Corporate Culture

You will find here all the tools you need to create an organizational culture so positive and exciting people say, Thank God It’ Monday! We offer training tools and programs to assess the corporate culture and effect culture change.

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A consultant who used our Cultural Compass with a client, wrote to us saying that the top executives loved the way the Compass revealed their corporate culture to them. They wanted her to use it with the rest of the staff. They wanted to better understand the values and perceptions that define the work environment and find ways to significantly improve it.

The Cultural Compass is designed to make it easy to uncover current cultural strengths and assets, as well as opportunities for improvement and change. The customizable and reproducible Cultural Compass is also used to uncover and compare the cultures of various groups, teams, and departments, and how to overcome the Culture Gap that might separate them.

The Paper-and-pencil version of the Cultural Compass is sent to you in an electronic file in a MS Word format, so you can customize it by adding your organization’s logo, mission statement, message from the president or the Training Department, or any other information easily and quickly.
We offer the Culture Compass in a number of options described below.

Paper/Pencil- A Facilitator's Guide with One Reproducible Culture Compass One Facilitator License for face-to-face sessions only $249.00   

To use on the Organization's Intranet / Or other organization-wide unlimited uses license $995.00

Want to change the culture of work?

Want to see morale soars and teamwork explodes?

 Get the new "Employee Engagement for Change" Program today!

Visit: http://www.humanext.com/employee-engagement-for-change.html 

RelationShifts is a transformational training experience that changes the way employees view their job and relate to their colleagues and the organization. The training builds a sense of ownership of one's work and shows managers and staff alike a more effective and liberating way of working together to achieve extraordinary results:

• It is a highly inspiring, deep discovery, passion-filled half-day or full-day session that goes beyond traditional motivational / team buliding training.
• It is an opportunity to understand, accept, and create significant change in employee relations, the team and the organization.
• It is an invitation to experience and adopt a different Mental Model for doing business in a Not-As-Usual way to create extraordinary business results.
• It is an introduction of a new way of communicating and working in a positive, emotionally intelligent manner that creates collaboration and commitment.

Click here for more information on this unique training experience

You've experienced the difficult times and the bad economy, the budget cuts and the layoffs, the bankruptcies and the belly ups. The result: Employee morale is sinking, and fear is in the air in many workplaces. But fear is not a strategy. So what should you be doing, and saying, as a leader, talent manager, or communicator? Here are seven strategies to consider duing bad times:

1- Play a leadership role, nomatter what your position is in the organization, and rise to meet the challenges facing you. Bad times are precisely the ones when bold leadership is needed. Don't waste time waiting for the other shoe to drop, or other people to take action. Consider this difficult time to be a great opportunity to prove your worth, apply your talent, and lead your team.

2- Don't dwell on the negative. Don't keep talking about the bad economy. What people focus on becomes their reality.

3- Create a new focus for your team, or your organization. Start a big initiative. Put your energy in productive work. Engage employees in an organization-wide, or department-wide, service enhancement or process improvement effort. Not only will this take people's minds off the negative news, it will improve productivity, wich will help the organization face the bad times.

4- Get out of the "limited pie" pattern of thinking, where people fight for pieces of a perceived shrinking pie. Summon people's creativity to create a totally new pie, or enlarge the existing one. Break up the walls between departments. Open up the organization for the winds of innovation and change. Offer training on creativity and innovation, on leadership, on change management.

5- Resist becoming paralyzed, standing still, not taking action, waiting for the economy, or other conditions,to improve. Waiting will only push you back as the world keeps moving forward. Instead of reducing your efforts, consider doubling them.

6- Communicate often, delivering a message of confidence and hope. It's not the end of the world. It may be only the end of an old way of doing business. This could be your exciting opportunity to create a new way of thinking about business, and turning that thinking into reality.

7- If your organization has gone through a budget cut or reduction in force (RIF) , communicate the reasons for this action and then move quickly to communicate the expectations, vision, and plans for the future. You must model, in words and action, the message of hope you need to deliver. Ask everyone to become the change they want to see happening.

© 2010 Francois Basili, President,  HumaNext LLC  If you want to publish or reprint this article subscribe to Content for Communicators. Click here for more information and samples of Content for Communicators.

