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The Culture-Driven Company
 Every
organization has a distinct and unique culture. This culture is the
product of the organization's history, its leadership, its industry,
and its environment. For example, businesses in the same industry
and environment frequently view similar situations quite
differently. These differing visions are often the result of
companies viewing the situation through the lens of their specific
corporate culture.
Leo Tolstoy famously said in the opening sentence of Anna
Karenina, "Every happy family is alike, but every unhappy family
is unhappy in their own way." It could be said that every
company (whether happy or unhappy) is different in its own way. This
difference is not bad or good, but it can affect the organization's
approach to some of its major decisions and its day-to-day
operations.
Frequently, we read in the business press about a merger that
has run into difficulties due to "differences in corporate
cultures." What does that mean? Surely, both merger partners had a
common purpose: to make a substantial profit, if nothing else. One
could assume that there was an understanding, going in, of each
other's strategies and goals. But something about the way those
separate companies are run has made them so different that
communication and agreement are difficult.
In our experience, "culture" refers primarily to management
style. Most companies at least give lip service to being
"customer-focused" or "numbers- oriented." But, when decisions are
made, those labels can be interpreted in widely differing ways to
support specific management perspectives. A company with a more
collegial management style might start from the same place but end
up with a different result than a company with a more autocratic or
dictatorial style. These differences in style are both the cause and
effect of the organization's history, experience, strategies, and
goals.
It is important to be aware of the impact of corporate
culture. Management decisions that run against the grain of the
corporate culture are doomed to failure. However, it is vital that
organizations be self-aware so their decisions, plans, and actions
are made in alignment with the culture, not because of it. We have
seen decisions made or actions avoided because "we're not the kind
of company that does that" or "it's just not our thing." The final
decision might be exactly the same, but it should be based on solid
financial or strategic reasons rather than a knee-jerk reaction to
internal cultural issues.
Every organization has its sacred cows. One way to challenge
the cultural norm is to question the validity of the sacred cows.
They may have originated for solid financial, operational, or
strategic reasons. However, they may have been so thoroughly
absorbed into the culture that they no longer have meaningful value.
Every organization should enjoy and build on its unique
culture. Vive la difference! But we should be open to
improvement and not a slave to the culture.
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Join
Us...
THE LIFE
INSURANCE CONFERENCE
March 30 - April 1, 2009
Hilton at
Walt Disney World Resort
Orlando, Florida
More
Meet
Onsite
THE
RETIREMENT INDUSTRY CONFERENCE
April 1 - 2, 2009
Hilton at
Walt Disney World Resort
Orlando, Florida
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Meet
Onsite
NAMIC
PERSONAL LINES UNDERWRITING SEMINAR
April 22 - 24,
2009
Westin Riverwalk
San Antonio, Texas
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Meet
Onsite
ACORD LOMA
INSURANCE SYSTEMS FORUM
May 17 - 19, 2009
Walt Disney
World Dolphin Resort
Orlando, Florida
More
Meet
Onsite
We welcome the opportunity to meet
you in person at any of these events. Click "Meet Onsite" to send us
an email with your contact information. We'll be in touch to arrange
a convenient time to meet you at the event. |
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2009 IASA
Annual Conference
The Nolan
Company is honored to sponsor the conference's keynote address given
by Michael Eisner, former CEO of The Walt Disney Company. Eisner's
speech, "The Creative Economy," will discuss the importance of
generating fresh ideas while enhancing and protecting your brand.
Nolan executives will also co-present and moderate various sessions
at this annual conference held at in Orlando,
Florida.
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2009 Nolan Events and
Sponsorships
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Previous Nolan e-Newsletters
Online
Past articles
from Nolan Spotlight, as well as Nolan's other e-Newsletters—Bank
Statement and Trend Line—are now available on our Website. Follow
the link below to browse the archives.
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