Creating Collaborative Cultures

For many years, organizations that have been recognized as best places to work have received that recognition because they have cultures that create the conditions for people to thrive personally and professionally. Cultures in organizations that are good places to work develop environments in which people work together in support of the mission and vision. 

1. Creating
Collaborative
Cultures:
Leader’sThe
ROLE

2. Presented by
Nancy Southern, Ed.D
Creating
Collaborative
Cultures:
Leader’sThe
ROLE
2

3. “Culture does not change because we
desire to change it. Culture changes
when the organization is transformed;
the culture reflects the realities of
people working together every day.”
– Frances Hesselbein
The Key to Cultural Transformation, Leader to Leader (Spring 1999)
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4. Definition of Culture
“A pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group
learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation
and internal integration that has worked well enough to
be considered valid and, therefore to be taught to new
members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel
in relation to those problems.”
– Schein 1992
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5. How do we
Culture
Understand
• Artifacts, physical structures
• Rituals and ceremonies
• Organizational systems and procedures
We can look at
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6. How do we
Culture
Understand
• Language (slogans, acronyms, etc.)
• Stories and legends
We can listen to
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7. How do we
Culture
Understand
• That people have different cultural lenses
• Espoused values may differ from enacted values
We can directly ask people,
but must consider
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8. Why is
Important
Culture
Artifacts
Conversations
Conversations
Espoused Values
Beliefs & Assumptions
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9. Why is
Important
Culture
• Helps determine what mental
models will support and
inhibit the desired change
• Identifies important stories
and rituals that carry meaning
and need to be sustained or
intentionally re-created
Artifacts
Conversations
Conversations
Espoused Values
Beliefs & Assumptions
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10. How do Leaders
Culture
Shape
• Design of physical space
• Organizational structures, systems, procedures
• Organizational rites and rituals
• Stories, myths, about people and events
• Formal statements of values, mission, vision
• What gets attention, measured, controlled
From E. Schein, Organizational Culture and Leadership , 1992.
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11. How do Leaders
Culture
Shape
• How they react to situations
• How they allocate resources
• Role modeling, teaching, coaching
• Communicating values and beliefs
• Rewarding or punishing
• How they select and integrate newcomers
From E. Schein, Organizational Culture and Leadership , 1992.
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12. Occupational
Sub-Cultures
Executive
Operations
Technical &
Professional
Sales &
Marketing
Within these subcultures,
people maintain common values,
assumptions, and language, which
may not be fully understood by
those outside the culture.
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13. How Would You Describe
Culture
Your Organization’s
• What are the obvious artifacts?
• What are the espoused values?
• What metaphors describe how people interact?
• What are the gaps between espoused values and actions?
• What expectations do people hold of leaders?
• Which sub-culture(s) dominates?
• What are prevailing beliefs and assumptions about what is
possible and what is not?
• How would people describe the conditions that support or
inhibit their work?
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14. Moving from Silos
to Collaboration
• Many organizations are organized
functionally and thus silos emerge as people
consider the function as their territory.
• Collaboration can take place across
functional areas when people understand
that functions are only areas of expertise thus
their primary responsibility is to share their expertise, not protect their territory.
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15. Barriers to Collaboration
• People feel they are victims of the system
• Fear abounds resulting in risk avoidance and self protection
• Knowledge is seen as power and used to maintain status
• Relationship building is not valued
• Independent action is rewarded without recognition of the
contributions of others
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16. Cycle of Blame
BLAME
Risk
Avoidance
Suspicion
of Intent
Breakdown
of Relationships
Independent
& Defensive
Actions
Fear &
Powerlessness
Distrust
Erosion
of Safety
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17. • People feel valued and trusted
• Relationships are seen as essential to
providing knowledge and support networks
• Strategic risk taking is encouraged
• Opportunities abound for formal and
informal dialogue where new ideas are
shared and old assumptions are challenged
• Learning takes place from problems,
mistakes and success
Conditions for
Collaboration
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18. Cycle of Collaboration
Collaboration
Risk
Taking
Open Inquiry
& Dialogue
Strong
Relationships
Innovation
& Change
Trust
Support of
New Ideas
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19. Creating Cultures
of Collaboration
• Begins with understanding the complexity of the current state
• Draws forth inspiration and commitment through visioning
• Integrates all aspects of the organization’s work
• Intentionally manages change
• Requires collaborative leadership
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20. Conditions for
Shared Leadership
Encouraging and
Appreciating Different
Points of View
Recognizing
Leadership in All
People and Positions
Asking Questions
to Challenge
Collective Assumptions
Encouraging Everyone
to Say What Needs to be Said
Respecting
Others’ Positions
Creating Space
for Dialogue
and Learning
Listening for Understanding
and a Willingness
to be Influenced
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21. Designing a Collaborative
Process for Cultural Change
1. Begins with a cultural assessment
2. Invites people to participate in the learning journey
3. Addresses the Changes needed on the levels of...
• Individual and collective beliefs and assumptions
• Patterns of behavior and action
• Supporting organizational structures
• Events that promote collaboration 21

