What makes up oranizational culture?

If you were to visit different five schools during the week, you would find yourself in five distinct settings each with a specific context, each with a unique culture. If you would take a tour of three different manufacturing plants, you would walk away with three distinct flavors of organizational climate. What makes your place of work different than any other? If you were to describe your work environment what unique characteristics would you use to detail your experience? Each employment setting, whether for-profit or not-for-profit; large or small organization; manufacturing or technology oriented, all seem to possess certain elements of commonality.

In recent months I have been part of a dialog with another educational leader regarding the nature of organizational culture and in particular, the culture of education. As I have reflected on some of the results of this dialog, I think that our model of culture contains many common elements to organizational culture in general. Although my place of ministry may be quite different than yours, I propose that they are some common aspects to most organizational settings. Let me suggest three.

The model of organizational culture that my colleague and I suggest is made of of four basic concepts: people, programs, paper and the interaction between them. This post will describe each element in general. Several posts to follow will explore the elements in more detail.

People: every organization that I can think of revolves around people. The total number and the various layers of stakeholders vary greatly from company to company, but the core of every organization involves the people who own, run, work for and benefit from the company. In a school setting the stakeholders involve the students, faculty, administration, parents, grandparents, secretaries, vendors, alumni, and publishers. Employees and customers make the world go round.

Programs: each organization has a reason for existence. Most companies have a mission statement that clearly and concisely describe its purpose. This mission or purpose usually has a programmatic element designed to accomplish the goals of the organization. Schools have curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular programs designed to transform the educational process into reality.

Paper: Every organization has certain foundational documents that define who they are. A mission statement, a vision statement, a statement of core values, a constitution and by-laws, a list of corporate convictions, handbooks and manuals, contracts and agreements, are all examples of the foundational documents that define and govern an organization. Some documents are fixed and rarely change in essential content while other written statements change with the growth and development of the company.

Interaction: The culture of an organization is really developed in the crucible of interaction. As people, paper, and program begin to co-exist there is an interaction between and within these elements that create culture. The interaction of these elements is like the intense heat that creates glass out of white sand, purified pearlash, nitre and borax. As fire serves as the catalyst for glass formation, so the interaction of the elements of the organization create the environment, often intense and pressure-packed, that results in culture. It is the unique interaction of your organizational elements that makes your work culture different than any other setting.

Leaders Awaken Possibilities

I recently posted some thoughts about leadership and it's parallels to music. The orchestra has so many of the dimensions of an organization. Balance and collaboration, intonation and harmony, cooperation and rhythm.

I made mention of the famous quote attributed to James Crooks, “A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.” The leader of an organization is much like an orchestra director trying to coordinate all the musicians in volumn, beat, key, and tone. I recently listened to a very interesting talk on classical music by Benjamin Zander, long time conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. The maestro gave the presentation in February of 2008 and it was captured online (http//www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/benjamin_zander_on_music_and_passion.html). Close to the end of his presentation he made a very interesting statement. He said that after many years of conducting in dawned on him that te conductor doesn't make a sound. He gets his picture on the CD, but he does not conntribute a played note of the composition. He shared that the conductor “depends for his power on his ability to make other people powerful.” He concluded his thought about the role of the conductor by saying. “my job was to awaken possibilities in other people.:

I was amazed at his insights because they are so relevant to leadership. The most effective role of the leader is often not to have the loudest voice or to design the agenda, but to awaken possibilities in others. The greatest inspiration that organizational leader can provide is to make others powerful.

It is one thing to delegate – it is another to delegate with power and authority. If you have ever been given a task, only to be mico-managed, you understand the negative consequnces of the lack of empowerment. The orchestra leader must hand out the music to the artists and trust that they will each play their part. The conductor can not and should try to paly all the parts him/herself. Deligate with the authority and expectation of excellence. Talented, responsible musicians want to come together and produce beautiful music that all can enjoy. Those who share the vision of the organization also want to contribute to the success of it's mission. Conductors (leaders) need to awaken possibilities, inspire the creativity and excellence of others, enter into the music but allow the players to make the sounds.

As leaders we must each remember that one of our greatest tools in our tool kit is the baton. Often I want to use a two-by-four to get people moving, but it is the gentle communication of the beat and the cue for the entrance of the instruments that is needed. If we are all playing the same piece of music and are all committed to using our talents in making beautiful music, then making others powerful and awakening possibility can be so much fun.

