Building brands and reputations from the inside out.
What culture should you have?
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Scholars of organization development (OD) and culture say that a company’s culture should support its business strategy. How do you know this is happening? Some ideas:
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If your business strategy involves creative output – is there a free flow of ideas and information flowing from top to bottom and all across your company?
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Do employees and leaders alike share ideas in a non-threatening environment?
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Is there tolerance for risk and failure? Are your employees and your company’s structure resilient?
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If your business strategy is technical in nature – do employees participate in training? Is there mentorship and support for learning in place?
What is culture?
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Culture creates reputations that motivate people to come to work in organizations, and determines if they stay.
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Culture is what people talk about when asked about their jobs. How people feel makes more of an impression on them than what they do.
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Culture is the difference between a good day and a bad one on the job, on the levels that drive people – emotional, psychological, and spiritual.
More than leadership, market value, differentiation or business strategy, culture is driving your organization.
Why is culture important?
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Today’s headlines are dominated by news of executives and leaders abusing their high status to have their way – physically, financially, socially – with those over whom they have power. Where does that misbehavior begin? There could be several origins – one of the most influential is the culture of the organization in which the behavior occurred.
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Leaders must pay immediate and constant attention to create and maintain cultures that foster ethical, fair attitudes and behaviors in environments that are deliberately diverse and employee-centered.