Tuesday Quotes – On Change
Ed Schein on Culture and Leadership
Culture Defined!
A pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way you perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems.
The only thing of real importance that leaders do is to create and manage culture.
If you do not manage culture, it manages you, and you may not even be aware of the extent to which this is happening.
The process of culture formation is the process of creating a small group:
- single person (founder) has idea.
- founder brings in one or more people and creates core group. They share vision and believe in the risk.
- founding group acts in concert, raises money, work space…
- Others are brought in and a history is begun.
…culture explains the incomprehensible, the irrational.
Culture defines us:
- what we pay attention to
- what things mean
- react emotionally
- what actions to take when
The deeper issues:
- nature of reality and truth
- nature of time
- nature of space
- nature of human nature
- nature of human activity
- nature of human relationships
- nature of reality and truth
- what is real and how to determine reality
If you have been trying to make changes in how your organization works, you need to find out how the existing culture aids or hinders you.
In most organizational change efforts, it is much easier to draw on the strengths of the culture than to overcome the constraints by changing the culture.
Understand a new environment and culture before change or observation can be made.
- Observe behavior: language, customs, traditions
- Groups norms: standards and values
- Espoused values: published, publicly announced values.
- Formal Philosophy: mission
- Rules of the Game: rules to all in org
- Climate: climate of group in interaction
- Embedded skills:
- Habits of thinking, acting, paradigms: Shared knowledge for socialization.
- Shared meanings of the group
- Metaphors or symbols
How do leaders get their ideas implemented?
- socialization
- charisma
- acting, by doing, exuding confidence
Wendy Mason is a career coach working mainly with professional women who want to make that jump to senior level while having a life outside work. Before working as a coach, Wendy had a long career in both the public and private sectors in general management and consultancy as well as spells in HR. She now divides her time between face to face coaching, and coaching and blogging on-line. You can contact Wendy at wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com and find out more at http://wisewolfcoaching.com
Email Wendy now at wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com for a free half hour coaching session by phone or Skype
Coming shortly – the WiseWolf Career and Personal Development Programme – if you would like to know more email wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com
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