Haiti Connection

I have not posted my thoughts for several days. The earthquake in Haiti has been a large focus of my attention in recent days. Often world disasters seem distant and not quite part of my reality. My heart goes out to those in need and to those who are faced with suffering and grief. But no name and no faces are identified in my mind.

Haiti's earthquake has been a different experience for me. I have friends who are trying to adopt a child from Haiti. After two and a half years of working on the adoption and submitting countless forms to the government, my friends woke up to find out that the government building housing their documents was a pile of rubble and their paper work was destroyed.

At first they thought they were back to square one in the process. Then news began to break that many children in Haiti who were in the adoptive process were being issued emergency visa to the USA. Their little girl's name surfaced as a potential candidate; then news came that she was going to be involved in a 12 hour bus ride to Port-au-Prince with the hopes of find a flight; then just this morning I heard that this precious little girl has been issued a permanent visa, will be flown out of the country with a loving adult sponsor; and will arrive in North Carolina to join her new parents! What an incredible turn of events in just one week's time. In the midst of ashes grows the rose.

My wife and I love the organization, Compassion International.(http://www.compassion.com/) They are such caring ministry filled with integrity and love. Several years ago, my wife and I decided to sponsor a child, in order to provide care and education for one who cannot provide herself. Her name is Rose and she is 14 years old. She lives quite a distance from the epi-center of the quakes, but she is still unaccounted for. Her beautiful face puts personal significance in my heart for the people of Haiti.

My heart has been captured by two men lost in Haiti. The first has been rescued from the concrete on Hotel Montana after 60 hours of entombment. Dan Wolley, a Compassion International worker, found his way to an elevator shaft and after two and a half days of darkness found the light of day via the effort of a French rescue squad. There are several wonder stories on line sharing this wonderful delivery of Dan (http://www.coloradoconnection.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=404029 ).

Dan's friend and fellow videographer, David Hames was with Dan in Haiti. They were both in the lobby of the hotel when the quake occurred. David was not with Dan in the elevator shaft and has been missing since the quake. My heart aches for this young father and husband. It has been many days, but I have this hope, deep within, that God will bring this man back to his family. Please join me in praying for this special young man. http://www.krdo.com/global/story.asp?s=11856184

Finally, my daughter and her husband as well as one of sons all belong to a small group within their church in North Carolina. They have been planning a trip to Haiti for several months now. They are hoping to assist an orphanage located in Port-de-Paix, Haiti and they are scheduled to leave the first week of February. As they continue their plans determined to help in anyway they can, the people of Haiti become more significant in my thinking and my prayers. It is amazing how many connections I have to this small 3rd world country in such desperate need. May God have His hand of grace and love and mercy of this Caribbean island.

Beware the Dangers of Success

Growing up I had several aspirations of greatness. At one time I thought I might play professional basketball...until I got cut from my high school team. I had plans to become a Beatle...until they broke up. I considered following Paul McCartney as a popular song writer..... until I realized that my songs were just ok. I was going to be the next Kenny G.... until I realized that in the music business it is almost as hard to reach stardom as professional athletics. There was a time when I was disappointed that fame was not going to be part of my earthly experience; Dave Rough was not going to be a name talked about at the dinner table across our nation; I was not going to appear on TV or in the movies. Then one day I was reading a copy of a celebrity magazine and realized how blessed I was not to have reached celebrity status. Drug addiction, divorce, affairs, alcoholism, abuse, DUI, and on the list could go. The pitfalls of success and fame are deep and varied.

Just recently, I turned around and looked back over the past 40 years of adult living. Fame and stardom have not come my way, but fullness and richness have. A wonderful and faithful wife that fills my life with happiness and joy; four incredible children that have grown up to such good friends; four (soon to be five) super grandchildren that are so talented and special; a ministry with a positive organization filled with great people dedicated to transforming lives; a personal walk with the God of the universe....in the words of some TV commercial, “It does get much better than this.”

Whether it is the fame of a high profile lifestyle or the demands of a local pastor to keep up his image in the pulpit, the road to success can be dangerous. In order to meet expectations or to master the deadline, leaders often sacrifice the balance of integrity to the demands of the day. Sixty, seventy, eighty hour work weeks can yield success at work, but flush relationships down the drain. Workaholism can be as debilitating as the alcoholism. Climbing the steps of success can lead to titles of prestige, offices of authority, parking spots of importance, and keys that open exclusive doors. But those same steps can lead to a lonely life, a swelled head, and a throne of mediocrity.