On July 9, 2004 a Senate panel assailed the CIA on Iraq, saying the prewar threat was overstated. Our interest in this article is not in the political aspects of this finding. Our interest is in the organizational and corporate culture dimensions that the report highlights, and the lessons you can take from this to apply to the corporate culture of your workplace.

The 511-page report, endorsed by members of both parties, spoke of "a broken corporate culture and poor management,” at the CIA. What were the consequences of this “broken culture” at the CIA? Senator Pat Roberts, a Republican from Kansas, said the CIA had abused its unique position by failing to cooperate sufficiently with other intelligence agencies. Senator John Rockefeller, the ranking Democrat on the committee, described the intelligence failures in strong terms. "Our credibility is diminished," he said. "Our standing in the world has never been lower. We have fostered a deep hatred of Americans in the Muslim world, and that will grow. As a direct consequence, our nation is more vulnerable today than ever before." Rockefeller said he was certain that Congress would not have authorized war had it been given more accurate intelligence.

How did this ‘broken corporate culture’ manifest itself? The report said that a "collective groupthink" had led to ambiguous evidence being widely accepted as conclusive. While Tenet should have been coordinating the work of the various U.S. intelligence agencies "to provide the most accurate and objective analysis to policy makers," the arrangement had signally failed. It "actually undermined the provision of accurate and objective analysis by hampering intelligence sharing and allowing CIA analysts to control the presentation of information to policy makers, and exclude analysis from other agencies." Does your organization suffer from symptoms of a “collective groupthink”?

How is your organization’s corporate culture? And how can you trust it is not broken? Here is a quick list of twelve signs that your corporate culture is broken, or about to be:

1. Most office doors are closed most of the times, hiding what’s said behind them.
2. Top leadership does not “walk the talk.” They talk about sacrifices while keeping their executive previlidges. They talk about teamwork while stories of their in-fighting are everywhere.
3. People are afraid to bring critical issues up to their superiors.
4. People are punished for the failure of experimental projects.
5. Departments act as fiefdoms, do not collaborate and do not share information.
6. Managers blame each other for organizational problems.
7. There are separate cafeterias, parking, rest rooms, and other facilities for executives only.
8. Secreteries tend to bring coffee to their bosses and never the other way around.
9. You hear about things more through the rumor mill than through the organization’s communication channels.
10. There is pressure to do what the bosses want without regard to questions of ethics or personal integrity.
11. You do not see people like yourself in positions of responsibility, especailly among top leadership.
12. Training and HR practices are totally focused on advancing the organization’s interests with little or no attention to developing people’s talents and careers.

© 2004 TGIM Newsletter at www.communicationideas.com  For a tool to help you uncover the values and profile of your organization’s culture, take a look at our Culture Compass in this page. You can offer our TGIM newsletter subscription free to your web site visitors. Email us at info@communicationideas.com to get the speical code. Feel free to link to our web sites www.humanext.com and www.communicationideas.com

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Professionalism Should be the Focus In Observing Administrative Professionals Week- Suggestions for Employers, Supervisors

Administrative Professionals Week is an opportune time to recognize the valuable and growing contributions of administrative professionals in the workplace.

Members of the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), sponsor of Administrative Professionals Week, suggest that observances of the event recognize and support the professionalism of administrative support staff.

Specific recommendations from IAAP for observances include:

Hold a company-wide observance or special event for administrative staff, such as a presentation by an educational speaker, or group recognition of administrative professionals by the chief executive.

Provide registration for a professional development seminar to build the individual’s technical, interpersonal or business skills.

Support membership in appropriate networking and professional associations.

Encourage study for and attainment of professional certification.

Additional gift suggestions include appropriate business-related items such as personalized business cards, a desktop nameplate, a gift certificate, ergonomically correct desk accessories or equipment, computer hardware/software upgrade, or a monetary bonus for exemplary performance. “Surveys of administrative professionals have shown that they prefer professionally oriented observances,” said Sandra P. Chandler CPS, 2006-07 IAAP international president. “While gifts of candy and flowers are appreciated, an observance related to professionalism is more meaningful. And, of course, it’s always wise to ask the administrative staff members in your organization how they would prefer to observe Administrative Professionals Week.”

