Culture permeates everything. It defines an organization’s behavioral norms, the standards we hold ourselves to, and the way we treat each other.
If you want to change the way an organization operates, it’s not enough to announce a new policy or process. You have to shift the culture. Conversely, if you want to hold onto an existing culture when the organization itself is changing—whether growing, shrinking, pivoting to a new business model, going public, part of a merger or acquisition, or some other upheaval—you have to do so intentionally.
How to Shape Culture
You can’t mandate culture; it evolves. So how do you control something that cannot be controlled?
The simple answer is that you don’t. You cultivate it. Step by step, decision by decision, interaction by interaction you feed the culture you want and starve the culture you don’t. You’re not controlling it, you’re shaping it. There are no shortcuts. No one weird trick. It’s a steady intentional process.
Fortunately it’s also something that, with patience (and a bit of empathy) you can learn how to do.
Course Objectives
This course will teach you a step-by-step approach to:
- Characterize the current culture in terms of values, attributes, and behavioral norms.
- Identify existing hallmarks of culture and how they reinforce the current status quo.
- Set long term and near term intentions that are concrete and actionable.
- Recognize your personal points of leverage in terms of authority and influence so you can tailor your approach.
This is a practical, hands on course. By the end of it, you will have a high level first draft plan for making the cultural change you’ve been seeking.
Delivery Options
A self-paced version of the course available for free at the Curious Duck Studio.
This course is also available as a workshop for leaders of teams. Contact me for more details.