Heifetz, Grashow, and Linsky (2009) suggest that information on a culture is not written. People learn about the culture of their organizations by observation and trial and error. You know a certain behavior is valued when you are rewarded for it. You realize you've done something wrong when other members clearly demonstrate their disapproval.
Think about your organization and your own experience. How did you learn "how things worked"? What stories were you told about success and failure, promotions and demotions? What mistakes did you commit when you started that you quickly learned to avoid?
- Who is successful at your organization? Who gets promoted? What works?
It stands to reason that people "at the top positions" at a given organization became successful precisely because they know how to operate within its culture. How can you then expect those in position of authority within an organization to want to change it?
It's True! "All too often, on the long road up, young leaders become 'servants of what is' rather than 'shapers of what might be.' (John Gardner, cited in Heifetz, Grashow, & Linksky, 2009, p. 52). What does this quote mean?
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