Culture and Climate – A Transformational Leader’s Guide to Generational Differences
Introduction
A company’s soul is its personality, its culture, and the values by which it stands; derived from a company’s core beliefs, this intangible asset determines the effectiveness of strategies and the ability to achieve authenticity. Culture consists of group norms of behavior and the underlying shared values that help keep those norms in place; Climate refers to the psychological environment reflected in attitudes and perceptions formed by employees. To ignite employees’ motivation and sense of ownership, leaders must understand and create a positive infrastructure, provide consistent feedback, reward desired behavior, and implement mentorship to reap the advantages of a positive organizational climate. Many cultural values are difficult to address such as rules for social interactions, decision-making processes, concept of justice (values and fairness), and patterns of superior and subordinate roles in relation to status by age, gender, class, and position. With such a diverse workforce including multiple generations and different ethnic groups, a one-size-fits-all management approach is improbable to achieve success in …show more content…
Leaders must win the hearts and minds of all employees; in their book “Blue Ocean Strategy,” W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne name four obstacles a leader must overcome to institute an authentic change in company culture. First, people need to know “why” the strategy is needed. Second, is limited resources; change will require a shifting of resources away from some areas and towards other. Motivation is the third hurdle; employees must “want” to make the change. Lastly, institutional politics can impede change. They quote one manager who complains: “In our organization, you get shot down before you stand up” (Chan,
Introduction
A company’s soul is its personality, its culture, and the values by which it stands; derived from a company’s core beliefs, this intangible asset determines the effectiveness of strategies and the ability to achieve authenticity. Culture consists of group norms of behavior and the underlying shared values that help keep those norms in place; Climate refers to the psychological environment reflected in attitudes and perceptions formed by employees. To ignite employees’ motivation and sense of ownership, leaders must understand and create a positive infrastructure, provide consistent feedback, reward desired behavior, and implement mentorship to reap the advantages of a positive organizational climate. Many cultural values are difficult to address such as rules for social interactions, decision-making processes, concept of justice (values and fairness), and patterns of superior and subordinate roles in relation to status by age, gender, class, and position. With such a diverse workforce including multiple generations and different ethnic groups, a one-size-fits-all management approach is improbable to achieve success in …show more content…
Leaders must win the hearts and minds of all employees; in their book “Blue Ocean Strategy,” W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne name four obstacles a leader must overcome to institute an authentic change in company culture. First, people need to know “why” the strategy is needed. Second, is limited resources; change will require a shifting of resources away from some areas and towards other. Motivation is the third hurdle; employees must “want” to make the change. Lastly, institutional politics can impede change. They quote one manager who complains: “In our organization, you get shot down before you stand up” (Chan,