Friday, July 27, 2012

Culture is...



Part Three in a Summer Series on Creating a High Performing Organization: 

According to our marketing partner –Preactive Marketing – the phrase “culture is…” generates roughly 20 million global hits. This indicates it is quite a popular topic and that people are interested in what culture is - and why having a high performance one is important.

We’ll share our thoughts, though we also prefer to hear from you, so share your opinion!

Culture has different meanings to different people – so how would you finish the sentence – Culture is…

I would finish it something like this:

The shared assumptions, values and beliefs of a group of people. The way in which a group of people solves problems. - Geert Hofstede


Wise words from good ol Geert. The term culture has many meanings.  Whether written as a mission statement, spoken, or just understood, organizational culture describes and governs the ways a company’s leaders, employees, customers and stakeholders think, feel and act. Culture may be based on beliefs or spelled out in your mission statement.

Simply put - culture can be defined as, “the way work gets done around here. Organizations can’t excel for the long term if they don’t have a high performance culture – for more on the aspects of creating and maintaining a high performing culture - check out our whitepaper - What is a High Performance Culture? Creating a culture that supports long term growth and sustainability.

So…

Why is your organizational culture so important?

  • Culture has a direct impact on employee performance, engagement and retention, and thus also a direct impact on innovation, customer satisfaction, and bottom line revenue.  For example, a culture of poor communication, lack of transparent and authentic leadership, abuse of power, and inflexible structures and processes is most likely a culture that would not be categorized as high performance or sustainable for the long term ; As this type of environment wouldn't make employees want to give their best and thus negatively impact the bottom line. 



  • On the flip side, however, a positive culture can drive high performance and to create an environment of innovation and sustainability.  Organizations that have flexible processes and structures which help facilitate cross communication; encouraging people to share ideas and concerns with leadership usually excel. If people enjoy working for your organization then in most cases they give 100% engagement toward helping the company succeed.



  • Culture is the identity of a company, and because of that, in some ways it becomes an identity of those who work there, as well. The people end up affecting the culture as much as the culture is affecting them. So while there are many definitions of organizational culture, all of them focus on the same points: collective experience, structures, beliefs, values, norms, and systems. These are learned and re-learned, passed on to new employees, and continues on as part of a company’s core identity.


A company’s culture says a lot about an organization and the direction they are headed - success or failure can hinge on culture. In the words of another organizational culture guru:

The only thing of real importance that leaders do is to create and manage culture. If you do not manage culture, it manages you, and you may not even be aware of the extent to which this is happening.”  - Edgar Schein


So – culture is how “work gets done around here.”  To get work done well a  positive culture is needed for organizational, employee, and customer satisfaction and success. And who doesn't want to be success!


About Scott Span, MSOD: is President of Tolero Solutions Organizational Development & Change Management firm.  He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more responsive, focused, productive and profitable.

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*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of  any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Strategy is...



Part Two in a Summer Series on Creating a High Performing Organization: 

According to our marketing partner – Preactive Marketing – the phrase “strategy is…” generates roughly 13.6 million global hits. This indicates it is quite a popular topic and that people are interested in what a strategy should contain and why having one is important.

We’ll share our thoughts, though we also prefer to hear from you, so share your opinion!

Strategy has different meanings to different people – so how would you finish the sentence – Strategy is…

I would finish it something like this:

A strategy delineates a territory in which a company seeks to be unique.- Michael Porter


Wise words from Mr. Porter. Based on how most define strategy, the main reason for the existence of strategy is to achieve end goals. Organizations can’t succeed at getting where they want to go if they don’t have a plan of how to get there.

So…

Why is having a strategy important – why conduct strategic planning?

  • A solid strategy is the cement and mortar in the foundation of any successful organization (that’s just one reason we offer our clients consulting services and training on this topic). You’ve got to have a plan – actionable processes.


A plan and process for how to:

  • Handle change

  • Manage for results

  • Provide customer support

  • Increase adaptability

  • Promote communication

  • Guide management decisions

  • Remain future-oriented


The strategy is a supporting document that should contain actionable processes to help you answer important questions and achieve success – it should also outline what success looks like for your organization and how you measure that success. The strategy should assist in defining target markets, processes, structures, roles and responsibilities, and key customers and stakeholders.

  • How does an organization develop a strategy?


Carefully – this shouldn’t be a rush job. The strategy is like the compass for your organization, it provides direction. Developing a strategy should include several components. A solid strategy should include a focus and analysis on both internal (history, politics, culture, structure) and external factors (competitors, customers, environment, laws and policy).  The organization should also include the development of the mission and vision of developing a strategy as well as targets, goals and initiatives, and measures of success.

So, in short, the strategic planning process should ask and answer the following questions (here is your cheat sheet!):

Where are we now?

  • Internal/external  environmental assessment

  • Customer and stakeholder identification


Where do we want to be?

  • Mission

  • Vision

  • Targets

  • Initiatives

  • Objectives


How do we measure our progress?

  • Performance measures and KPIs


How do we get there?

  • Supporting strategies and initiatives

  • Action plans

  • Tracking system


You see…strategy is a facet of business that is imperative to succeeding.

“He who fails to plan is planning to fail.”  -Winston Churchill 


If you don’t know where you are going - how will you ever get there!


About Scott Span, MSOD: is President of Tolero Solutions Organizational Development & Change Management firm.  He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more responsive, focused, productive and profitable.

Email | Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Blog | Facebook

________________________________________________________________________________

*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of  any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.