by Greg Smith, President, OrgFitech Inc.
Culture Centric Organizations
“With available time so important and Individual bandwidth at a premium can Leadership afford to spend time influencing and shaping culture?”
We All Know the Answer
Leadership can’t afford not to.
Knowing what needs to be done and why is critical to providing strategic direction for the organization. Knowing how the organization will embrace these ongoing challenges will determine whether expected business outcomes will be a achieved or not. How an Organization behaves is Organization Culture
Organic or Leadership shaped Culture?
Organizational Culture exists whether it is led or not. The major difference is we might not like what it looks like if it organically evolves. On the other hand, effort is required in not only articulating an Organization’s desired culture, but also tweaking and sustaining or shaping it.
How do you first cast Organizational Culture?
Most organizations have a strategic plan. Within that plan some form of Core Purpose is usually identified along with a set of Core Operating Values. If they don’t exist, strong consideration should be made spending time to do just that.
Bringing life to those Core Values is the most foundational approach to the articulation of an Organization’s desired Culture.
- What Leadership Preferences promote each Core Value?
- What Employee Behaviours represent each Core Value?
- What Organizational Practices foster each Core Value?
Employees need to be involved and a part of the activities that shape culture.
Having some fun while paying attention to continuously improving how the organization functions is essential.
Taking periodic assessments of how the Culture is evolving is an imperative in “steering the ship”.
Having employees provide leadership in the “crow’s nest” with direction and course setting is invaluable.
Everybody has a part to play.