Organizations and their culture are complex entities. Depending on the size of the organization they can be compromised of mini-cultures nested in larger ones. There are many layers of variables woven together in unique patterns and over long histories that create the cultural fabric of an organization. This is true of businesses, not for profit agencies, sports teams, and families. Variables such as power, purpose, communication, sacred cows, taboos, customs, celebrations, and stories all help to weave the tapestry of culture. Changing the pattern of that tapestry – changing culture in an organization is a monumental undertaking.

A google search of “changing organizational culture nets 123,000,000 results. There is a whole section in the book store about the topic. It is a big deal. And it is hard. Hard at the beginning to get buy-in and traction (even as people recognize the toxicity that may be present), hard in the middle (as the messiness of change wears everyone down) and hard at the “end” (well there really isn’t ever an end as sustainability is often elusive and elements of any changed tapestry will also have issues to be addressed).

I recently came across the concept of being strategically subversive in your attempts to make a change within an organization. The premise of this idea is to be very deliberate in identifying something in the culture that is like the domino in the elaborate structure that if tipped over would create the ripple effect on a much larger scale. A narrower focus on a seemingly small item will garner less pushback, less unwanted attention and the subsequent ripple will catch everyone off guard so that other small changes might also be made in the wake of the initial one without much fuss.

I am not sure the efficacy of turning this theory into practice but the thought of thinking small to get larger returns definitely has an appeal.

 “When you meet somebody for the first time you are not meeting them. You’re meeting their representative.” Chris Rock

Sad but true. And it seems to me that social media helps that representative have a full time job in the spotlight. One of the skills we now need to hone (and teach) is the ability to see past the front, the show, the representative to see if the person behind is who they say they are and who you think they are. People who are living inauthentically cannot keep the façade intact forever. I have often wondered how much energy some people expend in managing the representative and their outer life.

Maybe it is my entry into my middle years but I don’t really have the time or the patience to spend with a representative and I certainly don’t expend any energy on my own impression management – online or in person. Anyone who follows me on social media or visits me at the Yellow Castle gets to see the chaotic, messy, crazy, far-less-than-perfect magnificent and blessed life I have.

“There is a growing recognition that the complex work of today is better likened to improvisation theatre and jazz bands than to formal bureaucratic models or organization.” E. Schein

As I launch two boys into school for the year (grade 6 and 10), I pondered Edgar Schein’s quote in relation to the classes being offered and the assignments that will be due in the coming months.

We are already aware that the skill base required to thrive in today’s complex world is related to:

• adaptability
• knowing how to learn
• being comfortable with interpreting data
• experimenting/ pivoting with ideas or plans

So what are we doing to help our kids be ready?

Of course, that also leads to the question – what does someone in their mid/later career need to do to up their game to be the conductor of a jazz band?

And what can I do with the boys so that we can journey on the learning road together?

Surfing online recently I came across a reference to James Altucher’s Power of Five. His blog is irreverent, thought-provoking and funny. Check out his website.

Altucher’s premise is that being aware and purposeful about 5 areas of your life can be powerful and reap dividends in your health, “wealth” and happiness. The five areas of power are:

1. You are the average of the five people around you
2. You are the average of the five things that inspire you the most
3. Your thoughts are the average of the five things you think about most
4. Your body and mind are the average of the five things you “eat” (this includes junk food, junk tv, trash reading)
5. You are the average of the five things you do to help people each day

This list makes me think about how I am spending my time – what sites am I surfing on the internet? What books are on my reading list? What invitations am I accepting and what is in my calendar? I am thinking of this not only from an integrity and alignment perspective but also looking at breadth and depth – what am I doing to expose myself to new ideas, new information, and new people?

What – Why – How

In a 2018 TED Talk,3 questions to ask yourself about everything you do, Stacey Abrams  speaks about 3 important questions that she uses as a north star to guide her in her decision making:

1. What do I want?
2. Why do I want it?
3. How I am going to get it?

She goes on to say having specifics of what and how is very important – the more specific and concrete the better but for herself,  she is very clear that the value-add is being able to go deep to answer WHY. By having a really solid core foundation of why you want what you want you are in a better position to be nimble in altering the how as information and events unfold and that you are somewhat protected from pursuing a goal blindly.

I can usually better articulate what I don’t want rather than what I do want and I am naturally drawn and most comfortable with answering the How question so my learning edge is to take the time to articulate the why of my decisions.

What is perpetually on the bottom of your “to do” list?

Examples of tasks that Tree Toad Consulting pulled off our clients to do list include:

• An orientation framework, checklist and resource package for new staff
• Planning for a team building/staff recognition event
• Templates for standard work
• Documentation for a new process
• Research of markets, technical white papers, regulations or media reports

All of these tasks were on the bottom of a list for a variety of reasons – sometimes it is not what the person loves to do, sometimes it is because there are so many other tasks that require attention, sometimes it is because the person does not know where to even start.

Tree Toad is happy to take on pieces of work that you don’t want to spend your time on – for whatever reason. Fire me an email or pick up the phone and we can determine how I can move your list from “to do” to DONE! TreeToadConsulting@gmail.com or 250-215-2626

My Superpower

The Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a framework based on the work of Carl Jung. It identifies 16 distinct, natural personality types, each represented by 4 letters. Each letter represents a set of characteristics within a dichotomy of a subset of personality traits. To learn more about Myers Briggs go to www.myersbriggs.com

Using the MBTI framework I am an ISTJ personality. The superpower of my personality type is the ability to use information from a variety of sources, evaluate and translate it into a structure to systematize it into processes, schedules, project plans etc. to fit the specific situation or need. My nature drives structure and effectiveness – it is how I see the world.

As a consultant who practices across industries and provides general management and operational support, my superpower helps cross-pollinate information and ideas across my areas of work to bring added value to my clients. If you want to explore the value I can bring to your business contact me at treetoadconsulting@gmail.com

I like to think (often to my own detriment). I even like to think about thinking. (I know – nerdy!). In both my professional life and my personal life I like to utilize lateral thinking tools. These tools are especially helpful if you (or the group you are working with) are stuck.

Lateral thinking is “the solving of problems by an indirect and creative approach, typically through viewing the problem in a new and unusual light.”

When reading Daniel Pink’s book, Drive, I learned about a tool to help get the creative juices flowing. It is called Oblique Strategies: Over One Hundred Worthwhile Dilemmas. It is a set of cards that poses challenging constraints, a reframing statement or a wicked question. I have only started playing with the ideas but so far a couple of my favourites – and when I say favourite I mean face-palm – are:

• Honour thy error as a hidden intention
• What would your closest friend do?
• Ask your body
• Remove specifics and convert to ambiguities
• A line has two sides

Not surprisingly there is an app for Oblique Strategies – so even on the fly, you can get a jolt for your creative juices!