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The Effectiveness Edge
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17 November 2026

You can’t fix problems if you don’t understand them.
You wouldn't go swimming in the sea without assessing the currents or tides, right? Yet as a CEO you’re expected to jump right in and fix issues quickly, despite the fact that both your organization and the world around you are more complex and disrupted than ever before. The result? Expediency rather than effectiveness, the illusion of progress rather than real change. Hidden costs continue to drag you down. Your organization remains, let’s face it, ineffective.
The solution? Organization Effectiveness. The 3D-OE Diagnostic Framework gives you a step-by-step approach that reveals what's going on – up, down and around your organization – one level of complexity at a time.
It allows you to see systemic issues clearly, make sense of the dynamics of the organization and cut through the complexity. Which makes it easier for people to get their work done, and allows you to realize cost benefits faster.
With helpful case studies, a comprehensive diagnostic tool and clear examples for putting the theory into practice, this is the essential leaders' resource to unlock productivity, performance and profitability.
Andrea Robottom is an expert in Organization Effectiveness and effectiveness, with over 30 years of global experience driving OE and transformation across all sectors. Andrea sits on a charity board and a commission, and holds accreditation as a Mediator and Fellowship of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (FCIPD). In 2009, Andrea founded NoNonsense Consulting, and has specialized in diagnosing and advising Executives in FMCG, financial services, retail, utilities, hospitality and the arts and culture sector. Her tailored advice has enabled sustainable improvements in effectiveness, and the cost profile of organizations worldwide. Previously, Andrea held senior leadership roles with Cadbury, PepsiCo, Seagram and Compaq, where she spearheaded OE and strategic HR initiatives.
Vanessa Loughlin is an Organization Effectiveness specialist, business leader, facilitator and coach, with thirty years’ experience leading transformation in global businesses, across multiple sectors. Vanessa founded Organisation Matters Ltd in 2020 and works with CEOs and Executives to diagnose and resolve complex organization issues and increase team and individual leader performance. Vanessa has an MSc in Organization Consulting from Ashridge Business School, trained for four years as a Transactional Analyst and is a Chartered Member of the CIPD. Vanessa blends commercial savvy with deep expertise. She takes a systemic approach and works alongside leaders to figure out how to harness the capacity and capability of their whole organization. Vanessa brings deep thinking and innovative solutions that deliver significant impact to realize organizational goals.
Introduction
What is organization effectiveness?
The Effectiveness Edge - the 3D-OE Diagnostic FrameworkTM
Part 1: The hidden costs in organization ineffectiveness
Chapter 1: The cost of our frames of reference
What are frames of reference?
Where do our frames of reference come from?
The strength of the system
What is the hidden cost?
Summary
Chapter 2: The cost of the unexamined system
What is an unexamined system?
The ambiguous reality of organizations
What is the hidden cost?
Summary
Chapter 3: The cost of the status quo
What is the status quo?
The unpredictable reality of organizations
The strength of the status quo
Why organizations are scary
What is the hidden cost?
Confronting the reality of the status quo
Part 2: The effectiveness edge
Chapter 4: An introduction to the framework
What is the 3D-OE Diagnostic FrameworkTM?
Explaining the Model
Summary
Chapter 5: Roles
What is a Role?
The value at stake
Understanding issues with roles
The future of roles
Summary
Chapter 6: Traversals
What is traversing and what are Traversals?
How do Traversals show up in the organization system?
Understanding issues with Traversals
Summary
Chapter 7: Fault Lines
What is a Fault Line?
Why do Fault Lines exist in organizations?
Understanding Fault Lines
Summary
Chapter 8: Currents
From Culture to Currents
What are Currents?
Understanding Currents
Summary
Part 3: Unlocking performance
Chapter 9 - How to use the 3D-OE Diagnostic Process
Step 1 - Spotting your OE issues
Step 2 - Framing your OE question
Step 3 - Gathering Data
Step 4 - Analyzing your data through the 3D-OE Model
Chapter 10 - Making sense of your organization effectiveness issues
What is sense-making?
Why is sense-making important?
Sense-making approaches
Moving to action
The advantage of the effectiveness edge
References and notes
Further resources
Acknowledgements
About the authors
Index