Max Depree (1992) is one of my favorite leadership authors. He shares this insight into the dangers of success,
“Success tends to breed arrogance, complacency, and isolation. Success can close a mind faster than prejudice. Success is fragile, like a butterfly. We usually crush the life out of it in our efforts to possess it” (p.47).

No one like to fail; no one plans be be second-rate. The consequences of being rejected because of one's lack of talent, poor performance, or unsatisfactory skills can be devastating. But the results of success can be just dangerous. The deceptive nature of success can blind a leader to the changes happening within. Pride, conceit, and close-mindedness can deflate a leader's effectiveness and tarnish his/her trophies of success. Beware the hidden dangers of success.


DePree, M. 1992. Leadership jazz. New York: Doubleday.

Quotes Concerning Vision

"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible." T.E. Lawrence - Seven Pillars of Wisdom

Helen Adams Keller was born on 27 June 1880 in Tuscumbia, a small rural town in Northwest Alabama. The story of her deaf-blindness and her redeeming relationship with Anne Sullivan become known worldwide through the dramatic play and film, The Miracle Worker. The film and play leave Helen as a little girl but as Helen grew so did her accomplishments. On 28 June 1904 Helen graduated from Radcliffe College, becoming the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Helen Keller became a world-famous speaker and author. She wrote several books and articles.

Helen Keller made this amazing statement, “The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight but has no vision.”I love this quote from Helen Keller. As a person without sight, she possessed great vision, not only for her own life, but also for the entire deaf and blind community. I have personally found that vision is often difficult communicate but it is essential to articulate if I hope to have others share in my vision. I have also found that my vision changes or expands depending on the position I hold and the authority I possess.

Warren G. Bennis and Burt Nanus (1985) make another great declaration about the importance of vision in the life of the leader and in the life of an organization: “With a vision, the leader provides the all-important bridge from the present to the future of the organization” (p. 3). The bridge is such a perfect metaphor for vision. The chasm the separate the present from the future can be crossed if the vision provides the needed light to illuminate the way.

Warren Bennis (born March 8, 1925) is an American scholar, organizational consultant and prolific author. Bennis is University Professor and Founding Chairman of the Leadership Institute at the University of Southern California. Burt Nanus is a well-known expert on leadership and the author of many books on the subject, including Visionary Leadership. Now professor emeritus of management at the USC, he was also research director of the Leadership Institute.

Nanus (1992) goes on to say, “There is no more powerful engine driving an organization toward excellence and long-range success than an attractive, worthwhile, achievable vision for the future, widely shared” (p.3). This is another fascinating metaphor emphasizing the power, movement and strength that a vision can provide for the entire organization. I greatly appreciate the three characteristics of vision mentioned in this quote: attractive, worthwhile and achievable. There is a very important aspect of communicating vision that involves marketing. To make a vision attractive is key to buy-in. I recently saw a TV commercial for an institute of higher learning that was so visually appealing and engaging that I anted to immediately enroll. Although the worth or value of a vision is very subjective, if those you hope to influence with your vision fail to embrace the vision's value, there is no shared dream. A vision must have balanced realism – it must not be so easy obtain that there is not stretch into the future; but it must have a ring of reality, a taste of probability, a true measure of “we can do this!” If your vision is fairly easy to obtain, it is not much of a vision. If your vision is too far away, people will not want to travel with you into the twilight zone.

Max De Pree is chairman emeritus and former CEO of Herman Miller, Inc. He is author of Leadership is an Art, and Leadership Jazz. DePree (1989) feels so strongly that vision is a measurement of the effective leadership that he wrote, “The only kind of leadership worth following is based on vision” (p. 133). I might go a step further and say that leadership without vision is not leadership at all. If you take vision away from a leader you might have a talented manager, but not an effective leader. Vision defines the focus of the movement and provides the motivation and inspiration to persevere toward the goal even when the going gets tough.

Finally, Snyder & Graves (1994) make this statement reflecting the imperative of vision to the life of the entire organization: “Organizations whose leaders have no vision are doomed to work under the burden of mere tradition” (p.1). Without the freshness of renewed vision, the traditions of the organization can hinder innovation, change, and growth. Traditions can be very helpful, if they establish a culture of excellence and high expectation. But traditions can stifle creativity and vision casting, if they dominate the decision making process and dictate direction without the possibility of creative alternatives.

