Articles about organizational culture, collaboration in teams, and cross-cultural collaboration. Theory and tools. Cases and experiences from fellow leaders, consultants, and role-model organizations. Book reviews. Interviews. Coverage of seminars.
With an emphasis on positive organizational cultures that foster openness, trust and kindness to boost innovation, agility, collaboration and thus results.
Hi, have you checked your emails? Are you short and to-the-point? Of course, you’re not at work to write a novel in emails. But using salutations in emails isn’t a big thing while the results can be incredible – as both research and practice show! We discuss the research in the online Positive Culture Academy (join us if you want …
Here’s part 2 of our exploration of what is already working well at work. If we pay attention and energy to what we normally take for granted, and see how we could amplify the good things, the results might dazzle you. What if you could start a positive spiral of small successes and little joys that invigorate yourself and your …
People are wired to notice what goes wrong, what could be a threat, and what is missing. It’s what saved us during our evolution, in times of danger and scarcity. Negative comments, events, mistakes, problems and threats stand out. It’s natural, and often also reinforced by our upbringing and training. Many business schools and managers still focus on solving problems, …
So you think you can change? If your culture needs to change or to improve the place to start is where you are: in current culture. What is the way we do things around here? Understanding the behaviors, but also deeper beliefs and values is essential before you start. What is normal in your current organizational culture? Let’s see some …
How positive is your current culture, on a scale of 1 to 10? It’s a question that participants of the online Positive Culture Academy work with, if needed. What would your score be, and would you like to improve it? One participant shared: “Maybe a 2 or 3. My current company culture is becoming less and less positive. We had …
A CEO invited some executives to a meeting from two different levels. He asked a question and then went around the table for ideas. When he got to one of the lower level executives, he said: “Sorry, I just want to hear from (the higher level) leaders” and moved on. Did you ever encounter such a situation? What happened? In …
Guest post by Kartik Shah Have you ever noticed how pilgrims mentally, spiritually and/or physically prepare themselves for a pilgrimage by engaging in some customary rituals? For example, the Muslims shave their heads, cut their nails and don white robes before going for the hajj. Similarly, the Hindus, the Buddhists, and the Jains observe penance and abstain from sexual activity to …
In this blog, I’ve been reviewing many small, personal ways to contribute to a more positive culture at work. But what if you want to engage your whole organization? In that case, a culture survey might be a good starting point. It helps to map where you are now and where you would like to go and start the conversation. …
“I believe that organizations have the potential to be places of healing. Almost all of us come to work with “baggage” – often counterproductive coping mechanisms learned from hard experience in past jobs, in our families, in our personal lives.” I wholeheartedly agree with Chris White, director of the Center for Positive Organizations, University of Michigan, who shared this in …
I’ve introduced Geert Hofstede a couple of posts ago, so I’ll share a bit more about his work as an “in-between post” in my Personal Positive Power blog series. He researched national cultures and I admire his work. He offers insights about organizational culture as well: check out his book “Cultures and Organizations – software of the mind – Intercultural …
Lately, I discussed communication in my Personal Positive Power series to make a positive difference. But are you aware of how your communication is influenced by the culture you’re part of? Geert Hofstede, the Dutch culture researcher and one of my true gurus (I love his work) says: Culture reproduces itself. You learn when to be proud and when to …
Here are the 21 best articles on Positive Leadership, Culture, and Change to date… My intention is to inspire toward positive organizations where both people and performance thrive. Positive organizations are better at change, more innovative, competitive, profitable, and they contribute to the world – while engaged people spread their positive vibes in their private and public lives. You can …
