What’s your culture? Ask yourself.
I recently completed reading this book. One of the challenges the book asks, is to judge your past/present organization to learn how OCAI applies. I spent some time thinking about the larger companies I have worked for, “organization” and time thinking about the teams I’ve worked for, “subunit”. Not only organizations for which you were employed but as a consultant, organizations for which you have had exposure to through engagements and field work.
Commonly, the organizations I’ve witnessed have neatly fallen into the Hierarchy and Clan culture. Looking back I see why some of those organizations struggled to innovate, namely they were not driven by the market.
Thinking about clients I’ve worked with, most commonly those companies also fall into the Hierarchy and Clan types. With few exceptions, have a I seen a group truly market driven and adhocracy. The author suggests that’s not the only judge of a great company, because there is no “perfect” culture but I also recognize that an organization who is disconnected from their audience and market will always struggle.
Wonderfully educational book. The most valuable take away I have is to be more understanding and patient with clients as they work through each their own cultural compositions. You can almost use this as a template for understanding as you engage a new industry and client.
Hope you enjoy reading!
Diagnosing and Changing Organizational Culture: Based on the Competing Values Framework
