{"id":683,"date":"2018-05-10T05:22:20","date_gmt":"2018-05-10T05:22:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/grosum.com\/topTalk\/?p=683"},"modified":"2018-05-31T19:21:39","modified_gmt":"2018-05-31T19:21:39","slug":"jim-bouchard-organizational-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grosum.com\/topTalk\/jim-bouchard-organizational-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"Jim Bouchard, Speaker, Author"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Jim<\/a>Jim Bouchard inspires, empowers and guides leaders around the world to their very best. He is constantly on tour for conference appearances and corporate workshops.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jim is the author of several books on leadership and personal and professional development including\u00a0THE SENSEI LEADER<\/b>\u00a0and THINK Like a BLACK BELT<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

To learn more about Jim and\u00a0THE SENSEI LEADER Program<\/b>\u00a0visit\u00a0TheSenseiLeader.com<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

What does organizational culture mean to you?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

That\u2019s a question that might<\/span>\u00a0start a fight! I\u2019ve seen a dozen different definitions. A lot depends on the focus of the person answering the question.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Like a lot of topics in leadership today, most of these definitions tend to overcomplicate the obvious. Probably the definition that can do us the most good is that culture is simply the collective behaviors, beliefs and we could say, traditions of a particular group of people. And as much as we try to depersonalize and quantify it\u2013\u2013any organization is by definition simply a group\u2013\u2013of people!<\/span><\/p>\n

It gets complicated because even a small group can have a lot of different behaviors and beliefs\u2013\u2013and let\u2019s throw in values, interests, ambitions, and concerns. And you can\u2019t ignore individual behaviors and beliefs. It\u2019s very unusual today to find an organization where every individual is marching in perfect lock-step with the organization culture.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A leader has to address this diversity\u2013\u2013and as I said, even the smallest group or business is likely to have a very diverse group of people.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Now if you\u2019re an expert in a particular area, let\u2019s say a technical management area like compensation, then you\u2019re going to be very interested in how material incentives shape culture\u2013\u2013at least that\u2019s been the standard view for a long time. Of course now as we\u2019re seeing 3 or 4 generations working together in the same space, leaders are starting to see that the culture of a particular group or sub-group needs to be considered if you\u2019re going to design effective incentives.<\/span><\/p>\n

I used that example for a reason. What comes first? The old chicken and egg question, right? That\u2019s the problem whenever you try to study organizational culture from a technical point of view. You can certainly learn a lot by measuring and assessing the group. But you\u2019ll never fully understand the culture until you understand the people\u2013\u2013and that means having a conversation\u2013\u2013face to face.<\/span><\/p>\n

And that\u2019s what a lot of leaders today fail to do.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

What are the major determinants of organizational culture?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

I\u2019d say there are two major determinants, but it depends on the age and tradition of the culture.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a new organization, the major determinant is usually the behaviors and beliefs of the founders. The people\u2013\u2013or person that starts the group can\u2019t help but imprint personal behaviors and beliefs. That\u2019s what got the thing started in the first place!<\/span><\/p>\n

Some leaders create a strong legacy\u2013\u2013they leave their imprint on the culture. That can continue. However, the second major determinant can\u2019t help but evolve the culture going forward and in a mature organization, the current culture can be vastly different than that of the founders. That\u2019s because new individuals bring different behaviors, beliefs, experiences\u2013\u2013biases and preferences to the group\u2013\u2013and that\u2019s the second major determinant\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

And the behaviors and beliefs of individuals entering the group are<\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>fast becoming recognized as probably the most significant influence on culture\u2013\u2013especially in large organizations, but as I already said, even the smallest organizations are likely to be very diverse these days. \u2018<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Traditionally, the focus has been on \u201conboarding,\u201d which can just be biz-speak for assimilation. Now more organizations are realizing the power in accommodating\u2013\u2013no, I don\u2019t like that word\u2013\u2013embracing behaviors and beliefs brought in by new people, especially as new generations join the group.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the role of employees in organizational culture?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

I\u2019m not sure I understand that question. If you\u2019re talking about role in the sense of how the people in an organization influences the culture, well\u2013\u2013that\u2019s how the culture grows and evolves.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re talking about role more in the sense of a responsibility, my answer would be a little different.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The best organizations today understand that to be effective they must develop a culture of leadership at all levels\u2013\u2013from the front lines to the C-suite. The janitor needs to be a leader in his own area of responsibility.<\/span><\/p>\n

Leaders\u2013\u2013at all levels\u2013\u2013have the strongest influence on culture. Let\u2019s bring it home for a second. They have the strongest influence on the behaviors and beliefs of the people around them.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In an organization with effective, human-centric leadership, leaders communicate across various levels and other barriers\u2013\u2013departments, regions\u2013\u2013whatever. When communication is open and effective, then the over-arching organization culture can be shared and leaders at all levels embrace the responsibility of protecting and enforcing that culture.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

That takes a lot of discipline. It also takes a lot of trust and respect for one another. But that\u2019s how you prevent corrosion and corruption like a rogue division perpetrating a global fraud, like what happened in the Volkswagen diesel emissions fiasco.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the common problems associated with managing organizational culture?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

The biggest problem is the idea that the culture can be managed! We\u2019re back to that same process versus people problem!<\/span><\/p>\n

