ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE: Do’s and Don’ts
In most organizations there is a mission, vision, and values statement most likely titled as the “Strategic Plan”. The executive team, company owner or CEO, revisit this plan annually and make changes that reflect the expected achievements and outcomes desired. As a leadership developer serving in the fields of healthcare, education, and the technology sectors, I’ve seen many beautifully printed strategic plans that contain inspirational and focused goals and objectives. Some project concrete outcomes while others give directional responsibility to department leaders for percent changes across the board that are dependent on gains or losses. While these endeavors are both proactive and directional, do they positively impact the organizational culture?
What is organizational culture? It is the cornerstone for the successful implementation of an organization’s goals, strategies, and desired outcomes. How these directly affect the culture is often overlooked and undervalued by the executive leadership team. In many large organizations, there can be many different cultures that affect the desired outcomes needed for organizational success.
Organizational culture needs to flow from the top down! If the culture of an organization wants to reflect is not exemplified at the executive level first, it will be difficult to prevent sub-standard cultures from occurring in middle management. If we are honest, as middle and executive leaders, we all want and need the same thing: a culture that promotes success. That success can come from our employee retention averages, our customer service scores, our outcomes to the bottom line, or meeting our organizational goals and aspirations.
As an experienced middle management and executive leader, my team’s outcomes were dependent primarily on my success in mirroring the perceived organizational culture needed by my team members. Unfortunately, organizational culture cannot be implemented through middle management alone. These efforts will not produce the stamina necessary to change the organizational culture, but can lead to leader burnout and decreased leader retention.
Clear communication avenues and organizational-wide strategies that allow for real-time feedback from middle management to the executive team are critical to monitor trends and commonalities that exist throughout the organization. Identifying the gaps, obstacles, and stressors that prevent success early on will increase teamwork between middle and executive leadership thus improving the leadership culture. Organizations that allow failure to be a learning opportunity instead of a punitive reaction open the door for greater collaboration and institutional achievement.
An organization’s culture can be the fertile soil necessary for growth to meet the ever-changing challenges that come with industrial and technological development and change. Leadership development is a necessary component to bridge the gap between middle and executive management, helping to create organizational momentum and creativity.
“LEADERSHIP IS NOT ABOUT TITLES, POSITIONS, OR FLOWCHARTS. IT IS ABOUT ONE LIFE INFLUENCING ANOTHER”
Keep on leading and learning!
COACH DENISE
Denise@deniseadcock.com
