Ability to Create & Manage Culture

This refers to the ability to fully understand the relationship between strategy and culture as the two major elements in business success. Here the practitioner must understand all the human and organizational elements which impact the organization's ability to successfully deliver its strategies, and be able to manage these holistically to ensure results are achieved. These include organization design, direction setting, resource allocation, staffing, development and operation of rewards and recognition systems, customer linkages and the development of leaders capable of managing the strategy/culture "alloy". The ability to create and manage culture involves skills in the following areas: Organization Design The ability to diagnose the situation, evaluate options, create design principles linked to/or focused on delivering the outcome, and actual re-organization/re-design of organizational units to achieve results. The design must link strategy and culture. Communication Development of the "teachable point of view" for change and all the needed infrastructure and integrated systems to ensure rapid two way communications. Values/Standards The critical behaviors and beliefs needed in a new culture to support the achievement of results. Values define the culture, standards provide the norms for daily transactions/interaction. In P&G the principles, values and purpose (PVP) provide the standard and guidelines for all interactions. Staffing The ability to help business leaders identify the people with the appropriate mix of skills and experience, and to place them in the right positions in the organization to support the achievement of results. Development of the Organizations "Development" in this context speaks to the ability of the professional to understand the variable of change, the desired direction of the business, and to as a result create a culture of the type needed to match/fit with the strategies of the business to achieve results. It also includes being able to sustain and improve this culture, thereby "managing" it. Performance/Rewards Understanding what successful performance means in the culture and being able to create reward mechanisms to support the desired behaviors. Customer Linkages When the culture is created and operationalized it must include linkage to all customers, internal and external, to ensure results. All customers must see their needs being addressed. The culture must therefore be designed and guided to follow on this and see the linkages and interdependencies as crucial to each and every role. Leadership Competencies It is critical that HR focus of developing leaders in a manner which ensures that they have skills, experience and the sensitivity to create and manage culture. Outages in this area mean the "alloy" of strategy and culture are not created, and results suffer.

Core Skills Assessment Print this page and circle all areas below where you have demonstrated successful results in using the core skills listed. You may circle items in different skill levels. The skills listed below are stratified to help determine the actual level of experience a person has so plans can be developed to gain more experience/proficiency. Basic Understands the concepts of culture and strategy as two critical components for successful business improvement. Has worked on projects to assess and define culture and practiced the mechanics of designing a culture to "fit"/support delivery of business strategies. Has worked to define the sub-system/sub-processes of the culture which drive change with some success (rewards, communications, leadership development, linking customers, performance management, etc.) and can do the gap analysis and make recommendations for cultural development. Can define the cultural linkages/levers which support business improvement and define the steps for making change. Advanced Called on to lead the design and change of culture in support of business improvements. Capable "troubleshooter" to identify the "fixes" needed to realign/mobilize the change effort if it stalls. Experienced in line and staff designs to improve alignment and operating results. Experienced in the complexity of cross-functional/cross-unit/global design issues and has had success in these designs. Capable of coaching and developing leadership competence. Master The master of cultural design and development sought out by business leaders to assist in the most complex change efforts. The master sought out by practitioners to coach/resource them on their efforts. Mentor of people who are learning the concepts and technology master teacher. Veteran of many complex change efforts often recognized outside of P&G.