In today’s post-pandemic business world, organizations are steering through novel challenges. Amid this climate, the critical role of effective leadership is paramount. One effective approach is value-based leadership, which is a model of using a fundamental system of organizational core values to govern operations, rather than just meeting deadlines or hitting targets. In this blog, […]
Harnessing Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Model for Organizational Success
As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, organizations engage with a diverse array of cultures. This expansion, while offering immense opportunities, also presents unique challenges, particularly in understanding and navigating cultural differences. These differences, if not managed effectively, can become roadblocks to international success. Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Model serves as a critical tool for organizations to […]
Developing Resilience, Tenacity, and Grit
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration deemed stress a “hazard of the workplace”. Estimates put the cost of stress at $190 billion a year in annual healthcare bills.
5 Practical Steps to Improve Company Culture
By John Duisberg, originally published on Cooleaf Most company leaders want to have a vibrant company culture and high level of employee engagement. However, leaders may lack the knowledge of practical steps to achieve these goals. Here are a few steps with specific actions that you and your team may use to improve your company’s culture. STEP […]
Five Business Culture Books To Add To Your Fall Reading List
Some people like to read. Some people like to read a lot. Then, there’s people like Doug Hensch who are not happy if they aren’t consuming research-backed literature on wellbeing, resilience, leadership and decision-making. The good news for the rest of us is that Doug has decided to post a handful of summaries of some […]
A Deeper Look at Cultural Awareness in the Workplace
Working in Africa taught me the importance of understanding cultural norms. I was managing a Kenyan hotel with 400 international guests over the Christmas holiday. We had arranged it all: fireworks, an African choir to sing carols, and Santa arriving on a camel. Yet, I failed my guests and my team by not bothering to […]
Creating Workplace Culture That Actually Works
Workplace culture often seems like some sort of abstract concept. We think, ‘Oh to build a great culture at work, we have to create something that mimics Apple’ or some other hot, tech company. In reality, building a dynamic work culture is much simpler, based on how the organization’s values, attitude and behavior manifest daily […]
4 Steps to Maintain Organizational Culture with Freelancers
Organizational culture is crucial in creating a workplace where employees can work together as a team and contribute to furthering the company’s values and vision. Maintaining that culture in a shared office space is one thing…but when your freelance employees are scattered all over the country, maybe even the globe, that’s a different story. This […]
Communicating Culture with Positive Reinforcement
A lot of big words for a simple theory. Or as Boyd so eloquently puts it in the recent Fast Company article, “People want to be inspired, not lectured. They tend to respond better to humor and gentle reminders than they do to dictates or presumptions of guilt before innocence.” In essence, people don’t respond as well […]
Four Ways to Build Organizational Purpose
Purpose is often cast aside as a non-essential to an organization’s success. Finances, IT, sales and product are discussed far more often than purpose. Yet purpose is the driver – without an employee feeling a sense of purpose, the salesperson would be listless and the product engineer would lose creativity. In times of crisis, purpose […]
