What is a healthy organization? Let’s consider some key attributes:

The leader leads to vision and results. In a healthy organization, all employees know where the organization is going. They understand the vision for the organization and can articulate it to others. They also know that specific results are expected along the way.

Objectives are aligned and requirements are managed. In a healthy organization, there is a clear connection between the organization’s strategic goals and objectives and work being performed at all levels. This alignment identifies and gives meaning to everyone’s work, supporting success.

Equally important is the management of scope and requirements. Healthy organizations anticipate change and put in place orderly processes for addressing scope creep and requirement changes.

Control exists throughout the enterprise. A successful organization cannot thrive for long with a laissez-faire business culture. Roles and responsibilities must be clear, accountabilities must be known, and orderly, repeatable, business processes (i.e., best practices) must be in place, known, and used.

Communications are valued and frequent. Communications are expected and valued by all in a healthy organization. In fact, clear and frequent communications is a core organizational value. Communicating to individuals is a way of valuing employees. Officials in a healthy organization err on the side of communicating too much or too often, rather than anything less.

Planning is a given for all activities. Employees in successful organizations understand that planning is essential to all work, and to neglect planning subjects activities to potential risks, delays and failure. There is always time to plan in a healthy organization.

Performance measurement is an integrated function. A healthy organization measures the right things, using the right metrics to achieve the right results. In a healthy organization, performance measurement is not a mandated compliance tool but, rather, an expected management tool that focuses on program and project success.

Costs are managed relative to value. Healthy organizations invest with dollars to achieve value. Good business decisions are not made solely on the basis of cost. Value to the customer and organization in the context of the organization’s goals and objectives is also a critical factor.

Quality management is institutionalized. Quality management is not something done during an organizational improvement campaign. Healthy organizations institutionalize quality. Quality management is an organizational core value known, embraced and performed by all.

Risk is managed at every level of the enterprise. All projects and activities have elements of risk. Healthy organizations understand risk management, value and institutionalize it, and reward its performance. Human capital is a valued organizational asset. Today, the major assets of an organization wear shoes. Healthy organizations understand this and value their employees by investing in human capital planning.

Trust permeates the culture of the organization. No longer can organizations depend solely on hierarchical relationships to accomplish work. Collaboration is necessary for organizations to survive and thrive, and trust in people is the “glue of collaboration.”

Networks are valued and highly utilized. Today, work is accomplished beyond the official organizational chart and defined boundaries of an organization. More than ever, organizations need to be interoperable at all levels to be effective. A healthy organization understands how to leverage internal and external relationships to become even more successful.

Emory Miller is senior vice president for government affairs at Robbins-Gioia LLC of Alexandria, Va. He served 36 years in the federal government, acquiring IT goods and services, coordinating policy and educating the professional workforce.