Cultures, Values and Beliefs - “Shared Reality”
A business model or paradigm serves as the “core Identity” for creating the culture of the business. A basic business model is typically comprised of the vision, mission and values which serve as a form of “map” or blueprint for creating and operating out of. This serves as the core out of which all other operational aspects of the business arise as congruent and natural correspondences. A model provides us with the necessary means to operate with consistency which is what ultimately produces success, not only in the start-up phase, but also in the ongoing operations that ensure success over a period of time. Every aspect of the company design, structure and operational procedures have got to be congruent with the company’s identity. Just as our individual “life story” as day-to-day experiences are a direct expression of our personal identity – a business’s formation and behavior is an expression of a fundamental model that represents a shared reality in which everyone has a clear role and specified function that serves as an inherent aspect of the whole.
A business map only has value if it embodies a shared reality. The encoded language used within the culture of the business either reflects a sense of family and community, or it produces internal conflict and contradiction. Any area where we create contradiction acts to ‘cancel out” and impede progress. This is the “one step forward, two steps backward” scenario that businesses often get caught up in and often don’t know why. Often business managers, leaders and trainers not only fail to represent the company as a shared reality, but often fail to use the word “we” to imply shared objectives. This is very common in private practices that are set-up and operated by the professional practitioner who is also providing the service or product of the business. They fail to separate themselves from the business, and act as if the business and they are the same entity. They operate out of an “I” model which is non-inclusive and serves to create a form of “mutiny”. I can’t tell you how many practices I have been in where the whole staff was “against” the doctor that also own the practice, or the manager who performed out of a personal agenda of their own making.
Practices and businesses which ignore the fact that they are not operating out of a business model that represents a “shared reality” in which all participants play an equally important role in creating and delivering a common goal as a team function often, will never be able to truly achieve the desired outcome, and may never know why. When we act to impose maps on others rather than inform and teach them by using them, we create a culture that is often punitive, autocratic and leaves little room for individuality or new ideas for growing the business. When this happens not only is it difficult to recognize and cultivate individual talent and latent potential, motivation also plummets, and we fail to bond not only clients and customers, but also staff members of our own team. There is no loyalty or sense of pride involved. Employees can seem random, alien, and readily come and go through revolving doors. This is often the greatest expenses a company incurs, and they often fail to even identify it.
While companies without an effective business model may flourish for a while, they will eventually crumble, fall apart or exhaust their primary creator. This reality may not become “terminal” if the management style can be changed in time – by educating existing managers or through major reorganization. These changes, however, must be desired and genuine, or the reorganization will serve to speed the collapse rather than prevent it.
No matter what style or type of culture the company has, it is usually set-up and produced by senior managers or professional partners, and the culture seldom ever changes in a perceivable manner unless there is major upheaval or pronounced change at this level. This is why, if you are a professional practitioner or specialist – it is imperative to create the fundamental model for your business or private practice in a way that remains fully congruent with your personal values and beliefs. If your working life seems unduly stressful or chaotic, the first step in trouble-shooting should be to review your own life “maps” or paradigm in relation to your business or practice’s culture.
Another situation that commonly happens is that there is a gradual shift into a new culture over a period of time where you no longer share the pervading value-set, and conflict begins to set in that disrupts the daily organizational flow. This easily occurs when a practitioner either hires a manager who is not aligned with their vision, mission and values of the practice (because they lack managerial skill in selecting staff that are most appropriate), or they hire key staff members who lack leadership ability and set-up unconscious and incongruent cultures of their own that begin dominating the daily operations.
Alternately, the actual day-to-day operations may be in conflict with, or at odds with the declared mission and vision and either no one recognizes it until it is too late, or if they do, they don’t have the skill or knowledge to effectively change it. Often, however, just recognizing the mismatch can be enough to ease the stress, but if an effective resolution can not be determined and implemented, it can cause great frustration. Once problems are recognized solutions must be sought after in an expedient manner that will provide the training and reorganizing strategy necessary to actually produce the desired result or outcome. This requires not only a fundamental understanding of the creative process, but a high degree of skill in execution. Behavioral modification in a business, much like in an individual has to take place at the identity level. Once a business is established and has formed its basic habitual behavior, this can be very challenging and requires the utmost skill to perform effectively. If you do not have the resources and skill necessary, a professional whose expertise lies in this area will be necessary.
Linda Gadbois, Ph.D., CCHt., RMT – Is a professional Educator, Trainer, Mentor Consultant and Counselor. She specializes in Conscious Creation, Creativity, Business Psychology, Behavioral modification, Personal Transformation, Organizational Change, Communication and Leadership skills.
Linda@creativetransformations.com
www.creativetransformations.com
www.lindagadbois.com
(303) 816-1460
All articles are subject to copyright and may not be used without written consent by Linda Gadbois
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