Macro-Design · Several weeks to months of consulting and design

U-Procedure

A sociotechnical and phenomenological process for organizational development that moves through technical, social, and cultural subsystems to diagnose and redesign an organization.

When to use U-Procedure

Effective for organizational restructuring, cultural alignment projects, and workflow optimization within established institutions.

How U-Procedure works

Instructional designers can use this as a diagnostic framework to ensure that a training intervention addresses the underlying cultural and social values of an organization rather than just the technical skills.

Phases of U-Procedure

  1. Observation of phenomena: Analyzing workflows, resources, and facts
  2. Forming a picture: Understanding the social subsystem and role distribution
  3. Understanding values: Identifying the implicit rules and policies shaping the organization
  4. Judgment: Evaluating if the current state aligns with desired outcomes
  5. Defining future values: Establishing new guidelines and cultural principles
  6. Visioning: Designing new functions and social roles
  7. Developing future phenomena: Planning new processes and technical implementations

Key principles

  • Phenomenological diagnosis of the present state
  • Recursive reappraisal of organizational subsystems
  • Integration of technical, social, and cultural layers

Best for

  • Organizational development
  • Change management
  • Workflow redesign

Considerations

  • More structured and analytical than the later 'Presencing' model
  • Focuses heavily on internal organizational subsystems rather than global ecosystems

Attribution & sources

Developed by Friedrich Glasl, 1975

Primary source

Design a session with U-Procedure

METODIC builds a complete U-Procedure-based session — methods, timing, worksheets, and facilitator guides — in minutes.

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