Bennis, W. & Nanus, B (1985). Leaders: Strategies for taking charge (2nd ed.). New York: HarperCollins.

DePree, M. (1989). Leadership is an art. New York: Doubleday.

Nanus, B. (1992). Visionary leadership: Creating a compelling sense of direction for your organization. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Snyder, N.H. & Graves, M. (1994). Leadership and vision [Electronic Version] Business Horizons, 37 (1) 1-6.

Failing: A Common Leadership Experience

Success is so easy to experience. When things go well and complements are handed out, life is good and the sun is shinning. But failure is much more difficult. The taste of blowing it is bitter indeed. Being optimistic in the face of frowns, stares and disappointments is one of the hardest challenges that a leader has to face. And yet, every leader has been there. It is a place where all of us go no matter how hard and how much time we spend trying to stay away.

There is a huge difference between failing and being a failure. Everyone fails from time to time, but there is always the option of getting up and trying again. Those that refuse to take the road of the second chance (or third, fourth....tenth...hundredth) are those who experience failure. “Blowing it” can be one of the greatest learning doors that one can enter. Although I never plan to knock, when the door opens and I am pushed through it by my own lack of planning, stupid choice, dearth of wisdom, or miscommunication, I discover times of growth and professional development. As much as I hate the pain and embarrassment of falling short, failing can make me a better leader. Failing can be a building experience, if I am determined to learn from mistakes (big ones or small ones).

I have discovered two keys that have helped me unlock the value of failing. First, is to take responsibility for my actions. With a leadership position comes the expectations of performance. If I do not measure up and if I let the stakeholders of my organization down, I owe them a statement of my inconsistency. To blame shift, or to rationalize, or to put a positive spin on a negative situation, does not reflect integrity and honesty. People response so positively to honesty; but if they feel that they have been deceived, a spirit of mistrust is quickly developed and is difficult to overcome.

Which leads to the second key of finding value in failing: seeking forgiveness, As a leader takes responsibility, it leads naturally to seeking forgiveness. But many leaders miss this step. Those who take the initiative of admitting responsibility for failure, often stop short of asking the offended stakeholders for their forgiveness. I have found that a humble statement of responsibility and a genuine appeal for the forgiveness of others meets with open arms of reconciliation and support. Instead of finding condemnation, which is a major fear of admitting a shortcoming, a leaders' apology brings about understanding, acceptance and assistance.

Most leaders experience a mountain of administrivia that is too high for anyone to climb and so impossible to accomplish all the tasks on the “to do” list. With too many balls in the air, it is only a matter of time before a ball is dropped. Sometimes the dropped ball is a small detail that can be ignored; but sometimes the dropped ball is explosive and causes a major problem in the organization. Not everyone will forgive. Sometimes the blunder will have significant consequences. And yet the leader's best approach is to take responsibility and seek forgiveness for his/her actions.

Leadership Listening

Leaders are expected to have the answers. The traditional approach to teaching is the lecture. The commanding officer provides verbal directions and orders for his men. The CEO is the mouthpiece for the organization. Demonstrating listening skills is often not on the top of the list of needed leadership abilities. But in my opinion the art of listening is one of the most important factors to being an effective leader.

Two skills needed for effective listening are the ability to observe and the ability to ask questions. The power to observe allows the leader to see what others miss. Whether it is observing a situation, the actions of an employee, the relationships of others, the tension in a conversation, or the body language communicated by colleagues, the insights provided to the skillful observer can make the difference between resolution and explosion.

The second skill that increases effective listening is the ability to ask questions. A well formed inquiry, asked with sensitivity and honesty, can open hearts and minds to transparent exchanges that can lead to collaboration and understanding. If a leader focuses on asking the right question, his/her mind will be off his/her own thoughts and zeroed in on the words of his/her colleague. Clarifying questions, probing questions, and defining questions will all help to probe for rich understanding. Carefully worded questions of tact, expressed in love and concern, can help to communicate an openness and a desire to see things from the other perspective.

One final aspect of effective listening involves a non-judgmental spirit. It is so hard to open up to someone if you think they are going to judge you for your opinions, thoughts and/or ideas. On the other hand, if you feel a sense of unconditional support and a true desire to hear your perspective, there is a freedom to share your heart. The effective listener does not have to agree with his/her colleague or condone a particular point of view, but a sincere ear dedicated to understanding, will produce a spirit of collegiality. After giving someone your total attention and demonstrating your commitment to understanding his/her position, a conclusion to disagree is usually well received and even appreciated.

