Organizational Culture

Organizational Culture
I wanted to go to this program because I am a member of one of the three Team RC teams and our primary goal is to develop the ideal culture in Rancho Cucamonga. This facilitator spoke about some of the steps she took to do this in her library.

Why consider org culture?
- major change initiatives focus on making the library more customer focused, innovative, and cost conscious
- change is sometimes met with resistance and fear

What is org culture?
- a pattern of basic assumptions -- invented, discovered, or developed by a given group as it learns to cope with its problems of external adaptation and internal integration -- that has worked well enough to be considered valid
- how an organization operates and how its members frame events from both inside and outisde the organization.

4 Types of Cultures
- clan (support) - a friendly, nice place to work, like an extended family, the org is led by loyalty. Success is defined by concern for people.
- hierarchial (power)- a very formal place to work, lots of governance. The org is held together by rules and policies. Success is defined by dependability and often, low cost.
- Market (role) - a results oriented work place, getting the job done is what counts. Success is defined by numbers or market share.
- Adhocracy (achievement) - a dynamic and creative place to work. The glue that holds it together is innovation. Success is defined as being a service leader. Innovation and creativity is king.
Most organizations are combination market or hierarchy. Not as many are adhocracy.
Diagnosing Org Culture (book)
Organizational Culture Assessment
Organizational Culture (personality) (long term lasting orientation that is not easily swayed)and Organizational Climat (mood) are different.

Steps for Designing an ideal culture...
1. Diagnose and come to a consensus regarding present - all members of management team too the org culture asssessment instrument, two staff members from each band of levels were randomly selected to take OCAI, all levels were represented.
2. Diagnose and come to consensus regarding the future - all members of management team too the org culture asssessment instrument, two staff members from each band of levels were randomly selected to take OCAI, all levels were represented.
3. Examine cultures
4. Develop Illustrative stories
5. Determine the action steps needed - draw a map of where you want to go. If you want to increase CLAN skills - form teams, be clear about standards, build your people, celebrate your successes. If you want to ADHCRACY - manage intolerance, celebrate people trying, out innocv ations in people's job descriptions. Think about the future (20 years from now). See what your peers are doing. Manage a reward system for improving things. If you want MARKET - manage competitiveness, numbers are not everything but you expect world-class service, go out and shop with your competitors.
Just remember, you can't do everything, so ask what the key areas to address are, where to begin, what activitiies need to be started or stopped. Along the way, identify your small wins, design follow-up and accountability (set up targets and monitor progress), provide information and explan why (tell everyone why the change in culture is neededed and waht impact it will have on them personally and on the whole organizatin), focus on progress.
6. Design an Implementation Plan - how to get from here to there (like a technology plan), identify the people who will champion this change, be inclusive, then - just do it.
email: kirstys@grrl.lib.mn.us