Organizations have formally stated values, often posted on the wall. But organizations can also have informal values that run counter to the overall success of the organization. These dysfunctional messages sabotage performance, almost like a living “Dilbert” cartoon.
Examples are practices such as “screw up and move up” where managers promote their problem employees into other departments. Or “organizational insanity” where nothing changes but management keeps expecting different results. The lesson?
You need to identify and correct dysfunctions in your informal culture.
Research the types of dysfunction in organizations, and investigate what employees believe is dysfunctional in your organization. This can be determined through both quantitative and qualitative methods. Then meet to go over the list, identify examples that have occurred, and figure out how to eliminate them.
Are your informal and formal cultures in synch?
Ken Cooper
Partner
www.ej4.com
** Guest Blogger **
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