1. Creating The Leader’s
Collaborative
Cultures: ROLE

2. Creating The Leader’s
Collaborative
Cultures: ROLE
Presented by
Nancy Southern, Ed.D
2

3. “Culture does not change because we
desire to change it. Culture changes
when the organization is transformed;
the culture reflects the realities of
people working together every day.”
– Frances Hesselbein
The Key to Cultural Transformation, Leader to Leader (Spring 1999)
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4. Definition of Culture
“A pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group
learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation
and internal integration that has worked well enough to
be considered valid and, therefore to be taught to new
members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel
in relation to those problems.”
– Schein 1992
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5. How do we
Understand
Culture
We can look at
• Artifacts, physical structures
• Rituals and ceremonies
• Organizational systems and procedures
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6. How do we
Understand
Culture
We can listen to
• Language (slogans, acronyms, etc.)
• Stories and legends
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7. How do we
Understand
Culture
We can directly ask people,
but must consider
• That people have different cultural lenses
• Espoused values may differ from enacted values
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8. Why is
Culture
Important
Artifacts
Conversations
Espoused Values
Conversations
Beliefs & Assumptions
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9. Why is
Culture
Important
• Helps determine what mental
models will support and
inhibit the desired change
Artifacts
Conversations • Identifies important stories
and rituals that carry meaning
Espoused Values
and need to be sustained or
Conversations intentionally re-created
Beliefs & Assumptions
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10. How do Leaders
Shape
• Design of physical space
Culture
• Organizational structures, systems, procedures
• Organizational rites and rituals
• Stories, myths, about people and events
• Formal statements of values, mission, vision
• What gets attention, measured, controlled
From E. Schein, Organizational Culture and Leadership , 1992. 10

11. How do Leaders
Shape
• How they react to situations
Culture
• How they allocate resources
• Role modeling, teaching, coaching
• Communicating values and beliefs
• Rewarding or punishing
• How they select and integrate newcomers
From E. Schein, Organizational Culture and Leadership , 1992. 11

12. Occupational
Sub-Cultures
Executive
Operations
Technical & Within these subcultures,
Professional people maintain common values,
assumptions, and language, which
may not be fully understood by
Sales & those outside the culture.
Marketing
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13. How Would You Describe
Your Organization’s
• What are the obvious artifacts? Culture
• What are the espoused values?
• What metaphors describe how people interact?
• What are the gaps between espoused values and actions?
• What expectations do people hold of leaders?
• Which sub-culture(s) dominates?
• What are prevailing beliefs and assumptions about what is
possible and what is not?
• How would people describe the conditions that support or
inhibit their work?
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14. Moving from Silos
to Collaboration
• Many organizations are organized
functionally and thus silos emerge as people
consider the function as their territory.
• Collaboration can take place across
functional areas when people understand
that functions are only areas of expertise thus
their primary responsibility is to share their
expertise, not protect their territory.
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15. Barriers to Collaboration
• People feel they are victims of the system
• Fear abounds resulting in risk avoidance and self protection
• Knowledge is seen as power and used to maintain status
• Relationship building is not valued
• Independent action is rewarded without recognition of the
contributions of others
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16. Cycle of Blame
Fear & Independent
Powerlessness & Defensive
Actions
Distrust
Risk
Avoidance BLAME Erosion
of Safety
Breakdown Suspicion
of Relationships of Intent
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17. Conditions for
Collaboration
• People feel valued and trusted
• Relationships are seen as essential to
providing knowledge and support networks
• Strategic risk taking is encouraged
• Opportunities abound for formal and
informal dialogue where new ideas are
shared and old assumptions are challenged
• Learning takes place from problems,
mistakes and success 17