22. • Determine the current reality
and desired future state
• Map the reality
• Use the map to establish
agreement on what is and
ideas for future
• Engage people in the
change process
• Interview individuals
and/or group
• Synthesis of interview
themes
• Feedback of interview
themes, paying
attention to tensions
• Map of the system,
issues, relationships
Organizational Assessment
Purpose Process
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23. LEARNING COMMUNITY
COLLABORATION
COMMITMENT
ENGAGEMENT
PARTICIPATION
INVITATION
The Collaborative Journey
“The invitation to participate in co-creating a new reality is the beginning of the
collaborative journey. The helix displays the increasing arenas of participation from
invitation to collaboration and ultimately engagement within a learning community.”
© Nancy L. Southern
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24. Changing
Organizational
Culture
Events
Define the culture and signal change HIGH
LOW
Change Requires Higher Levels of Authority
Systems, structures, polices, that limit or support
change and reinforce patterns of action
Methods of interaction, communication,
decision-making, normative in the culture
Individually and collectively held
assumptions about relationships
and what can or cannot change
Adapted from the work of Peter Senge & Edgar ScheinSupporting
Structures
Patterns of Action
Beliefs and Assumptions
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25. Beliefs and Assumptions of
Collaborative
Cultures
• I can be more successful with the help of others
• Diversity makes us more creative and capable
• Disagreement adds value to a conversation
• Talking about what I/we have learned is
more valuable than talking about what we
have done
• I can speak freely and truthfully to anyone
in the organization
• The purpose of our work is important
Individually and collectively held
assumptions about relationships
and what can or cannot change
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26. • Provide opportunities for people to experience
something they never thought was possible
• Become skillful in using the Ladder of Inference
• Skillfully ask questions that challenge assumptions
• Create opportunities for dialogue that engage
diverse perspectives and support new understanding
Working with Beliefs and
Assumptions/Mental Models
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27. Patterns of Actions in
Collaborative
Cultures
• Informal meetings are a norm
• In meetings, people talk about what is
most important
• The intent of conversations is to reach
new understanding
• Arguments are playful and engaging
• Acts of care are common and recognized
Methods of interaction,
communication, decision-making,
normative in the culture
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28. Supporting Structures for
Collaborative
Cultures
• Hiring people who match the culture
• Powerful orientation process for new hires
• Performance evaluations that model
collaboration
• Mentoring communities
• Technology that enhances collaboration
• Policies and approaches to engaging
collaboratively with stakeholders outside the
organization
Systems, structures, polices,
that limit or support change and
reinforce patterns of action
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29. Events to Build and Sustain
Collaborative
Cultures
• Collaborative visioning and planning
• Innovation showcases
• Relationship building retreats
• Strategic dialogue sessions
• Internal customer appreciation
• Collaboration and Team recognition
Define the culture
and signal change
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30. How to Begin a
Change
Cultural
• Complete the assessment
• Engage a few dedicated people as a cultural change team
• Design an event to communicate the change and create a
experience and a vision of collaboration
• Initiate cross functional teams to identify the patterns of action
and supporting structures that need to change
• Implement and recognize the change through powerful events
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31. Questions
and
Comments
Creating
Collaborative
Cultures:
Leader’sThe
ROLE
31

32. Presented by
[email protected]
Nancy Southern, Ed.D
For More Information
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33. • Virtual facilitation to further build these skills with a team
• Coaching to develop collaborative leadership
• Next Webinar - Collaborating Across Distance on March 16, 2011
• Release of on-line learning program March 2011
• Next eBook: Leading a Global Team - Spring 2011
• Recording of this webinar will be available next week
http://www.ico-consulting.com
Additional Resources
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34. One of many collaborative resources
available through ICO Consulitng.
This free eBook teaches the skills of
Advocacy, Inquiry and Reflection.
Download your copy @
http://www.ico-consulting.com/e-book.html
Free eBook
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