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Articulate and Foster Organizational Culture

Unleash the power of culture to enable your strategy.

  • There is confusion about how to translate culture from an abstract concept to something that is measurable, actionable, and process driven.
  • Organizations lack clarity about who is accountable and responsible for culture, with groups often pointing fingers at each other.

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  • Get advice, coaching, and insight at key project milestones
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Our Advice

Critical Insight

  • When it comes to culture, the lived experience can be different from stated values. Culture is a pattern of behaviors and the way work is done, rather than simply perks, working environment, and policy.
  • Executives’ active participation in culture change is paramount. If they aren’t willing to change the way they behave, attempts to shift the culture will fail.

Impact and Result

  • Executives need to clarify how the culture they want will help achieve their strategy and agree on the focus values that will have the maximum impact.
  • HR needs to measure the current state of culture and facilitate the process of leveraging existing elements while shifting undesirable ones.

Articulate and Foster Organizational Culture Research & Tools

2. Give executives the tools to drive change

Enable executives to gather feedback on behavioral perceptions and support behavioral change.

Executive Reflection Template

3. Align HR programs to culture

Review all areas of HR to understand where the links to culture exist and create a playbook to guide changes to HR programs.

HR Action and Communication Plan
Standard Internal Communications Plan
Core Competency Library

4. Disseminate and manage culture

Align behaviors to focus values and pilot the process with senior leaders.

Culture Facilitation Guide for Leaders

Articulate and Foster Organizational Culture

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How to complete this course:

Use these videos, along with the Project Blueprint deck above, to gain an understanding of the subject. Start with the Introduction, then move through each of the Course Modules. At the end of each Module, you will be required to complete a short test to demonstrate your understanding. You will complete this course when you have completed all of the course tests.

  • Number of Course Modules: 5
  • Estimated Completion Time: 1.5 hours

Learning Outcome

HR professionals will understand how to support leaders in determining the culture that is best for the organization to deliver on the strategy and choose the values that will have the maximum impact. Understand the importance of alignment around values and how they can be reinforced through HR programs.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Recognize the importance of culture to drive the organization’s strategy.
  • Examine the current culture and values in their organization.
  • Examine the options to equip leaders with the tools to drive change.
  • Connect culture with their own role and make decisions to drive and reinforce alignment of culture.
  • Support business leaders in working toward disseminating and maintaining culture.

Course Modules

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Introduction

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Module 1

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Module 2

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Module 3

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Module 4

About McLean & Company

McLean & Company is an HR research and advisory firm providing practical solutions to human resources challenges via executable research, tools, diagnostics, and advisory services that have a clear and measurable impact on your business.

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your HR problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

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Speak With An Analyst

Get the help you need in this 4-phase advisory process. You'll receive 7 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

Guided Implementation 1: Determine current culture and identify focus values
  • Call 1: Confirm you are prepared to chair the culture kick-off meeting prior to meeting with the executive team.
  • Call 2: Create a strategy to measure the current culture in your organization.
  • Call 3: Discuss the results of the cultural assessment and prepare for the action meeting.

Guided Implementation 2: Give executives the tools to drive change
  • Call 1: Set up 360 Degree Feedback for the executive team and discuss if a group meeting is appropriate.

Guided Implementation 3: Align HR programs to culture
  • Call 1: Review HR programs to understand where to prioritize action and learn about best practices for influencing behavior.
  • Call 2: Discuss the facilitation process and review changes to the facilitation guide.

Guided Implementation 4: Disseminate and manage culture
  • Call 1: Check in after all meetings have been conducted to determine when the process will need to be refreshed.

Contributors

  • Allen Annett, HR/OD Consultant and Executive Coach, DMD Connects
  • Richard Barrett, Speaker, Author, and Values Thought Leader, Barrett Values Centre
  • Greg Besner, CEO, CultureIQ
  • Marcia Buchholz, Associate Vice President of Human Resources, University of Calgary
  • Phil Buckley, Managing Director, Change with Confidence
  • Alexis Dean, Founder and Chief Experience Officer, Dovetail
  • Michael Franklin, Employee Engagement Specialist, MagnaCare
  • Ivan Joseph, Director of Athletics, Ryerson University
  • Carol Leaman, CEO, Axonify Inc.
  • Edward Marshall, Adjunct Professor at Duke University, http://www.marshallgroup.com
  • Colleen Meeker, Vice President of Human Resources, Victorinox Swiss Army, Inc.
  • Catherine Spence, Co-Founder, Pomello
  • Carolyn Taylor, CEO, Walking the Talk
  • Dr. John Traphagan, Professor of Religious Studies and Human Dimensions of Organizations, University of Texas
  • Dr. David S. Weiss, President & CEO of Weiss International Ltd., http://www.weissinternational.ca

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