Thanks, a very interesting read. A quick reflection I’d be interested in your views on. This feels like a fairly top-down approach to culture, one that’s still directed from the senior managers. Due to pace of technology, increased expectation of particularly younger workers to be able to express their ideas and a grater willingness of employees to move on if they don’t feel empowered, I wonder if successful organisations in the future will have their cultures defined more by their most active workers rather than through conditions set by leaders. Organisations that can be responsive, flexible and demonstrate listening will be the most innovative and thrive.
Thanks for the article .. very insightful .... it certainly is a real dilemma between command and control and creating an empowered agile business.. I've grappled with this dilemma whilst leading change programmes in government over a number of years a put a few thoughts down in a number of blogs but my one on having your ducks in a row is probably my closest view aligned to your reflection .. I'd not read this for a while but I think it still rings true ... especially as people are now (due to lock down) accustomed to work being something that they "do" (from home or wherever) rather than necessarily a place they have to "go to" there is a clear distinction developing between 'going to work' and going to the office (to do some work) .. I did see so many leaders in Government trying to "control flexible working" and that led to a blog on that as well which you may find amusing .. it certainly caused a stir when I published and is still very widely shared.
Leaders in defence and security often talk about changing organisational culture. Sounds more likely they should be putting things in place such that the organisation (people) themselves actually change?
I’ve just this week joined a MASSIVE American company that prides itself on its culture—indeed, its principles—and this reflection and the components you’ve described seem pretty right on to me. I’ve been pleasantly surprised to see that people really are living the culture and quite consciously modeling it to each other, and that there is little overt control. As a student of business culture, it’s fascinating.
Thanks very interesting and much I agree with. An issue that would benefit from further consideration is defining “excellence”. In my career there has been a constant tension between the kind of professional excellence that motivates my colleagues and the need for a “good enough” solution at speed often demanded by our clients and the fact that the latter have limited appreciation of what they may be risking.
Thanks for this. However I don’t entirely understand this line: “Organisations that aspire to excellence, and many, of course, do not, cannot reliably call on organisational culture.”
You mean that organisations striving for - but not yet achieving - excellence cannot yet count on culture?
I would argue that the risks of a lack of control outweigh the possible loss of agility. As shown by the PO cash handling system. The real trick is how to allow agility within a control network. It is not an either/or scenario
Thanks, a very interesting read. A quick reflection I’d be interested in your views on. This feels like a fairly top-down approach to culture, one that’s still directed from the senior managers. Due to pace of technology, increased expectation of particularly younger workers to be able to express their ideas and a grater willingness of employees to move on if they don’t feel empowered, I wonder if successful organisations in the future will have their cultures defined more by their most active workers rather than through conditions set by leaders. Organisations that can be responsive, flexible and demonstrate listening will be the most innovative and thrive.
Thanks for the article .. very insightful .... it certainly is a real dilemma between command and control and creating an empowered agile business.. I've grappled with this dilemma whilst leading change programmes in government over a number of years a put a few thoughts down in a number of blogs but my one on having your ducks in a row is probably my closest view aligned to your reflection .. I'd not read this for a while but I think it still rings true ... especially as people are now (due to lock down) accustomed to work being something that they "do" (from home or wherever) rather than necessarily a place they have to "go to" there is a clear distinction developing between 'going to work' and going to the office (to do some work) .. I did see so many leaders in Government trying to "control flexible working" and that led to a blog on that as well which you may find amusing .. it certainly caused a stir when I published and is still very widely shared.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/agile-world-do-we-still-need-our-ducks-row-harvey-neve/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-control-flexible-working-harvey-neve/
Thanks again for your articles .. they really are great
Leaders in defence and security often talk about changing organisational culture. Sounds more likely they should be putting things in place such that the organisation (people) themselves actually change?
I’ve just this week joined a MASSIVE American company that prides itself on its culture—indeed, its principles—and this reflection and the components you’ve described seem pretty right on to me. I’ve been pleasantly surprised to see that people really are living the culture and quite consciously modeling it to each other, and that there is little overt control. As a student of business culture, it’s fascinating.
Thanks very interesting and much I agree with. An issue that would benefit from further consideration is defining “excellence”. In my career there has been a constant tension between the kind of professional excellence that motivates my colleagues and the need for a “good enough” solution at speed often demanded by our clients and the fact that the latter have limited appreciation of what they may be risking.
Thanks for this. However I don’t entirely understand this line: “Organisations that aspire to excellence, and many, of course, do not, cannot reliably call on organisational culture.”
You mean that organisations striving for - but not yet achieving - excellence cannot yet count on culture?
I would argue that the risks of a lack of control outweigh the possible loss of agility. As shown by the PO cash handling system. The real trick is how to allow agility within a control network. It is not an either/or scenario