On the other end of our scale, an organization that is highly politicized shows very different behaviors. In private conversations, it is quite easy to get people to talk negatively about one another or their boss. They often have many complaints and fears. In meetings, they show reticence to speak openly about […]
Using our rating scale, a non-politicized organization has a feel of openness and candor in it. In studying organizations that have a low level of politicization, their meetings show high energy and openness to ideas. People seem to feel free to say what they think is important, they also listen well to others […]
You often hear about “office politicsâ€? but there isn’t much discussion of what it is or how it affects an organization. I think politics in an organization could be put on a scale of 5= highly politicized to 1= few if any politics. Contrasting the 5 with the 1 organization is interesting. […]
Acceptance is not a state of passivity or inaction. I am not saying you can’t change the world, right wrongs, or replace evil with good. Acceptance is, in fact, the first step to successful action. If you don’t fully accept a situation precisely the way it is, you will have difficulty changing it. Moreover, if […]
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni is a good read for the leader of a leadership team. It is a simple story with a powerful message. It is well written and is accurate in terms of the way a leadership team actually works. The team assessment is quite useful. […]
While I was at South Central I asked several team members to contrast the behavior of South Central supervisors with supervisors they have had in other jobs. Everyone said something like,
They don’t act like supervisors here.
They don’t hide in their office.
They get out and work right beside us if needed.
They know what we do […]
How has South Central created this high performance culture? The main influence has been consistent and tenacious leadership. The leadership has never wavered from the focus of providing superior service with highly motivated employees well while removing barriers to performance. One of the key barriers that South Central has learned is to […]
I just finished my biannual review of an organization I have worked with for 15 years. South Central Behavioral Services has worked to create a Performance Culture and have succeeded beyond even my expectations. The review included surveying the entire organization and measuring progress against previous years. I then met personally with […]