HOW TO USE THIS LEADERSHIP TOOL
“Do we have corporate cultures that are anchors on change? Or cultures that enable us to adapt
to the changing environment?”
—John Kotter, RETHINKING THE FUTUREOrganizational culture can be devilishly difficult to clarify. People working inside the organi-
zation, like fish in water, will have a hard time understanding their own assumptions. People
external to the organization will bring their own cultural assumptions to bear. All culture gurus
remark on how difficult it is to change a culture. Yet all is not lost: Cultures do change.
What, then, can be done, particularly in a brief handbook like this? One simple and effec-
tive method is to start the process in an entertaining but insightful way. The process described
here is best done in a group setting. (One aspect of the emerging leadership culture is the skill
of leading groups!)
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- In a large-group setting, explain why you are doing this and establish trust. It can be
very threatening to surface cultural assumptions, the values of leaders, and unspoken
assumptions. On the other hand, if the trusting and nondefensive conditions are estab-
lished, people will take great glee in surfacing assumptions and contradictions that get
in the way of effectiveness. Be careful! If management has not been open in the past,
they may take the brunt of the implied criticism. [☛10.6 Group Leader Skills, 10.7
Getting Participation] - Have groups of 5 to 8 discuss and list on flip chart pages “What’s okay” and “What’s
not okay” to do around here. Encourage and protect openness. Make the groups large
enough and diverse enough so no one person can be fingered. Here is a partial exam-
ple of a group report. [☛10.9 Visible Information]
In the large group, have the subgroups report out. Remind the group that what is
reported is okay and not a reflection on any individual. Have the group look for com-
monalties and themes; record these on a flip chart.- Depending on your purpose and needs and the level of openness and trust established,
you may wish to go the next step in the group. Remind people what direction your
organization and group are trying to take. Then ask the groups to complete a second
session. “If that is the direction we want to take, what do we need to start, stop, and
continue doing around here?” Here is a partial example report.
SECTION 4 TOOLS FORDESIGNINGPRODUCTIVEPROCESSES ANDORGANIZATIONS 119
−to come late for meetings
−to speak openly about how to improve your own job
−to present your ideas in a logical way
−to propose cost-cutting
etc.−to end-run your immediate manager
−to challenge management
−to raise emotional issues
−to deal with conflict openly
−to propose spending to make more money
etc.What is okay What is not okay
to do or think around here to do or think around here