Are you concerned that your organization’s current work culture is less effective and consistent than it needs to be? A work culture is a system of beliefs that shapes individual and group behavior in an organization. A belief system cannot be seen directly, but its effects can be understood by observing the behaviors of individuals and groups. Types of individual and group behaviors often include:

• How decisions are made
• How problems are solved
• How people show trust and respect for one another
• How people communicate with one another
• How people deal with change
• How responsibility and accountability are assigned
• How authority is shared

Some behaviors you may notice that signal a need for a change in work culture:

• Lack of teamwork and support between organizational units
• Problems are never really resolved, but a great deal of energy is spent blaming and avoiding blame
• Overt conflict between one of more executives on the top team
• Authority, responsibility, and accountability are unclear and inconsistent
• A paralyzing pattern of micromanagement
• Employees at all levels feel overworked and underappreciated
• Lack of trust and respect at all levels in the organization
• Complaints from staff about too many layers of management

Unique Features of Strider & Cline’s Work Culture Change Program
The program is custom-designed to create the work culture your organization wants, not the work culture we think you should have. The program design is based on Phase 1 assessment results and desired Phase 2 outcomes. Phase 2 implementation does not begin until the program design is approved in writing.

The program is designed to change individual and group behaviors: The ambitious goal of our program is behavior change. Behavior change does not usually happen by taking a few people off site for a weekend retreat or sensitivity training. Nor does it happen by reading a book or running everyone through the same training class. Behavior change is a process. Awareness and ownership are the first steps. With our help individuals and groups gradually increase their awareness and ownership of:

• Their own behaviors
• Effects of their behaviors on their coworkers and the organization’s aspirations
• Beliefs that drive their behaviors
• The choices they have to change their beliefs, change their behavior, or both so as to move closer to the work culture they want

We insist that participation in the program be voluntary: This may seem strange at first. We find that changing individual and group behaviors requires a high level of energy and commitment. When individuals feel coerced into participating their energy and commitment is often low and they can distract those who really want to change. When we start with energetic individuals, their excitement often encourages skeptical others to join the program.

The program involves the organization up and down and across: Because an organization is a human system we work with all levels of the organization and across organizational units. We believe this is the only way to achieve a sustainable change in the work culture of a human system.

There is a gradual progression from teaching tools and new behaviors in the classroom to practicing the tools and new behaviors in real time: We believe a cultural change program based on assessment results can begin to show positive results after a period of 12 months with 3 to 4 days intensive contact with program participants each month. Our program utilizes lecture, demonstration, individual and small group exercises, simulations, and coaching to provide a common language and toolset and to accommodate individual learning styles. The desired behavioral norms will be taught and reinforced by working one-on-one with individuals, in small groups, and in large groups at every level and across organizational units. We believe a gradual shift from teaching to facilitating issue exploration and resolution provides opportunities for participants to take personal responsibility for changing their own behaviors. The shift occurs roughly in the following progression:

• We create sufficient emotional safety and gain participants’ trust while teaching concepts, models, and tools in the classroom.
• We privately coach and support individuals to help them try new behaviors. We follow up to see how it went.
• We facilitate real-time issue exploration and resolution between two individuals face to face.
• We facilitate real-time issue exploration and resolution between a manager and his or her group face to face.
• We facilitate real-time issue exploration and resolution between two groups face to face.
• When we think participants are ready we encourage them to explore issues and resolutions with each other without our facilitation and let us know how it went.

Blended work and training: We believe that learning is enhanced when training and facilitation is done in the context of the client’s real work. We call that blended work and training. Creating enough safety for individuals to examine and change their own behavior is always a priority. Email and telephone support between onsite visits provides additional outlets for issues to surface and opportunities for coaching.

2-Phase Program
Our 2-phase work culture change program can identify and close gaps between your current work culture and the work culture to which your organization aspires. Phase 1 is contracted separately from Phase 2.

Phase 1 begins with an assessment of the organization’s current work culture and ends with:

• A written report of findings and recommendations
• A written proposal for Phase 2

The purpose of assessment is to make explicit the gap between the current work culture and the work culture to which the organization aspires. During assessment individuals and groups are interviewed, organizational documents are read, interview data are analyzed, findings and recommendations are developed and a written report is delivered in person. The Phase 2 proposal includes a program design and high-level implementation plan for education, training, and coaching. Phase 2 implementation starts with an approved program design and continues until all planned implementation activities are completed.

Our Expertise
Wayne and Eileen Strider have spent over 20 years studying, practicing, and helping individuals and organizations learn and apply powerful skills for dealing with human system issues such as leadership, communication and change. They have taught these skills to hundreds of leaders--in public workshops, conference seminars, at their annual Leaders’ Forum, and during their consulting engagements. Wayne is author of the book, Powerful Project Leadership, published by Management Concepts, Inc.

Each is a highly skilled trainer and facilitator with experience designing and conducting experiential learning workshops and working with teams in organizations.

Wayne and Eileen both have been trained in the Satir Model and Process and have taught Satir tools, concepts, and techniques extensively for over 15 years. In addition to creating and presenting their own workshops, Wayne and Eileen have each participated as teachers of the following world-renowned workshops:

• Faculty for the Problem Solving Leadership workshop sponsored by Weinberg & Weinberg
• Senior Staff for Congruent Leadership Development Workshop sponsored by Jean McLendon & Satir Systems, Inc.

Each is qualified to purchase, administer, and evaluate the MBTI instrument. Each has conducted numerous MBTI workshops both for individuals and teams. Workshop topics range from introductory concepts to advanced applications including:

• Conflict resolution
• Problem formulation and resolution
• Team effectiveness
• Personal effectiveness
• Communication

To Talk with Someone about Your Work Culture
If you would like to talk with someone about your work culture please contact us at info@striderandcline.com or call (816) 746-8100.