Diversity - toolkit.epic-hub.comtoolkit.epic-hub.com/uploads/all/all/all/files/Workbook 5.pdfserved as Senior Pastor until the late 90’s, when he started speaking, training and consulting

[ Callie Roos, Steve Simpson & Stef du Plessis ]

MODULE 5

Values and Diversity

THE EFFECTIVE LEADER PROGRAMME

MODULE 5 – VALUES AND DIVERSITY

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The Effectiveness Group | +27 (0)11 787-0829 | www.stefduplessis.com | Copyright © 2003Steve Simpson, Stef du Plessis & Callie Roos

Table of Contents

1 PART 1: VALUES 7 1.1 MANAGING BY VALUES 7 1.2 CORPORATE GOVERNANCE DEFINED 9 1.3 BUSINESS ETHICS DEFINED 11

2 ORGANISATIONAL ALIGNMENT AND VALUE CENTRED LEADERSHIP 13

2.1 VALUES AND VISION INFORM STRATEGY AND STRUCTURE 16

3 MANAGING BY VALUES 17

3.1 WHY SHARED VALUES? 17 ASSESSMENT 18 3.2 THE MANAGEMENT BY VALUE PROCESS 21 3.2.1 Phase 1: Confirm Company Profile 22 3.2.2 Phase 2: Clarify Value System 23 3.2.3 Phase 3: Define Value System 23 3.2.4 Phase 4: Implementation 24 3.2.5 Phase 5: Aligning Values with Daily Practices 25 3.2.6 Phase 6: Continuous Improvement 26 3.3 AN ONGOING PROCESS 26 Stage 1 26 Stage 2 26 Stage 3 26 3.4 CHARACTER BASED LEADERSHIP 27 3.5 A FEW POINTS OF WISDOM 27 3.6 CONCLUSION 29

4 PART 2: DIVERSITY (AND THE POWER OF WORKING TOGETHER TOWARDS A COMMON GOAL) 29

1.1 INTRODUCTION TO DIVERSITY 40 ACTIVITY 1: DEFINING DIVERSITY 40 ACTICITY 2: SELF-ASSESSMENT 40 ACTIVITY 3: STEREOTYPES 40 ACTIVITY 4: MIND MAPPING A DEFINITION OF DIVERSITY 40

5 SYNERGY THROUGH INTRA-PERSONAL MASTERY 40

2.1 UNDERSTANDING THE STRATIFICATION OF THE WORKFORCE 42 2.2 INDIVIDUAL VERSUS COLLECTIVE MINDSET 43 ACTIVITY: UNDERSTANDING THE INDIVIDUAL / COLLECTIVE MINDSET 45 2.3 THE STRATIFICATION MODEL 45 The Canonised Central System 45 The Primary Models 46



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The Secondary Models 46 Peripheral Followers 47 2.4 CONVERSION DYNAMICS 47 2.5 PRINCIPLES OF CODE SWITCHING 48 2.6 IN CONCLUSION 48

6 CULTURAL DIFFERENCES 49

ACTIVITY: INTER-CULTURAL DISCOURSE. 50 ACTIVITY FEEDBACK: 50 3.1 HARNESSING DIVERSITY 51 3.2 CONCLUSION 52

7 REFERENCES 53



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THE EFFECTIVENESS GROUP www.stefduplessis.com

Steve Simpson and Stef du Plessis work with organisations towards growing their people, developing their leaders, and helping them to create a culture-by-design, that will secure their future success while ensuring that theirs is a great company to work for. The Effective Leader programme, of which this module forms a part, has been designed to grow leaders at all levels towards becoming leaders of authentic influence, who inspire excellence in their people. ABOUT THE AUTHORS OF THIS MODULE

Callie Roos - www.onpurpose.com - is a motivational speaker, teambuilding and leadership training expert. Also an ordained minister, he holds a BA degree, BD degree and a Post Graduate Diploma from the University of Pretoria. He served as Senior Pastor until the late 90’s, when he started speaking, training and consulting full time. Callie often works with executive teams in a nature setting, helping them to align their personal purpose with that of their organisation. Steve Simpson – www.steve-simpson.com - is an international speaker, consultant and author based in Australia. He is the creator of the UGRs concept, and works with organisations globally, helping them improve their bottom line through UGRs. Steve has featured at two World Conferences on Customer Service Management; and has spoken at the Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals annual conference in New Orleans; the HDI Conference in Las Vegas and the European Conference on Customer Management in London. He has a Master’s Degree from the University of Alberta, is the author of two books and is a contributing author to a further two books. Stef du Plessis – www.stefduplessis.com - is perhaps South Africa’s top export commodity when it comes to people empowerment and workplace transformation. He has spoken on some of the world’s most prestigious platforms, has worked with dozens of high-performance executive teams. He



