| Culture Transformation |
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Transformation is an all-encompassing renovation outside a normal system of operation..wheras change is more like an incrimental alternation within a system. All organizations go through cycles as part of their growth and development. They choose different times to revisit and revise their inner identity. Most organizations start out with a clear mission and a lot of energy. In this early phase people are growing and having fun.
The organization then enters a stability or managed growth phase to build structure, process and consistency. In doing so, people become set in their ways and lose their ability to innovate and respond. Eventually, employees feel that the magic has gone out of the work and now it’s “just” work. Sometimes the environment, product maturity or crisis initiates change or a shift in excitement and many times not.
Studies have shown that visioning, planning and goal-setting can improve organizational performance. Attractive visions of the future have great power. We call the organization that is organized around a deep sense of purpose, values, vision and strategy an EDO (Essence-Driven Organization.) This kind of organization has tapped the energy that results from its own clarity of direction and focus. The EDO has a greater capacity to weather changes in marketplace and customer demand because of the clarity of its core purpose. An EDO knows its purpose and why it is important. Organizations that are tied to their essence are more powerful, command more commitment from employees and can get more done in a changing environment.
The EDO (Essence-Driven Organization) renewal process is an intentional initiation of change and vitality. Starting at the top, it allows an organization to take a hard look at itself, what it does, who are its customers, what basic assumptions it operates from and what internal processes reinforce it values. It allows an organization to see new possibilities.
Why an EDO?
VISIONING A journey that defines the unknown, clarifies values, defines a purpose, focuses on a vision and determines strategy. It has stages that can be accomplished over time. Visioning evokes creative solutions to business challenges and sparks continual evolution and learning in an organization.
IDENTIFYING VALUES A person’s values answer the question “What’s important to me?” Our values are the deep-seated pervasive standards that influence almost every aspect of our lives: our moral judgments, our responses to others, out commitments to personal and organizational goals. Our beliefs and value systems are deeply connected. We are motivated and make decisions based on these belief systems and values. Misaligned values are cause for much stress and unproductive teams.
One of the key characteristics of high-performance organizations and teams is that they have a clear picture of what they are creating together, they are excited and clear about their basic purpose and they share a common set of values. The values, vision, strategy and purpose form the core of their identity. These key elements constitute the DNA that keeps people, teams and organizations responsive and innovative in new situations.
CREATING ALIGNMENT Alignment between the group purpose, values, vision and strategy and those of the individual creates the power to be committed to a common purpose. If these areas are not aligned, sooner or later, people experience tension and frustration. Alignment means that the people in the group create their own vision that fits within the purpose, values, vision and strategy of the organization and clearly defines their own part in creating excellence. There needs to be one overarching purpose and vision for the entire organization and then each group creates its own vision that nests within the larger vision.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
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