Root-Causes-of-Conflicts-In-Work-Groups

Root Causes of Conflicts In Work-Groups

Studies have shown that over 85% of the root causes of organizational performance problems are in the structures, systems, and culture within which work-groups are embedded. Structures and systems are either consciously defined with purpose and intent around a strategic direction as an Intended Culture, or they emerge naturally from the patterns-of-interaction of the personalities…

Four-Ways-of-Working-as-Generic-Cultural-Norms

Four Ways of Working as Generic Cultural Norms

Michael Hammer states that, “Most companies today – no matter what business they are in, how technologically sophisticated their product or service, or what their national origin – can trace their work styles and organizational roots back to the prototypical pin factory that Adam Smith described in The Wealth of Nations, published in 1776.” This…

Has-Your-Organization-Reached-an-Impasse

Has Your Organization Reached an Impasse?

Is your organization unable to change in the face of forces and threats from the business environment? Are you struggling against overly complex systems that frustrate and undermine your attempts to create positive change? Is your organization activity focused, rather than outcome focused? Does vital business information get filtered, altered, or stopped as it moves…

Struggling-Against-the-Invisible-Bureaucracy-of-Organizational-Culture

Struggling Against the Invisible Bureaucracy of Organizational Culture

In a world of increasing stakeholder expectations and decreasing resources, aggressive cost cutting programs have run their course. Where do you turn next? Increasing a company’s revenues and gross margins, and knowing where (and how) to reduce costs without negatively impacting customer satisfaction, employee productivity and morale, or business processes that are working effectively requires…

How-Revenue-Sources-Shape-the-Cultures-of-For-Profit-Non-Profit-and-Government-Organizations

How Revenue Sources Shape the Cultures of For-Profit, Non-Profit, and Government Organizations

Perhaps the single most important part of evaluating an organization’s culture is gaining a clear understanding of the nature, viability, and sustainability of its revenue and funding streams, and the expectations and pressures that are exerted on the organization by customers, competitors, suppliers, regulators, taxpayers, and other forces in the external environment. This article discusses…

What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get

What You See Is What You Get

Prior to the 20th Century, millions of people died from diseases that could have been easily cured by an antibiotic like penicillin. For years, the world’s leading bacteriologists had searched for the missing piece to this medical puzzle. Many times they were looking right at it. But they always “saw” the penicillin mold as a…

Managers-Are-a-Powerful-Force-for-Creating

Managers Are a Powerful Force for Creating

The most powerful force in creating (or maintaining) organizational culture in work-groups is the personality and philosophy of life of the manager who leads the work-group. Traditional approaches to managing conflict in work-groups tend to view all members of a work-group as “equal,” but the influence of the work-group manager must be more heavily weighted…

Building-Blocks-of-Organizational-Culture

Building Blocks of Organizational Culture

While most people think of organizational culture in broad, sociological terms, field experience has shown that one of the fundamental building blocks of organizational culture is patterns-of-interaction between small-groups of 2s, 3s, and 4s. Most managers in an organization know that effectively leading a work-group takes an enormous amount of time and energy because they…

Four-Dimensions-of-Leadershi

Four Dimensions of Leadership

Today’s business literature is replete with models of leadership and an entire industry has grown up around coaching leaders. Leadership is arguably one of the most valuable of human activities, yet despite the vast literature on the topic, many people remain unable to identify the basic building blocks that define what leadership is. As Elliot…

The-Breckenridge-Equation™-Taking-the-Mystery-Out-of-Organizational-Culture

The Breckenridge Equation™ Taking the Mystery Out of Organizational Culture

Ground-breaking studies like Jim Collins’ books, Built to Last and Good to Great and John Kotter’s book, Corporate Culture and Performance have shown that while an organization’s culture powerfully molds its operating style and can positively (or negatively) affect the performance of work-groups and entire organizations culture has remained an overly-complex and somewhat mysterious topic…