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frequently leads workplace transformation programmes for leading brands globally. Stef holds a Masters degree in Leadership – cum laude – from the University of Johannesburg. Published by: The Effectiveness Group SOUTH AFRICA +27 11 787-0829 NOTE: South African spelling conventions have been used throughout this workbook. Copyright © 2003 Callie Roos, Steve Simpson & Stef du Plessis All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including (but not limited to) photocopying, without permission in writing from the publisher.



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PART 1

Values

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1 MANAGING BY VALUES

We now know that organisational culture is the single most important factor when it comes to determining the success or failure of any organisation. The role of the CEO, supported by the management team, is to instil a culture conducive to the achievement of the organisation’s stated strategic objectives. Our environment is however never static: and, as it changes, so too will the organisation - and it’s objectives – change. As a result, organisational culture also needs to be re-aligned, or, occasionally, even changed. The role of the CEO, supported by the management team, is to instil a culture conducive to the achievement of the organisation’s stated strategic objectives. Our environment is however never static: and, as it changes, so too will the organisation - and it’s objectives – change. As a result, organisational culture also needs to be re-aligned, or, occasionally, even changed. However, changing corporate culture cannot be a random activity. Leaders must take a logical and systematic approach to change in order to achieve the desired results. Some organisations attempt to renew their organisation through restructuring efforts. Others try to renew themselves through intensive skills training programmes. But we now know that successful change initiatives start with a statement of shared values. This aligns the people with the organisational goals - the entire organisation starts to place purpose before action. Thereafter, effective organisations articulate well-developed strategies in pursuit of such purpose. Well-defined values and a clearly articulated strategy creates an environment conducive to the making of good decisions about structure, staff, systems, skill and style requirements and creates the foundation for a high purpose, high performance organisation. The first step towards changing corporate culture is to mobilise people behind shared values, strategy and structure. Without this, the only likely outcome will be frustration. The corporate culture of an organisation influences how things get done. Ideally we want to be sure that our values and operating principles translate correctly into the norms and behaviours of day-to-day life on the job.



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As part of the outcome of this module participants should demonstrate: • An understanding of the importance of a “management by values” process

for the organisation. • An awareness of the critical role that leaders play in this process. • An understanding of how to manage a diverse workforce. NOTES:



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2 CORPORATE GOVERNANCE DEFINED

Corporate governance involves the full set of relationships between a company’s management, its board, its shareholders and its stakeholders (such as its employees and the community in which it is located). Corporate governance also provides the structure through which the objectives of a company are set, and the means of attaining those objectives and monitoring performance. Corporate governance is only part of a larger economic context within which organisations operate, which includes their macroeconomic policies and the degree of competition they are willing to engage in. The corporate governance framework also depends on the legal, regulatory, and institutional environment. In addition, factors such as business ethics and corporate awareness of environmental and societal interests of the communities in which it operates can also have an impact on the reputation and the long-term success of a company. The quality of governance is directly linked to the macro policy framework. Governments therefore play a central role in shaping the legal, institutional and regulatory framework within which governance systems are developed. Poor governance can harm national economic performance and ultimately global financial stability. Distorted governance structures lead towards inefficient economic decision-making. There is no single model for good corporate governance. There are however some common elements that underpin good governance. These cover five main areas: • The rights of shareholders and the protection of these rights. • The equitable treatment of all categories of shareholders. • The role and responsibility of employees and other stakeholders, their rights

and the mechanisms that protect these rights. • Timely disclosure and transparency of corporate structures and operations. • The duties and responsibilities of the board towards the company,

shareholders and stakeholders.



