Because all organisms are related through similarities in DNA sequences, insights gained from nonhuman genomes often lead to new knowledge about human biology."

All organizations - government, private sector, non-profit - have similarities when the "genetic code" is used to describe them. And the insight gained from the study and understanding of one type of organization often leads to new knowledge about others.

The Human Genome Project was a U.S. federally-funded, high-profile initiative conducted by a host of talented and knowledgeable people.

The Organization Genome Project was a privately-funded, low-profile initiative conducted by one person (Jan Yuill) who had a "glimpse" of the code one day, back in 1993, and who has been studying, analyzing, and applying it ever since. There is a network of trained practitioners, and a rich body of knowledge and resources associated with it.

The human genome would be described in scientific and technical terms ... far beyond the reach of the average reader.

The organization genome itself is referred to as the Organizations Alive! Model, which is described in a book by the same name. It is written in the common, everyday language of those who live and work in organizations.

Geneticist, Dr. Francis Collins was the head of the Human Genome Project. The project mapped the code of DNA, which he referred to as the "first glimpse of our own instruction book, previously known only to God."

Dr. Francis Collins' book is called The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief.

More about Dr. Collins' book at Amazon >>

There's more! If you are interested to know more about The Organization Genome Project, just enter your name and email address in the form above. The one-page overview of the Organizations Alive! Model will be sent to you immediately, along with more information and ways of becoming involved.

My name is Jan Yuill, and I have been researching, teaching, and using the Organizations Alive! Model with colleagues and clients since 1993.  I have drawn on my studies of human anatomy, neurology, physiology, and kinesiology; organization change and development; and personality type, as well as my experiences of working with people in organizations as a consultant, facilitator, trainer, and coach to develop the model ... or genome. Knowing this code allows us to intimately and deeply understand the dynamics and workings of organizations. With this knowledge, we are able to work together more intelligently to achieve the results we seek.

References:

The Human Genome Project - http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/home.shtml
Goals of the Human Genome Project - http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/hg5yp/index.shtml