18. Cycle of Collaboration
Trust Innovation
& Change
Risk
Taking Collaboration Support of
New Ideas
Strong Open Inquiry
Relationships & Dialogue
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19. Creating Cultures
of Collaboration
• Begins with understanding the complexity of the current state
• Draws forth inspiration and commitment through visioning
• Integrates all aspects of the organization’s work
• Intentionally manages change
• Requires collaborative leadership
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20. Conditions for
Shared Leadership Recognizing
Leadership in All
People and Positions
Listening for Understanding Encouraging and
and a Willingness Appreciating Different
to be Influenced Points of View
Creating Space Asking Questions
for Dialogue to Challenge
and Learning Collective Assumptions
Respecting Encouraging Everyone
Others’ Positions to Say What Needs to be Said
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21. Designing a Collaborative
Process for Cultural Change
1. Begins with a cultural assessment
2. Invites people to participate in the learning journey
3. Addresses the Changes needed on the levels of...
• Individual and collective beliefs and assumptions
• Patterns of behavior and action
• Supporting organizational structures
• Events that promote collaboration
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22. Organizational Assessment
Purpose Process
• Determine the current reality • Interview individuals
and desired future state and/or group
• Map the reality • Synthesis of interview
themes
• Use the map to establish
agreement on what is and • Feedback of interview
ideas for future themes, paying
attention to tensions
• Engage people in the
change process • Map of the system,
issues, relationships
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23. The Collaborative Journey
LEARN
ING COMMUNITY
C O L L A B O R AT I O N
COMMITMENT
E N G AG E M E N T
PA R T I C I PAT I O N
I N V I TAT I O N
“The invitation to participate in co-creating a new reality is the beginning of the
collaborative journey. The helix displays the increasing arenas of participation from
invitation to collaboration and ultimately engagement within a learning community.”
© Nancy L. Southern
23

24. Changing
Organizational
Culture
rity
HIGH
of A
utho Events Define the culture and signal change
vels
Supporting Systems, structures, polices, that limit or support
r Le
Structures change and reinforce patterns of action
ighe
es H
Methods of interaction, communication,
ir
equ
Patterns of Action decision-making, normative in the culture
R
nge
Individually and collectively held
Cha
assumptions about relationships
LOW Beliefs and Assumptions and what can or cannot change
Adapted from the work of Peter Senge & Edgar Schein 24

25. Beliefs and Assumptions of
Individually and collectively held
assumptions about relationships Collaborative
and what can or cannot change
Cultures
• I can be more successful with the help of others
• Diversity makes us more creative and capable
• Disagreement adds value to a conversation
• Talking about what I/we have learned is
more valuable than talking about what we
have done
• I can speak freely and truthfully to anyone
in the organization
• The purpose of our work is important
25

26. Working with Beliefs and
Assumptions/Mental Models
• Provide opportunities for people to experience
something they never thought was possible
• Become skillful in using the Ladder of Inference
• Skillfully ask questions that challenge assumptions
• Create opportunities for dialogue that engage
diverse perspectives and support new understanding
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27. Patterns of Actions in
Methods of interaction,
communication, decision-making, Collaborative
normative in the culture
Cultures
• Informal meetings are a norm
• In meetings, people talk about what is
most important
• The intent of conversations is to reach
new understanding
• Arguments are playful and engaging
• Acts of care are common and recognized
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28. Supporting Structures for
Systems, structures, polices,
that limit or support change and Collaborative
reinforce patterns of action
Cultures
• Hiring people who match the culture
• Powerful orientation process for new hires
• Performance evaluations that model
collaboration
• Mentoring communities
• Technology that enhances collaboration
• Policies and approaches to engaging
collaboratively with stakeholders outside the
organization
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29. Events to Build and Sustain
Define the culture
and signal change
Collaborative
Cultures
• Collaborative visioning and planning
• Innovation showcases
• Relationship building retreats
• Strategic dialogue sessions
• Internal customer appreciation
• Collaboration and Team recognition
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30. How to Begin a
Cultural
Change
• Complete the assessment
• Engage a few dedicated people as a cultural change team
• Design an event to communicate the change and create a
experience and a vision of collaboration
• Initiate cross functional teams to identify the patterns of action
and supporting structures that need to change
• Implement and recognize the change through powerful events
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31. Creating The Leader’s
Collaborative
Cultures: ROLE
Questions
and
Comments
31

32. For More Information
Presented by
Nancy Southern, Ed.D
nlsouthern@aol.com
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33. Additional Resources
• Virtual facilitation to further build these skills with a team
• Coaching to develop collaborative leadership
• Next Webinar - Collaborating Across Distance on March 16, 2011
• Release of on-line learning program March 2011
• Next eBook: Leading a Global Team - Spring 2011
• Recording of this webinar will be available next week
http://www.ico-consulting.com 33

34. Free eBook
One of many collaborative resources
available through ICO Consulitng.
This free eBook teaches the skills of
Advocacy, Inquiry and Reflection.
Download your copy @
http://www.ico-consulting.com/e-book.html
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