Reinforcing Community, Part II

Abraham Maslow, famous psychologist, made it very clear in the Hierarchy of Needs, that humans cannot achieve a higher level of existence or performance until the previous level of needs are met. The need for physical security being the base must be met before a person can advance; psychological security is next, followed by “belonging”…

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Reinforcing Culture, Part III

Culture doesn’t grow on its own. It has to be nurtured. Strengthened. Reinforced. Constantly. How do we do that? Anthropologists, those who study humanity and culture, tell us that all cultures use 4 devices to define and institutionalize their culture. Totems. Totems are the symbols that remind a people of where they came from, what…

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Reinforcing Culture, Part II

As important as culture is (and we’ve only scratched the surface), it’s something that takes constant reinforcement. It doesn’t survive with nurture, reminders, etc. So, how do we do that? We start by understanding the 3 components that make up culture, i.e. the way we are. Core Values. These are the guiding beliefs of a…

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Reinforcing Culture

Management Guru, Peter Drucker, once said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” He’s right, of course. Culture, not a brilliant strategy, is the secret sauce for organizational achievement and breakthroughs. According to a study by Harvard Business School, companies with strong, virtuous cultures outperform those without such an atmosphere by 5 times ROA; that’s an astounding…

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