Comparing Ineffective and Effective Cultures

The activities in the left column are primary ways that culture gets expressed, and how it can be leveraged.

*Activity*	*Ineffective Culture*	*Effective (Adaptive) Culture*
Decision Making	• Log-jams due to unclear authority • Over-focused on research and discussion • Analysis replaces action • Often addresses wrong problem or band-aid fix • Minimal points of view considered	• Effective decisions are made “low” and close to the customer with a bias for action • Addresses root cause of problems • Predictive and planning-oriented versus reactive • Considers broad range of perspectives up and down the chain
Accountability	• Details “fall through the cracks” • Weak or poor planning processes exclude those who will implement • Blame attitude prevails when something goes wrong: “I’m accountable, you’re not.” • Rampant role confusion	• Ongoing clarity about roles Handoffs come with CRYSTAL CLEAR expectations and pathways for where to go if stuck • Hierarchy less important than ownership • People well-trained on how to build strategy, plans, solutions, and action plans
Communication	• Heavy on information, light on context • One-way (“tell”) versus interactive dialogue • Dry, fact-based financial data versus stories about success • Reinforces boundaries of function, geography, and hierarchy	• Leaders visibly and public promote the right culture through storytelling versus “just the numbers” • Continuous messages about “why we are we doing this (change)” and “how we are achieving our vision and strategy” • Two-way feedback-driven dialogue is as important as “PR” media such as email and websites • Breaks down walls and boundaries
Teamwork	• Sponsorship unclear • Meetings lack clear goal or effective engagement by everyone • Insulated within a department, little incentive for outreach and networking • Goals not linked to strategy or vision • Unrealistic timelines • Membership roles fuzzy	• Commonly used charter process that links projects and goals to vision and strategy • Meeting facilitators have skill to drive toward a clear goal and involve everyone in the process • Focuses on cross-functional collaboration, design, and problem solving • Members empowered and skilled to carry out recommendations
Customer Interface	• Requires the customer to work hard to figure it out • Employees have no idea how to help someone across a business unit or functional boundary (eg, sales to customer support)	• Organized to provide one point of contact • Customer-facing employees are highly responsive and align with unhappy customers • Lots of cross-functional integration • Training is substantial
Feedback for Diversity	• Blame-oriented • Primarily offered during annual performance review or when a mistake was made • Fear versus “we’re in this together” attitude permeates the process • Diversity and conflict are avoided and seen as negative	• People eagerly seek and give feedback -- it is viewed as critical to success • “Lessons learned” process used to manage risk is straightforward and non-political • Diversity and conflict are sought through honest, healthy dialogue that allows multiple points of view to emerge • Learning, coaching and mentoring are the focus

Detailed research on how these culture traits link to business results is in the section that follows.