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At the very heart of corporate governance lie four values: • Equitable treatment • Responsibility • Transparency • Accountability

These values also link corporate governance to other important elements of governance in a broader sense, namely: • The battle against bribery and corruption. • Corporate responsibility and ethics. • Public sector governance. • Regulatory reform. For the purposes of this module, the focus will be on the internal management processes dealing with the organisation as a community of people. In the end, it is the alignment of the strategic intent of the business processes with the behaviour, roles and attitude of people that will constitute success. What we are looking for is a sense of “True North”: a common orientation point, pulling everyone toward the same future. For this we need to understand the importance of values. As leaders, we need to learn how to manage values and how to deal with a diverse workforce. NOTES:



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3 BUSINESS ETHICS DEFINED

Why do we need ethics? • So that leaders will have a framework to guide their decisions and actions. • To enable us to set an example for others. All humans need to be able to distinguish clearly between that which is acceptable behaviour, and that which is unacceptable behaviour in both our work and personal lives. And we need to be very clear about what these parameters are because our decisions as leaders have an effect on our people and on the organisation: just like a stone that is thrown into a pond, there is always a ripple effect. No matter what the decision, no matter how big or how small it may seem to be, other people will always be affected by our choices. Staying with the analogy of the stone: when then, is a good time to think about the ripples that will become the effect of the stone once it hits the water? Before one throws it, or after it has already left one’s hand? The answer is obvious: before it is thrown… and it’s the same with ethics. We need to consider the ‘ripple effect’ that our actions will have before we decide how to proceed. It is a reality that, for the vast majority of people, there will always exist an ‘ethics gap’: that is to say, a gap between what we say we stand for, and how we actually behave. The key is to make this gap as small as possible and become aware of the moral spiral - where one issue leads to another, and where one bad decision leads to another bad decision. Ethics management is about managing these gaps, and it’s about making certain that the gap is as small as possible. Ethics could be defined as honesty in action. It has also been said that the definition of ethics is to pay the price of making a tough decision up front, with the reward of a good outcome at the end. Unethical decisions are often easier to make, but harder to live with in the long run. If we accept that ethical behaviour is the backbone of the organisation, it gives rise to an important question: Can one person ‘make’ another person become more ethical? The answer is a distinct “no”. Ethics come from the inside out, and not the outside in.



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Good leaders can however influence other people towards the choice of change. And we can give our people the capacity to change their own behaviour, and then guide them along the path of personal change. Business ethics is about equipping us to make split-second decisions on a day-to-day basis, which will produce equitable long-term outcomes. It’s about making decisions that we can account for, and that we can live by. It’s more than being able to merely distinguish between right and wrong: it’s about equipping us to make the right call during those “defining moments” when we have to decide between two rights; or worse, when we have to decide between the lesser of two wrongs For managers, ‘right versus right’, or ‘wrong versus wrong’ decisions are uniquely important choices. And not always easy to make. There are however two fundamental problems in relying on corporate credos and mission statements to resolve these unique conflicts. One is that these corporate statements are often too vague, and the other problem is that these initiatives focus overwhelmingly on problems of misconduct and wrongdoing, rather than on equipping the leader to make better pro-active decisions. Many programmes deal with outright ‘right-against-wrong’ conflicts, whilst in reality we are often – daily, in fact - faced with ‘right-versus-right’ dilemmas. And in most ‘right-versus-right’ situations, the morality of consequence clashes head-on with the morality of rights and duties. Perhaps one of the most momentous of these arose when President Harry S. Truman decided to wage a nuclear war on Japan, towards the end of WWII. In terms of consequences, the use of nuclear weapons may have ended the war more quickly, thereby saving the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans and Japanese who would have perished in a land invasion of Japan. At the same time, the bombs incinerated thousands of innocent people, and scarred others for life. The ethics of consequences seems to justify Truman’s decision. On the other hand, the violation of rights of the innocent condemns it. The fact is, one should not underestimate the effect of sound business ethics and the impact that this may have on the individual, and on the organisation as a whole. What is important however is to realise that sound business ethics, supported by a process to help manage shared values, will: • Instil confidence amongst your people. • Assist you in ‘walking the talk’. • Build consistency in the organisation. • Moderate competitive stress. • Help to build teams. • Help to empower others.



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• Promote value proximity - or bring closeness between the business leader and those under his or her command or influence.

• Boost profits.

“The leader for today and the future needs to be focused on how to ‘be’ – how to develop quality, character, mind-set, values, principles and courage.”

