By Mike Friesen

What is Culture?
    Culture is present in any set of relationships whether it is two people or a major global corporation. How any collective unit behaves defines the culture and each grouping has its own innate values that determine action and responses. Each group also has sub-cultures with unique traits and preferences. On one end of the spectrum is a climate dictating a certain set of very specific behaviors with all its related norms (such as the military). On the other end is a culture very loosely organized, fluid but distinct nonetheless.

Why Culture Matters
    Culture matters because it is present in all organizations. This fact is true regardless of size or type of family, group, organization or country. Not only is culture always present, it determines output. The output may be a product or a service or some combination thereof. The results may be as tangible as producing a measurable number of widgets or as intangible as improving someone’s spiritual life. All along the spectrum, culture matters.      

    The beauty of the linkage between culture and results is any self-serving organization can see financial benefits from creating great culture and outstanding output. Western consumers are increasingly impatient because they have more awareness of alternatives in every category. Every enterprise – whether for-profit or not, whether product or service based – has customers. Caring for the long-term success requires tuning into the internal culture to understand external customer behavior. The cultural explorer will likely learn a thing or two along the way about the internal customers as well. No organization is exempt from the internal and external effects of culture decisions.

How to Improve Culture     
    To improve a culture means to first cultivate an environment that values the overarching reasons of its very existence. This is not just what we produce or serve but is the long-term purpose. Looking at culture forces us to consider why we exist and then look for ways to continue meeting needs around this purpose by responding to our internal and external customers and the marketplace at large. A leadership student’s focus is on culture at all levels and the path to a premium environment requires five elements illustrated below.

      The process as shown in the picture above of moving around the circle from “Mindsets” to “Theories” to “Application” to “Balance”is a simple yet powerful roadmap for any leadership thinker to use in influencing culture. Each step builds upon the previous stage and sustained cultural improvement will not happen if any piece is skipped or neglected. Leave out seeing and the thinking will be small-minded. Ignore the thinking and the application will be haphazard. Disregard balance and the enterprise will struggle over the long-term to sustain results.

Stage 1 – Mindsets     
    Discover,examine and modify mindsets. This opens a new way to see. Mindsets are always the entry point for growth in the Expected End model. Yes, always. If we do not consider mindsets, everything else is short-term behavior modification at best and pointless academics at the worst. Without a paradigm discussion, real growth, improvement and change are wishful thinking and the list of frustrating workplace problems will remain mostly unchanged. Without openness to mindset possibilities, creative ideas never see the light of day, application is rote and balance is impossible.      

    One of the best ways to discover mindsets is to start with a behavior and work backward. The critical nature of this skill cannot be overstated as the theories and resulting application will only be as good as the paradigm definition. Use the “Mindset Map” below as a tool to help find reasonably accurate mindsets. This map works on both individual and group levels. 


MINDSET MAP 

Stage 2 – Theories     
    Upon developing improved mindsets, the second step in the Expected End model is to move on to theories. Based on what you see so far, what do you think will happen? What are the nuts-and-bolts required to advance your idea? How do you anticipate making the premise work? How will you evaluate the success or failure of your theory? These and many other questions are all part of fleshing out an adequate theory that moves us to the next step of application. This is the planning stage.

Stage 3 – Application     
    The third step in Expected End is application. Most of us have had the disappointing experience of an idea proving less than workable in function despite how well it sounded in concept. Getting real through application is an important step in the path of building notable cultures as this step is the true refiner of great ideas. Reality is one of the allies in building outstanding climates within organizations.     

    We have probably all noticed how someone who is very good at something usually makes it look easy. There is nothing quite like experience with its dynamics and pratfalls. It was one thing to see and think about how to ride a bike and another to do it. On one of my first solo bike rides as a child, I forgot how to stop and chose to run into the side of a concrete building rather than coast out into a busy street. While this incident is laughable now, it is also typical of growing and learning. Mistakes are inevitable. Application shines a bright light on the mindsets and theories to aid in evaluation and improvement.

Stage 4 – Balance     
    Strive for balance across life, family, team and organization by including the four elements of balance: mind, effort, heart and legacy. This results in an improved way to know. In the zeal of thinking and doing, do not neglect balance, the fourth part of the model. Life is too short to waste in a productive yet unbalanced approach. And really, how productive is out-of-balance? I have attended a number of military retirement ceremonies. Invariably, there is mention of the standout achievements by the retiree and these are often significant. However, the highest impact moments in the ceremony happen when the words and thoughts turn toward relationships. The stories between and about people have much greater impact than the narratives about things.

At the Core – Timeless Principles     
    Timeless principles play a pivotal role in developing an undeniable level of effectiveness and form the core of the Expected End model. Without this core,the theory collapses. We need some sort of standard on which to base decisions and there are a dizzying number from which to choose. In our context, timeless principles mean those values accepted by most healthy societies worldwide.      

    Timeless principles are outside our control and examples include excellence, respect, integrity, kindness, loyalty, commitment, honesty, service, humor, and forgiveness. Living by these and other related principles yield predictable, positive consequences. Neglecting these principles will also give predictable but negative results. These timeless rules are external to each of us and not subject to our tinkering. Our mindsets, theories, actions and results will all be directly influenced by our foundation. The most interesting point is whether we choose to align with principles or not, the long-term outcomes are predictable every time.      

    To illustrate the importance and constancy of principles, consider the U.S. economic troubles increasing in late 2007 and early 2008. To be sure, there were many innocent victims of circumstance but there were also many willing participants who chose to make decisions misaligned with principles. As of this writing, the widespread pain is being felt in our country and throughout the world. The point is not to judge others but to simply show consequences of principles hold steady regardless of how we may act or not. We dare not ignore these natural laws with their guaranteed outcomes. We can rant, complain or accept but these natural laws operate without our input. We can make choices but the consequences are determined by timeless principles.     

    Mindsets, theories, application, balance and timeless principles are the five key elements to understanding, predicting and improving culture. With a bit of work, it is possible to move toward premium culture for the sake of internal and external needs.

This article is a compilation of excerpts from the book titled Expected End by Mike Friesen, Copyright © 2008 published by Leading Strategies LLC with Lulu Publishing Company (www.lulu.com).

E-mail contact: LSInfo@LeadingStrategies.net