If you want to publish this article, and many other informative and inspiring articles, ideas, and cartoons in your publication, subscribe to Content for Communicators at: http://communicationideas.com/company-publications.html  

Authors: Michael Burchell, Jennifer Robin

• What separates a Great Company from a merely good one? More than offering great pay and quirky perks, a great workplace is one where employees trust the people they work for, take pride in what they do, and are inspired to achieve superior performance.
• Based on a many years of research and training conducted at the Great Place to Work Institute--producers of the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For Annual List--The Great Workplace: Building Trust and Inspiring Performance Workshop provides managers with a set of powerful, effective exercises that will help them understand the conceptual and practical considerations of creating a high-trust work environment. In the workshop, participants will:
• Examine the essential elements of a Great Place to Work, especially the crucial role of trust.
• Build an understanding of the key role managers play in building a great workplace.
• Identify opportunities and generate ideas for making change within the scope of their responsibility.
• Gain practical tools for improving the quality of their work environment.

Workshop Components:

1. Facilitators Guide: the comprehensive Facilitator's Guide Package includes case studies and role play exercises, scripts for1/2 day and 1 day workshops, PowerPoint slide deck, lecture content, models and frameworks, action planning and instructions for using the assessment tool. Loose-leaf/144 pages/March 2011/ Price $225.00

2. Participant Workbook: The Participant workbook includes exercises to be used in conjunction with the workshop and self-directed exercises to continue development after after the workshop. Additionally there are action planning tools for follow-up skills development. Paperback/80 pages / March 2011 /Price $49.00 each

3. Leadership Self-Assessment: The Great Workplace Leadership Self- Assessment provides 57 items on a 3-point scale measuring effectiveness on the Great Workplace model. Paperback/16 pages / March 2011 / Price $12.00 each

4. Poster: The poster outlines the Great Workplace model for use during the training session. price $10.00 each

Program Highlights:

• The cornerstones of good business: credibility, respect and fairness.
• How to give your employees a vested interest in your company's success.
• The critical need for setting clear expectations, and acting accordingly.

There's more to AFLAC's success than just simply a duck. Granted, this advertising campaign has skyrocketed AFLAC's brand awareness in the US to 89% (up from 8% just a decade ago), and has helped to triple AFLAC's sales since 1997. However, name recognition carries a significant burden. Once you become a household name, any wrong move you make will be remembered. AFLAC's Dan Amos believes that his company's success has come from a reputation for doing the right thing and for putting employees first. When employees trust the company to go the extra mile for them, they go the extra mile for customers. It is this level of integrity and customer service that has created shareholder returns for AFLAC double the market average.

During Mr. Amos' 13-year tenure as CEO, the market capitalization of AFLAC has grown from $1.3 billion to more than $16 billion. AFLAC has been on Forbes' "Platinum 400 List of Best Big Companies" for four consecutive years, and Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work for in America" for five consecutive years.

Video type:DVD OR VHS / Length: 50 mins. (2003)- $95.00

Program Highlights:

• Identifying the elements of organizational culture.
• How an organization's culture impacts its success.
• Case histories of firms with strongly identified cultures.

"Organizational culture" is an elusive, yet powerful management tool. Professor Chatman defines organizational culture in terms of observable behaviors and shows examples of firms that use strong, strategically aligned cultures to enhance organizational performance. She outlines how to establish and maintain a healthy and thriving culture by focusing on the power of effective selection and socialization processes.

Jennifer Chatman is a leading scholar in the areas of developing and managing organizational culture and employee commitment. Her articles appear frequently in leading academic journals, and she is a member of the editorial board of Administrative Science Quarterly and the California Management Review. Her consulting clients include CitiCorp, PG&E, the U.S. Postal Service, and the Big Four public accounting firms.