- Frances Hesselbein

NOTES:



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4 ORGANISATIONAL ALIGNMENT AND VALUE CENTRED LEADERSHIP

“Most ailing organisations have developed a functional blindness to their own defects; they are not suffering because they cannot resolve their problems, but because they cannot see their problems.”

- John Gardner

There is hope that the visionary leader (as opposed to the run-of-the-mill manager) can revitalise an organisation by giving people meaning, purpose, and a sense of higher value in their work. The leader articulates common purpose and exciting future possibilities by aligning the organisation’s members behind a shared dream or vision. Both professionally and in our private lives, many of us hunger for a purpose higher than career success and seek a noble vision to which we can subscribe. We wait for the emergence of charismatic figures who will lift us from our apathy. Therein lies our organisational salvation: because the concept of ‘organisational alignment’ expresses our desire for meaning and purpose, and it tells us how we can achieve them in our work context. We can learn volumes from the work of Kiefer and Senge (1982), who pioneered concepts and methods to help people in business create high performing teams. They say that an organisation’s members act as elements of an integrated whole, each finding the opportunity to express his or her true purpose through the organisation’s purpose. the individual expands his or her purpose to serve the organisation’s purpose. An organisation is aligned when all the members voluntarily act as an integrated part of the whole.



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In “Strategies for a New Age” Roger Harrison, a legendary figure in the field of Organisational Development, argues that its advocates see organisational alignment as different from the situation where an individual sacrifices his or her own identity to the organisation. Rather, it is preferable when the individual’s identity and sense of purpose includes the organisation and its purpose. Organisational Alignment, energised by visionary leadership, should involve the merging of each individual’s strength with those of the collective, while consenting to be directed by that leadership. In organisations that are motivated by a noble purpose, this may not feel like much of a sacrifice. It is a bit like being a member of a symphony orchestra. Instead of each individual playing at their own tempo, volume and style, the members ”form up” behind the conductor and submit to his interpretation of the music. In so doing, each member of the orchestra is able to be part of an over-riding achievement that none could aspire to individually.

4.1 THE KEY TO FINDING A SHARED MEANING WITHIN THE WORKPLACE

It is important to have a shared vision and shared values as a vehicle for shared meaning. The organisation needs a successful strategy, founded in these key precepts: • Every organisation has a destiny, a deep purpose that expresses the

organisation’s reason for existence. The organisation and its people should always be in a process of exploring the purpose of their shared existence. This is an ongoing and creative journey. To be genuinely shared, the vision and values of the organisation must emerge from as many people as possible, reflecting the organisation’s fabric.

• Many members of the organisation, especially those who care deeply for it,

have a collective sense of its underlying purpose. At the heart of building shared vision and values is the task of designing an evolving an ongoing process in which people at every level of the organisation, in every role, can speak from the heart about what really matters to them and be heard – by senior management as well as each other.

• The quality of such a process is determined through a participative, open and integrative approach. The content of true vision and values cannot be dictated. It can only emerge from a coherent approach of reflection and conversation.



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4.2 VALUES AND VISION INFORM STRATEGY AND STRUCTURE Truly great organisations establish purpose before action. Implanting a set of core values into the organisation helps both leadership and employees to measure their decisions against well-defined criteria. The values become benchmarks for assessing success and a guidepost in the decision-making process. Shared vision and values are essentially focused around building shared meaning. Shared meaning is a collective sense of what is important - and why it is important. The process is based on viewing the organisation as a set of overlapping communities formed around shared meaning. If we can begin to see our organisation as a community, leaders would treat their members as volunteers who have chosen to commit themselves to the enterprise. We would also realise that the ultimate bonding agent that binds people is not “what they get” from the organisation, but “what they can contribute” to the community. To support this creative process, people need to know that they have real freedom to say what they want about purpose, meaning and vision - with no limits, encumbrances, or reprisals. NOTES:



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5 MANAGING BY VALUES

5.1 WHY DO WE NEED SHARED VALUES?

Shared values are the foundation for building productive and genuine working relationships. While credible leaders honour the diversity of their many constituencies, they also stress their common values. Great leaders build upon agreement. Recognising that we hold shared values provides us with a common language with which we can collaborate. When individual, group, and organisational values are in sync, tremendous energy is generated. Shared values are the internal compass that enables people to act independently and interdependently. Employees are more loyal when they believe that their values and those of the organisation are aligned. They are more creative because they become immersed in what they are doing. The quality and accuracy of communication and the integrity of the decision-making process increase when people feel that they are a part of the same team. In modern-day business, for organisations to be successful, the following generic guidelines apply: a. Winning organisations apply generic and basic business strategies,

supported by a value-based organisational culture. b. Great leaders translate the business strategy and values into inspiring

performance targets. Their people are competent to achieve the set targets.

