Culture eats strategy
Figures, data, facts - the "hard facts" for controlling an organization can quickly lose their impact. Especially if the "soft facts" are not right - for example, if the people with their values and their work, communication and information behavior are not behind them.
Time and again, we come across the following in our dealings with companies: They have a good, i.e. sustainable, strategy. But they fail to implement it in their day-to-day operations. Company leaders often ask themselves: What's the problem? Were the goals set too high? Do we have the wrong team? Do the employees not identify with the company and its goals? Or ...? Such questions are rightly asked. Because only if the factors at the level of the corporate culture that promote (mis)success are known, can they be specifically influenced.
Research shows that it Three central drivers to develop the corporate culture:
- The behavior of managers and supervisors. After all, they act as role models for their employees.
- Internal communication and information. Because only if employees know which overriding goals the company wants to achieve and why, can they orient their behavior to these.
- The opportunities for self-organization and independent action. Because only if employees have the necessary creative freedom can they actively participate and help shape the corporate culture.
And employees are willing to do this, provided the necessary framework conditions exist. Numerous studies show this. They not only show that most employees are dissatisfied with their company's culture, but also that they would like to play an active role in changing it.
Against this backdrop, one can only recommend that the top managers of companies actively deal with the corporate culture. The first step here should always be to first ask themselves in a kind of as-is analysis, for example:
- What makes our company, my division or department unique?
- What are the reasons for the special performance of the people in our organization?
- What are learning inhibitors and learning facilitators?
- How is motivation achieved? What demotivates the employees?
- What values do the managers exemplify? Which ones do I exemplify myself?
- What are the thinking and behavioral taboos?
- What fears do employees have?
- What norms and values shape the way employees interact and behave?
In the second step, managers can ask themselves to what extent the answers deviate from their objectives or those of the company. It then quickly becomes clear where the leverage should be applied to ensure that the company's culture meets the objectives and future requirements of the market in the medium and long term.
Dr. Kraus & Partner http://www.kraus-und-partner.de/
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