Management can certainly have an influence. I hope I\u2019m not coming across as disparaging rules, policies, and process. I\u2019m just saying you can\u2019t depend on them. Policies and rules reflect culture much more than they determine it. Most of the time they\u2019re an attempt to preserve or protect a particular culture.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

More than anything else, people determine culture. Their behaviors and beliefs can vary wildly from the expectations of the organization\u2013\u2013and they can change rapidly depending on circumstances, conditions, and environment. Philip Zimbardo gave us a pretty good look at that with his Stanford Prison Experiments.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Anyway\u2013\u2013you can\u2019t manage people. You lead people\u2013\u2013and then only if they\u2019re willing.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

That leads us to a big threat, and it\u2019s more common in large or wide-ranging organizations:<\/span><\/p>\n

Sub-groups can establish sub-cultures that can stray dangerously from an organization\u2019s best purpose and intent. This is where you see problems like the recent scandals at Wells Fargo and Volkswagen. Or the iconic collapse of Enron.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

They all promoted positive values and created policies to assure ethical behaviors\u2013-so what happened?<\/span><\/p>\n

Individuals established sub-cultures that ran contrary to the established over-arching culture. At least if you believe what some leaders say when they tell us they didn\u2019t know about these problems! They should have!<\/span><\/p>\n

I keep beating the same drum, but it needs beating! Management is about the process. Leadership is about people\u2013\u2013and a culture is a<\/span>\u00a0product of the people, not the process.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The process part is the rules and policies. And that is necessary and can be helpful. But every rule ever written was made to be broken\u2013\u2013and people will break them under the right circumstances. Contrary to popular belief, this isn\u2019t always because they\u2019re greedy or totally self-interested. It can happen when people are afraid too\u2013\u2013when leaders, or in this case, I\u2019d withhold that designation and say \u201cmanagers\u201d or even dictators try to get results through fear, force or coercion.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

To make it simple, if you tell a group of sales people at a phone bank that the top and only priority is to open more checking accounts or they\u2019ll be out on the street\u2013\u2013they will open accounts and some will break the rules to accomplish save their jobs. A<\/span>t that point, no rule or policy or poster about organizational values is going to stop them. They\u2019re in survival mode\u2013\u2013and it makes sense.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now before I leave this topic, I want to emphasize one important point. There isn\u2019t anything more important than this.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lead by example.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

People follow examples much more enthusiastically than they do orders. If you want to inspire others to their very best, nothing is more powerful or inspirational than your example.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Forget about managing your culture. Lead it\u2013\u2013model the behavior you expect from others.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s the most effective way to establish, protect and preserve a culture.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

What are the ways to innovate company culture? Any best practices to share.<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Well\u2013\u2013I think I just shared the best one!\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ll say it again: lead by example.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Now you\u2019re stepping into my wheelhouse! This is the sole focus of my program. I don\u2019t teach technical management. My entire focus is on the deepest human aspects of being a leader.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

As I\u2019ve been saying all along\u2013\u2013culture is the sum of the behaviors and beliefs of the people who make up the organization. To preserve, promote and evolve or as you said, innovate that culture the leader\u2019s role is to be the living example of that culture.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The leader reflects and personifies the best of what you want to preserve. If you want to innovate the culture or change it, the leader starts by engaging, by listening and learning, by actively soliciting input from all levels.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Too often top leaders craft a plan, then draw up some rules and policies, then issue orders to implement those policies. After that, the big task was to get the \u201cbuy-in.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Forget buy in. Start askin\u2019! And I\u2019m not making a joke here.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The most effective leaders do three things above all else\u2013\u2013and they do these things very well:<\/span><\/p>\n

They inspire, empower and guide. That\u2019s how you bring out the best in others.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If you want to inspire change, be inspirational! I\u2019m not making a joke here either. Be enthusiastic. In every way, you can express your commitment and belief in the change you\u2019re trying to implement. Create a vision for that change and share it\u2013\u2013and be the change you want to see in others.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Empower\u2013\u2013we just talked about that. If you want to make meaningful change, get people involved early. Get as many people involved in the design and implementation process as possible. Then reach out for more input! General Patton said:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGenerals and staff officers don\u2019t win wars! Soldiers win wars! The soldier must know what he is doing at all times. He must know the objective.”<\/span><\/p>\n

And guide. You\u2019re not doing it alone. As I just said, your power expands by empowering others.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t mean pushing. It means leading\u2013\u2013teaching, coaching and mentoring. It means acknowledging, supporting and cultivating the talents and abilities of the people you serve.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Inspire, empower\u2013\u2013guide<\/strong>. That\u2019s how you establish, protect and evolve a strong and positive culture.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Simple. Not easy!\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\"Do<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jim Bouchard inspires, empowers and guides leaders around the world to their very best. He is constantly on tour for conference appearances and corporate workshops.\u00a0 Jim is the author of several books on leadership and personal and professional development including\u00a0THE SENSEI LEADER\u00a0and THINK Like a BLACK BELT.\u00a0 To learn more about Jim and\u00a0THE SENSEI LEADER […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":684,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[12,8,11],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grosum.com\/topTalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/683"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grosum.com\/topTalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grosum.com\/topTalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grosum.com\/topTalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grosum.com\/topTalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=683"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/grosum.com\/topTalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/683\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":700,"href":"https:\/\/grosum.com\/topTalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/683\/revisions\/700"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grosum.com\/topTalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grosum.com\/topTalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grosum.com\/topTalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grosum.com\/topTalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}