THE METHOD
SOME INTERESTING BACKGROUND:
ORXESTRA® INC. THE DANCE IN FRONT OF THE DRAMA.
The word “Orxestra” has its origins in Greek theatre. It refers to the space used by the chorus in front of the proscenium (stage) in an ancient Greek amphitheatre (5th century BC). In particular, in Greek drama it was where dance was enacted. When “modern” music came the fore (17th century) this same space was where the musicians were seated … “the orchestra pit.”
The Greeks used dance because it expressed through movement, symbolism and imagery meaning and emotion that could not adequately expressed in the dialogue.
The Orxestra “dance” invariably contains four movements: the head (direction); the hand (delivery); the heart (development of people); and the spirit (day-to-day dialogue).
In today’s turbulent times we believe strongly that to lead is to employ the head; empower the hand; engage the heart; and enrich the spirit. If one of the elements of the leadership dance is either missing or short-changed mediocrity or more of the same is the best that can be hoped for.
This “leadership balance” – be it found coaching a CEO, or designing a culture intervention or developing role-specific leadership competences – is central to the “Orxestra® experience.”
TRANSEARCH ORXESTRA METHOD
THE HIRING METHOD EDGEWATER TALENT USES
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While many leaders acknowledge the significance of culture on the health and success of their organizations, few can articulate it in a succinct, meaningful way. If you can’t express your culture realistically, do you know how it influences your business? When hiring and developing people, even fewer organizations – corporations and recruiting firms alike – have a credible methodology for evaluating culture fit.
On the surface, Orxestra® is a diverse series of flashcards used to construct an idealized scorecard. On a deeper level, it enables our teams to evaluate talent in a meaningful way that’s directly linked to your organization’s personality. The results have been dramatic – better shortlists, highly engaged candidates, stronger chemistry during interviews, and seamless onboarding. Orxestra® not only significantly reduces the risk of a mis-hire, but leaders screened using our methodology tend to have longer and more successful careers than those hired through a traditional process.
A familiar scene… A company’s hiring committee sits around the boardroom table, discussing the recruitment of a new CFO. Somebody declares, “this new CFO has to be strategic.” Everybody nods in agreement. Somebody else adds, “she or he must be results-oriented.” Almost instantly, everybody clamors, “Yes!” However, nobody knows what strategic and results-oriented mean in real terms for this CFO, let alone how to screen and compare candidates appropriately. In all likelihood, each term has been interpreted differently by members of the hiring committee.
To elevate the dialogue regarding culture fit, Dr. John O. Burdett – a prominent global authority on leadership and organization development – joined TRANSEARCH in 2000. Shortly thereafter, we launched the TRANSEARCH Orxestra® Method, our proprietary card-sort methodology for assessing “the DNA” of an organization and calibrating fit. Lending heightened rigor and specificity, our teams now use Orxestra® (“or-KESS-truh”) included as part of every retained search.
We use the TRANSEARCH Orxestra® Method (developed by John O. Burdett) to measure five different types of fit which guards against costly mis-hires.
Underpinning the outcomes of a successful executive hire is ensuring there are cultural, leadership, team, performance, and integration fit.
The Orxestra® tools provide a unique perspective on culture, performance, leadership, and team ‘fit’ and help new leaders integrate quickly and successfully.