Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Corporate Culture
In his book, The Top Ten Mistakes that Leaders Make, Hans Finzel defines corporate culture as the way insiders behave based on the values and group traditions they hold. He presents some excellent ideas on the topic. George Barna does likewise in his recent book Master Leaders. In my own experience, I have discovered that the biggest issue affecting culture is that of values. A huge challenge for me has been determining existing values when I enter an organization and from those which need to be preserved, eliminated or replaced—and how quickly. For example, in one situation I discovered that the concept of compassion, which was so vital to our organization, had to be redefined. Then over a period of time the new definition had to be implemented and modeled, so that it would become part of the fabric of the culture. What have you learned about organizational culture from your experience?
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Often, it is not easily changed.
ReplyDeleteCulture is like truth. There is the actual truth and then there is the preceived truth. Example, when something isn't correct and it is told long enough it is preceived to be correct.
Culture, I beleive is ther same. Many "old timers" with an orgasnization have surrounded themselves with acceptance, love (from others) and behavior, which isn't always wrong but could be better and they develop a culture within the organization which is accepted by others. The new leader knows things must change but it can't be changed as soon as the new leader desires. The new leader must first of all earn his position as a leader then make changes.
Just my thoughts.
Don
A wise man once said, "If you only listen to what you already heard, you will only think what you already thought, especially if you weren't listening in the first place."
ReplyDeleteCulture exists as a living being, based on the sum of its parts. Those who don't hear history won't buy in to old ways. Those that ignore the new ways and people will find themselves out of sync whan it shifts.
So, leaders are responsible to both parties, the old and the new, to mold and spread the desired culture.
Bob Anderson