Do you know how to integrate change into your culture?

Think for a moment…does everyone in your organization know and live by the values that are central to your culture? And if there is the need for change, do you know how to integrate new values that will make the business more competitive?

Whether going through leadership change, a merger or acquisition, rapid growth, or unsettling economic times, defining organizational culture and aligning culture with strategy is fundamental to business success.

Can you define your organizational culture?

Whatever you call it–organizational culture, corporate culture, or workplace culture–it does not matter. What matters is whether or not you can define it. Don’t let culture be a cloud that no one can easily share and communicate.

To build a culture of distinction, you must first define the unique culture of your organization–the vital Purpose, the distinctive Philosophy, and the strategic Priorities. When you can define the organizational culture, you can evaluate how well it positions the business for success and, if need be, you can change it to compete and thrive.

Strategy and change initiatives must be linked to the culture of the workplace. If practices are not in sync with the values at the heart of the organization’s culture, change will be difficult to sustain.

Do you use culture to engage your employees?

To build a culture of distinction, you must have employees who are engaged in the work they do as well as the culture where they do it. Discover how to integrate the universal Priorites into your culture so you retain top talent. Employee engagement matters–yes, even in a bad economy. Discover the principles that motivate employees to be their best.

Define organizational culture and lead organizational change

Now there is a process for defining organizational culture, engaging employees, and leading organizational change. This unique process starts at the core of your culture and lets you manage change from the inside out.

Let Sheila Margolis, PhD–President of the Workplace Culture Institute, based in Atlanta–guide your organization so that culture becomes the force that drives your business success.

Current blog topics on organizational culture and change

• Nokia searching for new CEO to bring change
  According to the WSJ, Nokia is searching for a new CEO to revive an organization that sells lots of cell phones but has been unable to compete in the high-​​end smartphone market. The WSJ says, “The company’s failure to get back in the race has taken a toll.” Selling in [More…]
  
• Selling the Sage brand through a united culture
  Sage is a global software business, but with so many acquisitions, it has lacked a united culture. As Mary Welch reports in the July 18th issue of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the company “is redefining itself as an entity greater than its parts.”To retain the success of acquisitions, organizations tend to leave [More…]
  
• The Six Components of Employee Engagement
  Everyone’s looking for the recipe for employee engagement. How do you get motivated workers? To start, think about the six components to Employee Engagement listed below:1. FITIs the employee a FIT with the organization–its culture? Is the purpose of the organization meaningful to the employee? Are the values of the [More…]
  
• Is your performance management system working?
  Is your performance management system damaging employee performance? Do some managers put off their annual appraisal meetings because they dread the process as much as the employee? If that’s the case, let’s review a few of the basics of performance management to guide you in the process.Employees must participate in [More…]
  
• Are you managing smarter?
  Are you thinking about doing more cost-​​cutting? If so, stop for a moment if you are considering an across-​​the-​​board reduction in spending. Instead, manage smarter by first considering two key questions:What can your organization be the best at? What capabilities enable you to be best-​​in-​​class?The answers to these two questions will [More…]
  
• So how does Xerox redefine its culture?
  In the New York Times article, We’re Family, So We Can Disagree, Ursula Burns, chief executive of Xerox, is described as the new chief trying to “redefine” the Xerox culture. Often the process is more simply described as defining the culture, because in the process of defining it, a new [More…]
  
• Communicating the Toyota recall
  Is quality an issue with Toyota? A sticking accelerator pedal? Not good–and a long list of models could be affected. Toyota is shutting down production lines. This is a big deal for Toyota and the many drivers of those vehicles.Is Toyota communicating this recall effectively? The recall has been reported [More…]
  
• Do employees have the big picture?
  Prosper Using the “Why,” the “How,” and the “What” How would you describe the people in your organization?Do employees genuinely care about the organization? Do they feel a connection to its contribution and its unique character? Do valued employees want to continue working there? Do they identify with the organization? [More…]