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One of the building blocks of a successful organization is a unified culture and set of behaviours.
Every organization, big or small, has behaviours and expectations that are set out by employees and team members. Typically those behaviours are demonstrated by the leadership team first and then modelled by the rest of the team (whether desirable or not).
Below is an example of how social learning can happen in a negative context:
Over the past five years, we have put together a number of resources to help leaders and teams understand the strategic planning process and to develop and implement successful strategies. We'd like to share what our community of viewers, listeners and readers have decided are our top resources across our media platforms.
In this episode, we were joined by Vivian Smith who is the Executive Director for the Langley Memorial Hospital Foundation. Vivian has worked with the not-for-profit sector for the past 30 years and has held roles such as the Director of Development, Chief Fundraising Officer, and as a consultant, working with small grassroots organizations as well as major universities within BC. Most recently, she joined the team at the Langley Memorial Hospital, and currently volunteers on the Board of Directors for the Langley Chamber of Commerce as well as the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Organizational culture is the system of shared assumptions, values, and beliefs from your team.
As a leader you shape the culture in your organization from your words and your actions. The culture is also shaped by your employees and the environment that everyone creates on a day to day basis.
I was recently at someone's house and saw a great example of how they are using culture to teach their kids. (More on that later..)
At SME Strategy, we explain organizational culture as: "the way we do things around here".
How would you describe the way you do things at your organization?
What are the ways of being and acting that your team exemplifies everyday?
That's your organizational culture.
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If you googled: vision statement examples and then came to this article to figure if you need one, I invite you to consider that you don't want a vision statement.
I believe that you instead want a clear picture of the future that your team can get behind so they know where they are going and how to get there.
We could make an exhaustive list of great sounding examples of vision statements that you could look at and then try to squish the future you want into this tiny box that sounds good.
OR
You could create a vision that inspires you, inspires your people, and gives them a clear path on how to move forward.
Which one do you prefer?
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To effectively implement a strategic plan or carry out a complex project, accountability needs to be developed throughout the organization. To achieve success, everyone needs to understand the organization's strategy, their individual roles within the company, and the specific tasks or projects that they are responsible for. Accountability is not limited to staff - Managers and leaders must also follow through on their promises and remain committed to their performance and organizational goals.