Leadership Advice - Listen!

“He didn't listen to a word I said. I might as well have been talking to a wall.” “I think I could have talked until I was blue in the face – it would not have changed a thing – he wasn't really listening at all.”

Have you ever felt this way? Have you been part of a conversation that felt more like a monologue? If a leader wants to express how much he/she values another person, providing a genuine listening ear is critical. Telling someone that you value them is one thing, but to really listen to their ideas, thoughts, concerns, and suggestions really proves the value they hold in your life. It is the ear of the leader that expresses the worth he/she places on others.

Notice the priority that the Bible places on the art of listening: “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry…” James 1:19.

So what kind of skills does a leader need to communicate with his/her ears? I would suggest three ideas wrapped-up in the phrase: receptive, non-judgmental listening. This posting will deal with the first concept – receptivity.

An effective leader listens with an open mind and open arms. A good listener has the ability to put aside assumptions and presuppositions while opening up the gate of understanding. Open arms do not mean that the leader will agree with what is being said, but that he/she is open to hearing and understanding the other person's perspective without condemnation or rejection.

So often, when I am talking to others, I get the impression that they are just waiting for me to finish so that they can say what's on their minds. And I have to admit that it takes a great deal of effort to really listen to others when I think I know what they need to hear. A leader must strive to develop a sensitive ear; one that listens between the lines; one that hears the heart and not just the lips; one that seeks the meaning beneath the surface.

Part of receptive listening is reflecting a readiness for change. If you think that you are talking to someone who is only being polite and, in reality, has already made up his/her mind, you will find yourself very frustrated, or very angry, or both – if the leader's decision is already a “done deal” and what you have to say will not make a difference, then he/she has surely communicated the lack of value he/she places on your opinions. An effective leader tries to maintain a flexible agenda and an open mind. If a decision has already been made or if additional input is not going to bring about change, the leader should value the person enough to share this reality up front and not give the impression of openness and receptivity.

Receptivity takes time and is often needed at the most inconvenient moments. It's much like being a parent. To be effective as a parent, you must be ready and available to listen to your children. Some children love to talk to mom and dad and sharing with them is as natural as breathing in the warm spring breeze after a cold winter. Other children hold most of life inside and answer the inquiries of their parents with simple one-syllable responses. Then, every once in a while, they are ready to talk and share what is going on inside, The parent must be ready to listen, even if it is 11:30 pm after a long day at work, or 1:00 am after that special date. I call this the “Kodak Moment of Listening.” You never know when the moment is going to present itself, but your readiness and receptivity to listening will determine your effectiveness and success.

Enthusiasm - the Great Ingredient

Who desires to follow an idea that is mediocre? Who wants to align with a leader that throws cold water on innovation? A pessimistic person who complains most of the time does not usually attract a large crowd of followers. In fact, a negative person filled with negative comments has a negative influence on everyone around them. I have personally experienced many conversations that started out in a positive vein with encouraging words and positive ideas. Then the negative voice chimes into the conversation with words of impossibilities and bad weather. Creative thinking is met with several reasons why the idea will never fly. The beams of lights coming from innovative minds are sucked into the black hole of negativism.

On the other hand, enthusiasm is contagious. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm” Words of passion combined with a genuine, heartfelt commitment to a cause or an idea, can fill an audience with a desire to hear the story. My ears perk up when I hear the zeal of a vision, the dynamics of a dream, and the fire of creativity. One of my colleagues in grad school was one of those individuals that always had something creative on the front burner of her life. She was a shaker and a mover with multiple hot irons in the fire. She had a way of communicating her ideas and strategies that always made me so excited to see what would happen next in her life. She was a special person to be around – one that would motivate me and inspire me to attempt greater in my life.

“Enthusiasm” comes from two Greek root words: “en” and “theos” meaning “in God” or “God within.” When God provides the vision and the dream, how can we be anything but passionate and vocal about the calling on our lives? Pessimistic talk with dark clouds and empty pockets seem totally out of place for the people of God. We certainly need realistic planning and level-headed analysis. We must make decisions based on the best research available and the accumulation of the wisdom of trusted counselors. But the cold blankets of an organization and the whinny, negative voices among the employees need to change or be replaced.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 – April 27, 1882) was an American essayist, philosopher, and poet, best remembered for leading the Transcendentalist movement of the mid 19th century.