When organizations set out to implement large change initiatives, culture is always on the agenda. Culture, however, is merely a label used to summarize organizational beliefs and behaviors. To change culture, change the organization’s beliefs about itself and the way it acts as a result.
When our youngest was seven years old we gave him a police siren for his bicycle for Christmas. For two days he chased every visitor that came down the road on the way to our house, even pulling one of them over and suggesting that only a smuggled piece of Mom’s mince pie would stave off a speeding ticket. That, as it turned out, was the beginning of a career.
Peter Drucker is widely credited with saying “Culture eats Strategy for lunch.” Others opine that it is not merely a one meal feast. The truth is that culture does eat strategy, and that we must have both.
I now take it as a given that there isn’t a whole lot we can take for certain anymore. I do know that the love of my wife and children is unshakeable, that the sun will always rise in the east, and that I am unlikely to ever acquire a taste for broccoli. Beyond that, much of life seems to be like the proverbial bowl of jelly I keep trying to nail to the wall. But the fact that I cannot foretell the future and therefore prepare for it perfectly, does not mean that I cannot be prepared for the future.
Business Continuity is a critical function for all facility managers, yet many if not most delegate it to consultants who are not knowledgeable of organizational culture, alignment, or strategy. Business Continuity planning is best done by facility managers who are most intimate with the imperatives of their business, its priorities, and mechanisms.
All business is based on a simple progression: Relationship and integrity build trust, trust builds commitment, and commitment drives performance. Break the chain and you risk losing your customer.
Desire to do one’s best in all circumstances is a powerful motivator. Last week I attended a ministry conference which drew hundreds of people from around the globe to a small host church and saw first-hand how desire influences performance. The conference was awesome, but equally impressive in its own way was how the local congregation served the attendees.
One of the best explanations of what happened to the recycling business comes from 99% Invisible. If you are a fan of the podcast as I am you know it is dedicated to exploring and explaining design’s influence on social and everyday matters, and what lies unseen below the surface.
That may seem like a simplistic question with an obvious answer, but I wonder what the answers would be if we knew we were free to speak our minds on how strategy is developed, communicated and implemented in our own organizations.
Regimen and rigor combine to elevate preparation, a necessary part of any endeavor we undertake. In today’s pace, however, they are too often overlooked or given short attention. The results can be unfortunate or even unsettling. In the worst cases, failures to act through diligence have far reaching and impactful consequences. The opposite of this equation is just as true, however. When applied with serious intent, regimen and rigor lead to better outcomes and less regret.
