Professional Documents
Culture Documents
One of the most powerful ways Try This: Together with your co-
your business can meet the need workers, brainstorm a list of 8 -
for inclusion is to involve every 10 beliefs about your company.
employee in the strategic forma- Ask for both positive (“Our
tion of basic company beliefs, i.e. company always gives value-
what everyone believes to be true added service to the customer”),
about the company. Beliefs are and negative (“Our company
one of the most important cor- doesn’t always trust employees
to do the right thing”). Can you
openly discuss the negative ones the same goal. Peters calls this
and change them to positive “work as conversation ... conver-
goals? Can you tie specific work sations are the way workers dis-
behaviors to each belief so that cover what they know, share it
everyone knows how to “walk with their colleagues, and in the
the talk”? process, create new knowledge
for the organization.”
FROM THE “WHY”
TO THE “HOW” Try This: Chat with a few of
your new employees about some
“That’s all well and good,” you of your company’s past strategic
might say, “But what about the planning decisions. Ask for their
new employees who are hired input and see where the conver-
after the strategic planning ses- sation goes. Be open to new
sion is over?” Even when your ideas. Give credit to others for
new team members haven’t been their ideas and contributions,
in on the ground floor of your even if they aren’t used by your
company’s planning, letting them business. Above all, keep all
know the “why” behind the deci- your employees in the loop, ex-
sions that have been made is cru- plaining the “why” behind the
cial to their executing the “how.” policies already in place.