By Eugene le Roux, mechanical engineer, one of his regular online articles on general project management principles.
Have you ever observed how the culture in a division or organisation can slowly drift over years from the normative culture, as prescribed by the original strategy, and based on the original business environment?
Eugene le Roux, retired mechanical engineer.
© RACA Journal
It could easily happen that different divisions in the organisation develop different cultures, and a different way of doing things. The drift could move away from merit based, to political alignment and belonging. Is this anchorless shift all bad, or could this ‘drift’ be a more favourable culture evolving?
It is then that we sometimes ask ourselves whether returning to a pure transparent merit system is not the answer? But if we implement this, are we perhaps not overlooking other softer issues like teamwork, loyalty, the ability to understand company politics, or other specific aspects of culture, etc, all of which are difficult to quantify, and express in Key Performance Areas (KPA)?
Has the new culture, if approved by top management, been defined and communicated to everyone? What would happen if everyone were not informed about the changes of a new paradigm?
Would you like to share your valuable views based on your experience with changing cultures?