Video type: DVD OR VHS / Length: 60 mins.(1997) - $95.00

Ankerstar & Dalke's Balancing Personal and Professional Ethics comes with a Trainer's Guide with Reproducible Exercises, Handouts, and Case Studies

This fully reproducible trainer's guide goes beyond just talking about ethics in the workplace. It utilizes thought-provoking activities and case studies to stimulate new thinking and new ways for making sound ethical decisions. To complement this process the guide includes a tool called the Ethical Question Cycle and step-by-step guidelines for developing a code of ethics. All the training materials are fully reproducible, and are offered in a sequence that prompts participants to examine how their personal ethics impacts relationships with co-workers, management, and customers.

As the facilitator for this ethics program, your goal is to provide an environment for all participants to share their ideas and feelings. This training guidebook will show you how. Each chapter contains notes for the facilitator along with approximate time limits for each explanation, activity, and summary exercise. Includes workshop designs for 2-hour, half day, and full day sessions.

Training Objectives:

• Heighten the professional ethical standards of all employees
• Integrate ethical reasoning with other work behaviors
• Enhance employee commitment to developing a code of ethics Selected

Contents

• Steps in Making Ethical Decisions
• Ethical Choices
• How Personal Ethics are Formed
• Consequences of Unethical Behavior
• Rewards of Ethical Behavior
• Challenging Professional Ethics
• Ethics: Preserve or Compromise
• A Code of Ethical Standards.

160 page Guide book, reproducible exercises, hand outs, and case studies/ $69.95

One of the totally misguided notions of management is that for a business to succeed it must be “Lean and Mean.” Being “lean” is understandable, for it really means efficiency and effectiveness. But why “lean and mean?” Does it really take meanness to produce good products or services, market it intelligently to the public, and make a decent profit in the process? The “Lean and Mean” advocates used the need to make a profit as an excuse for treating people badly. But the facts of business life, not Utopia, have shown time and again that the opposite notion is the true one. Only when a business treats its employees well can it succeed in treating its customers well, thereby staying in business and growing a profit. Need a real-life proof? Here it is, from the highest pinnacles of power, the story of how Paul O’Neill, who served as Treasury Secretary under George W. Bush, proved that what was good for people was good for business.

When Paul O’Neill became C.E.O. of Alcoa in 1988, he knew nothing about aluminum. Alcoa was in trouble at the time. In fact, the whole manufacturing industry in America was in bad shape. Experts were saying that commodities like steel and aluminum would inevitably be supplied by countries with cheap labor, and that the US would have to abandon its futile attempts to compete in manufacturing. Alcoa’s previous CEO listened to this advice and tried to take the company out of the aluminum business by buying other kinds of businesses. O’Neill did not give up on American manufacturing, though. He got rid of all the non-aluminum businesses and focused exclusively on making aluminum. Within twelve years, he doubled the company’s global market share and more than doubled the number of employees. After years of depressed earnings, he took the company from a profit of just $4.8 million in 1993 to a staggering profit of $1.5 billion in 2000. So what was his secret?

Here is how Michael Lewis, in a story in the New York Times Magazine, described it: “ He (O’Neill) also created, pretty much by an act of will, a new corporate culture. How he did this is actually interesting....He began by making a big pain in the rear of himself. On his first day, he told Alcoa’s executives that they weren’t going to talk people into buying aluminum and that they weren’t going to be able to raise prices, so the only way to improve the company’s fortunes was to lower its costs. And the only way to do that was with the cooperation of Alcoa’s workers. And the only way to get that was to show them that you actually cared about them. And the only way to do that was actually to care about them. And the way to do that was to establish, as the first priority of Alcoa, the elimination of all job-related injuries. Any executive who didn’t make worker safety his personal fetish- a higher priority than profits- would be fired.

On his second day, O’Neill told the same executives that he was eliminating the longstanding practice of paying their membership dues at a Pittsburgh-area country club that excluded women and blacks. He also, before it became fashionable, replaced the old corporate hierarchy with a flatter management structure. It took him several years, and he was forced to fire a few otherwise useful people who refused to believe he was serious about worker safety, but eventually established Alcoa as the world’s safest place to work. (To give you an idea of what he achieved, Treasury Department employees, most of whom don’t do much but sit at desks, missed work because of injury 20 times as often as Alcoa employees.) He proved to the satisfaction of people who worked for him that their old ideas of what was possible were based on artificial limits....Having persuaded the workers that he was on their side, they paid him back with greater efficiency.”