An introduction to the congruence model

For a successful business transformation or more simply a programme change, understanding internal dynamics is high on the list. Stakeholders follow a comprehensive roadmap to identify, understand and address performance challenges. In this section, we define what the congruence model is and how it can help boost your organisation’s performance by bringing harmony between performance drivers. We also provide details on the key elements of the model.

What is the Nadler-Tushman congruence model?

This congruence model was created in the early 1980s and gets its name from its creators, David Nadler and Michael Tushman. It is a method that aims to identify the fundamental reasons behind organisational performance. It pinpoints an organisation’s underlying issues and suggests a plan to resolve them. The method is built on the belief that the success of an organisation is dependent on the harmonious functioning of critical elements. These elements should be in sync at all times for optimal business productivity. In other words, congruence, that is to say harmony between the critical elements, leads to overall business success.

Key elements of the model

The starting point when it comes to understanding business underperformance is to identify performance drivers. Based on the Nadler-Tushman congruence model, there are four categories or elements to look into.

The task

When looking into this element, think about it as the work carried out by employees. For example, identify what actions take place to deliver a task or where the delivery process can be optimised to improve efficiency. In addition to effectiveness, look into the meaningfulness of the work and try to understand if there are any challenges in the process that make the work less fulfilling or more overwhelming.

The people

Employees are at the centre of the business. Their behaviour, mentality, diversity and motivation have a significant impact on the company culture. Employees also require the necessary skills and expertise to be able to deliver optimally in their roles. For this element, it can be helpful to conduct a skills gap analysis.

Related: Skills gap analysis: why is it important and how to conduct one?

The organisation’s structure

The structure of the organisation relates to its processes, procedures, policies and governance. The levels of management, the decision-making or approbation process and even the geographical structure of the business are all analysed to identify any underlying challenges.

The company culture

This element is one of the most complex to analyse due to its subjectivity. Try to identify the values and vision of the organisation. The culture of the organisation can also be translated through the existence of employee support programmes, mentorship programmes or diversity and inclusion policies. Understand where the business stands with all these elements and whether the desired vision is being delivered.

Related: How to create an equality and diversity HR policy

These four elements form the base of the congruence model. They need to be looked into in great detail to identify where any issues lie.

Pros and cons of the congruence model

As with most methods, the Nadler-Tushman congruence model has its advantages and its disadvantages. The model views businesses as interacting elements that should exist in harmony. This approach has some limitations that are essential to understand in order to use the model with caution.

Advantages of the congruence model

The model provides a holistic view of the organisation through four elements. Below are some advantages that this approach brings.

• It provides a comprehensive framework to analyse the challenges that the organisation is facing
• It is a tool that helps reflect on administrative issues
• It gives a framework for leaders to think about the impact of management decisions
• It connects the organisation structure and its technical components with social elements such as the people in the business and the company culture

Disadvantages of the congruence model

The congruence model is somewhat subjective and may be a lengthy process. As such, it is important to be aware of the disadvantages highlighted below.

• The model may be expensive as the investigations may be lengthy
• It is most relevant for large organisations or organisations that have grown rapidly and may therefore have some lack of connection between departments
• The model does not provide ways to incorporate the group’s dynamic into the organisation analysis
• There is no template to the model, which may lead to limitations in creating solutions

A step-by-step guide to applying the congruence model

Now that we have an understanding of what the model is and its four components, let’s have a look at how it can be deployed. There are three key steps to follow when implementing the Nadler-Tushman congruence model.

Step 1: Perform an audit

This first step consists of collecting information from each element of the model. The more granular the information collected, the more detailed the analysis will be. Make sure that this auditing process is conducted with no bias. Evaluate the skills required for key roles, the expertise necessary in the organisation but also the existing routines and processes. Look into the responsibilities of employees, how their performance is managed and if there are any training and development programmes available. Take a look at how to implement an effective employee training and development programme for more on this. Gauge the organisation’s structure and analyse the hierarchical levels and how decisions are made. Finally, analyse the company’s culture. You can do this by assessing the tone of communication, the organisation’s vision and much more.

Step 2: Understand how each element relates to one another and identify areas of congruence

Now that you have a clear understanding of each element, it is time to assess how they relate to one another. By doing so, you will determine areas of congruence and areas of incongruence. Below is the list of pairs to assess.

• The task and the people: ask yourself if the work being performed is suitable for the employees
• The task and the structure: try to understand if there are enough processes to enable work to be done efficiently
• The structure and the people: understand if the organisational structure results in silos
• The people and the company’s culture: if your company culture is to put people first but your yearly employee satisfaction survey shows poor results, then there is a lack of connection between these two elements
• The company’s culture and the task: assess if the work delivered is consistent with the values of the organisation
• The structure and the company’s culture: analyse your teams and structure. If the business has cross-functional teams and a flat organisational structure, it is likely that it thrives at collaboration.

Step 3: Decide on a solution to build congruence

Use the results of step one and step two to build congruence. Remember that the principle of the model is that to be successful, the organisation needs to have the four elements aligned. You can use the results of each pair of elements to decide on the changes that need to take place and design a roadmap. At this stage, it is important to have a holistic vision. Some changes may have dependencies with others and it is therefore fundamental to approach the roadmap as a whole.

Businesses reflect on their efficiencies and ways of working on a regular basis. The congruence model is used as a technique to assess the organisation and challenge its ways of working. When using the model, do not hesitate to incorporate other tools that can support the change management process.