Vital Relationship Between Culture and Innovation

Culture dictates the "rituals of the way things get done", Judith Glaser writes in her best-seller, The DNA of Leadership. She establishes seven traits vital to measure in order to first establish a culture baseline. The premise is that your organization will NEVER leap forward toward goals of driving worker productivity if the work environment is toxic. Leadership defines the culture of the organization and of each department, says Ms. Glaser. Be aware that a style of "leadership defines the way you motivate or de-motivate those you depend upon for the development of your organization. As you engage with others through conversations and actions, you either expand others' potential and catalyze growth, or limit others' contributions and perpetuate stagnation."

• What motivates employees to give it their all?
• What causes them to form sub groups with defined barriers?
• What causes groups to withhold information, build turfs, lose faith in the company and themselves?
• What causes companies to go out of business?
• What causes well-intended leaders to fail to stimulate loyalty?

The most startling discovery is that each department has its own mini-culture, which might, or might not, coincide with the organizational cultural strategy. If different, can they both co-exist? If the intended strategically-designed culture is one of trust, openness, communication, values, yet the department is being run by Attila the Hun, will profitability be possible? The toxic, dampening impact on innovation, teamwork, collaborate culture, worker "go get 'em" spirit in that department is not only a key barrier to profitability, but will easily infect other departments in the value-chain. Amazingly, senior management will be the last to know before a large portion of the organization is irreparably contaminated. Kiss the ability to innovate successfully "Goodbye!"

So what is the answer? A survey diagnostic that reaches into each department is the best defense to the creeping tentacles of a poisonous culture. Beware; it can spread like the common cold. If this is so, then culture change is the precursor to organizational change.