Leadership Resources

Leadership Resources from the Carlson Executive MBA Program

Introduction to Embracing Corporate Culture: How to Thrive in the Workplace

How many of us have experienced a failed project, where on paper, it should have succeeded? Have you ever wondered what is the best way to implement change by adapting it to your organization?
So often, organizations try to use a one size fits all approach with change implementation, and they do not consider the underlying culture of their organization during this change. When this happens, teams can be blindsided when a project or initiative fails.
This collection of culture material is intended to educate people to help them understand what culture they are working in and how to utilize the characteristics of that culture to see successful implementation of changes and initiatives. It is also intended to provide examples of what not to do in certain organizations.
Each company is unique and has a culture of their own. However, it is critical to understand the culture types that exist and tailor an approach to that culture, whether it is at a micro team level or a macro-organization wide level. The combination of values, artifacts and underlying assumptions (Schein) are areas we would encourage every leader to strongly consider.
Five resources are provided here plus a listing of five getAbstract summaries on the topic of culture and best ways to work within those cultures. Utilize these materials as you plan a new change or an initiative to ensure that you do not miss any blind spots related to culture within your team or organization. This will help ensure successful change management and project completion.