culturefit news

Simulations for learning about culture and change

In our experience, leaders often genuinely believe that they are living the culture that their organization needs to achieve its goals – it’s everyone else who ‘doesn’t get it’. Yet, more often than not, leaders are unaware of the many ways that they influence and shape the culture of their organizations. Similarly, they are unaware of the potential that they have to intentionally build and/or change culture to better align with the organization’s goals and strategies. Culture-Strategy Fit has developed several learning simulations that provide an opportunity for leaders to experience the power of leadership in shaping and changing culture through a meaningful hands-on experience that will be vividly remembered years into the future.

Using highly experiential and customized learning that is challenging and fun, the objectives of the experience include understanding the effect that words, actions and decisions have on the culture of the organization and describing the dynamic nature of culture and how it is affected by other elements of the organization such as structure. The objectives include identifying the role of subcultures and how they relate to overall culture, as well as defining the relationship between culture and strategy. Participants explore the current culture and identify opportunities to strengthen alignment to the future-state culture. The simulation can also address developing strategies to achieve culture change, including how to intentionally use words and actions to change behavior norms.

Saving the Chocolate Company

Leaders of the chocolate company are presented with an exciting opportunity that has the potential to dramatically increase sales and open new markets. Representing four business units, research and the C-suite, leaders must wrestle with significant risks, potential rewards and challenges. The simulation provides the opportunity for participants to reflect upon and share their experiences, to make observations about the roles that leaders play in shaping culture and the way group beliefs and behaviors operate. The discussions are lively and they are focused on learning outcomes as participants relate and immediately apply their insights to the real world. Customized manager tool kits can be provided to support key elements of the future-state culture.

Change at the Zoo

The leaders of the zoo have been facing pressure for several years to make significant changes. Environmental activism, political storms over budgetary requirements, the building of a new aquarium by the city, imposition of new policies and a recent outbreak of infections has put a spotlight on the zoo. All of this on top of declining visits and a workforce that hasn’t seen a raise in four years has accelerated the need to formulate a new strategy, which is now complete. Leaders must plan for change, integrating understanding of how change to activities, transitions for individuals and culture shaping, the deep patterns of organizational life, needs to be integrated for transformational change to occur.