Cultural Assessments:
Find out if belief matches reality

Your culture is the personality and character of your enterprise. It’s everywhere.

• In the actions and opinions of your people
• In the language they use and the clothes they wear
• In the views and beliefs of your leadership
• In your work environment and technology
• In the values your enterprise espouses

And in the perception shared across your enterprise of “the way we do things around here.“

Why Culture Matters

Your culture has a direct impact on performance. It influences how your enterprise deals with its mission (and sub-missions), its various work environments, its internal operations and its base of constituents and customers.

A strong, motivational culture is an invaluable factor in achieving Peak Performance®. Many challenges can undermine this strength: changing missions, proliferating sub-cultures, mergers, increased customer demands, scandals and rumors, fear of the unknown, high staff turnover, budget cuts, high visibility with the public, shifting policies and stress.

The list of potential cultural challenges is long and constantly shifting.

Assessment Points the Way

SiloSmashers has provided cultural assessments for many enterprises. We work with you to establish objectives and benchmarks for your culture. Then we conduct surveys and interviews with employees, partners, stakeholder and suppliers to help us paint a picture of the cultural values you espouse and the operational culture that actually exists.

Typically, we assess the three areas that comprise an enterprise’s culture:

• Behavior and artifacts: the observable level of culture, including factors such as language used, physical environment, technology, dress code and organization charts
• Values: espoused strategies, goals and philosophies
• Assumptions and beliefs: unconscious perceptions, thoughts and feelings that are taken for granted

Often, espoused values and the actual cultural are very different. One customer claimed innovation as a value, yet only 12 percent of its employees felt that innovation was encouraged and even fewer felt it was rewarded. We also look for gaps between your culture and strategic plan. Their alignment is critical for Peak Performance®.

From Assessment to Change

Gaps like those just mentioned provide a roadmap for cultural change. Once you know where they are you can begin the tasks of defining the most effective culture for your strategy and rolling out a systematic process of cultural change.

No assessment ever leads to a one-time solution. A strong culture requires continuous maintenance and fine-tuning. This takes a strong leadership commitment, effective communications and regular assessments to ensure that culture, values and strategy are aligned throughout every part of your enterprise.