12/18/2024

When Leading a Struggling Organization, Don’t Assume the Culture is Broken

New leaders must leverage and respect culture so it will evolve and grow

Leaders charged with righting foundering organizations often claim "the culture is broken." However, just as you cannot fix people, experience tells me that focusing on fixing a culture is a fool's errand.

Decision-making processes, communications, structure, strategy and finances are all fixable. An organization's culture evolves over time and not by command. When facing a turnaround or need for strategic change, there are better levers to push and pull than the one protected under glass labeled "culture."

Fixing struggling organizations isn’t complicated; it is complex

While it's unlikely you’re working with anything the scale of Boeing or Starbucks — two struggling firms in the news, every turnaround is complex. No single solution offers the perfect answer.

Please select this link to read the complete article from SmartBrief.