1.5 - About University

➠➠➠➠thrive; inappropriate assumptions will cause it to wither—often working harder atwhat no longer works. [☛ 1.9 Paradigms]Cultures are notoriously hard to change. The starting point is understanding the currentculture. [☛ 5.2 Major Change]Increasingly, organizations are working internationally. Not understanding your ownorganizational culture and how it may differ from other international cultures can bedisastrous for your organizational success, and devastating for the employees who representyour organization. [☛ 8.9 Cross-Cultural]Organizations are becoming increasingly diverse. If the diversity is to be a source ofincreased effectiveness, the current organizational culture must be prepared.Many mergers or takeovers looked great from a financial and asset point of view, yetbecame disasters when the organizational cultures could not be so easily merged.What are some elements of organizational culture? Here are some common elements, witha short explanation.HeroesStoriesRitualsThe formal versusthe informalorganizationBrandingMeaningElementWhat this element includesThink of IBM and you think of Tom Watson Sr.; GE and Jack Welch; Mary Kay Cosmetics andMary Kay Ash; and so forth. Every organization has its strong heroes, who also define the storiesand meaning of the culture.Often called myths, these are the stories that are told during coffee breaks and other informalsituations. For example, one consulting organization revelled in how much its members travelled.Travel stories abounded, for example, super-frequent travellers holding up planes at thegate. What does that tell you about what is important in that organization?Meetings are but one bastion of rituals—from who attends what, to who can be late and whocannot be late, to who starts the meeting, to how discussion is closed. Other rituals—and allorganizations have them—include humor, beer and pizza Fridays, clothing, and all-employeecommunication meetings.Read a part of your organization’s Policy Manual and ask yourself, “What is actually donearound here compared to official policy?” Every organization has an informal culture-inpractice,usually much stronger than the formal espoused culture.As this book is being written, the “in” culture term is branding. Does this tell you somethingabout leadership culture? The term is refitted from advertising and the consumer industry,where products and services like Ford, Heinz, Microsoft, and Andersen Consulting can capitalizeon their brands.Creating meaning is best explained through the story of three medieval stonemasons cuttingstones for a cathedral. When asked, “What are you doing?” the first answered, “I am cutting astone.” The second said, “I am shaping a keystone to support the main arch.” The thirdanswered, “I am building an edifice to God.” A key skill of leaders compared to managers is theability to create meaning, often tying even what might seem a trivial task to the success of theorganization. It’s sobering to think that people will do almost anything for leaders who cancreate meaning. [☛ 1.6 Boards of Play, 2.6 Clarifying Purpose]118 SECTION 4 TOOLS FOR DESIGNING PRODUCTIVE PROCESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS