Why We Fail To Create High Performance Cultures
THERE IS USUALLY A GAP BETWEEN THE IDEAL CULTURE THAT MOST ORGANIZATIONS ASPIRE TO, AND THE ACTUAL CULTURE THEY HAVE
Whenever I ask a leader to describe their ideal culture, either verbally or via a formal survey instrument, they almost always describe the same thing regardless of gender, industry or geography. Plus, or minus five percent, they describe a culture that is purposeful, has a strong achievement orientation, where people bring their ‘whole self’ to work, think in innovative ways, grow and develop themselves, and build trusting, collaborative relationships with their peers.
Common sense tells you that this type of culture produces exceptional, sustained outcomes for an organization and the people within it, and that’s exactly what the data tells us. It’s no wonder then, that most of us share this picture of our desired culture. Unfortunately, there is usually quite a big gap between the ideal culture that most organizations aspire to, and the actual culture they have.