Saturday, June 30, 2012

Culture Reflects Intentions, Actions & Impressions

While I think this article about corporate culture starts from an incorrect premise as it confuses the role of taglines in the world of corporate advancement, it does get a lot right about the origins and challenges of understanding, adapting and advancing corporate culture. It shares an excellent quote from William Rothwell, professor of Workforce Education & Development in Penn State's College of Education: "I sometimes hear managers say that they want to 'change the corporate culture.' But they often forget that the culture is the result of a group or organization's experience. To change corporate culture, then, requires giving an organization a new experience. Organizational leaders shape the culture based on the role models they set, the actions they choose to take, and how the people of the organization perceive those actions."

The article also affirms the valuable shift that is occurring among the expectations of top executives. The authoritarian approach is being morphed into a facilitative one ... something about which we must be cautious because we can't replace one for the other, rather we need to fuse them together. A leader must be ready to set a direction and provide decisions, some which are not going to be favored or evolved through the ranks of the organization. Exercise good judgment and caution -- and you can proceed toward an evolved and enlightened executive position.
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