c. Wining organisations are directed by a value-system, initiated and driven by the CEO (and senior management) and which are amended and endorsed by the employees of the organisation in a top-down, bottom-up process.

d. Wining organisations apply a people strategy or philosophy, which ensures that their activities and competencies are aligned with their generic business strategies.



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e. Wining organisations select and develop leaders and supervisors in alignment with the needs of the value system and the individual needs.

f. Wining organisations pass the responsibility for development and career progression to the individuals, while providing access to, and facilities for, training. They see development as a way of providing business solutions rather than as learning to obtain qualifications.

g. Wining organisations are learning environments where the people development strategy is aligned to, and focused on, the competencies applicable to its values, processes, and products.

h. Wining organisations implement policy procedures and systems, which reward and recognise the achievement of people.

i. Winning organisations allow their stakeholders to be involved in the process of developing and implementing the business strategy.

NOTES:



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5.2 ASSESSMENT: HOW HEALTHY IS YOUR CULTURE? In “The relationship between organisational culture and financial performance - some SA evidence” by WZ van der Post, the following indicators were listed as being present in organisations where bottom-line results and operational success resulted from healthy organisational culture. How would you measure your own organisation against these criteria?

CRITERIA

GOOD

AVER

AGE

POOR

1. Conflict and criticism are openly aired and confronted.

2. Management takes deliberate action to shape workplace culture.

3. Views of customers are taken seriously and acted upon.

4. Employees are encouraged to be creative and innovative.

5. Employees participate in the decision-making process.

6. The organisation creates and communicates clear objectives and performance expectations.

7. Members are encouraged to identify with the organisation, to extend business friendships away from work and to become emotionally involved in the organisation.

8. Authority and responsibility is dispersed throughout the organisation and members are empowered to make appropriated decisions.

9. Senior members provide clear communication, assistance and support to those who report to them.



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10. Clear focus on those activities that are fundamental to the organisation.

11. Sub-units are actively encouraged to operate in a co-ordinated way, to co-operate and support each other across workgroup boundaries.

12. There is a high emphasis on individual accountability for clearly defined results as well as demanding performance levels.

13. Members are rewarded on the basis of performance, and leaders positively reinforce behaviour that supports the organisation’s objectives.

14. Members experience a loose and informal atmosphere that is “unregulated by rules and procedures”, thus allowing them to be creative and innovative in doing their job.

15. Members are viewed and treated as a valued resource and as important contributors to success.



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5.3 THE MANAGEMENT BY VALUE PROCESS Applied in conjunction with our own Unwritten Ground Rules concept (UGRs), Ken Blanchard & Michael O’Connor‘s “Managing by Values” book lays out a realistic step-by-step plan that is a very effective model for organisational value alignment. (More on UGRs in the upcoming chapters of this workbook). Here follows an overview of the Blanchard & O’Connor model: Environmental Scan Phase 1: Confirm Company Profile • Vision • Mission • Value system • Roles and tasks • Strategic objectives Phase 2: Clarify Value System • Philosophy • Human • Technical • Developmental • Principles • Approach • Organisational Culture Defined Phase 3: Define Value System • Analyse current (as-is) and future (to-be) situation • Performance feedback • Interviews • Quantitative assessment • Focus groups • Integrate data into management information • Report on status of values / code of conduct • Redefine, re-align or confirm values / code of conduct



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Phase 4: Implementation of Value System • Communication • Formal • Informal • Education, training and development • Leadership & management practices • Capability process • Commitment process • Contribution process • Continuity process • Collaboration process • Conscious process Phase 5: Aligning of values with daily practices • Personal (self) practices • Relationship (team) practices • Professional (organisational) practices • Major drivers and barriers Phase 6: Continuous Improvement • Review • Re-evaluation • Ongoing action The Management by Value Process is about finding common ground. By incorporating diversity of people and skill into the organisation, one is able to bring everybody together to create a sense of wholeness. It is a process wherein all parties must participate. The process itself is as important as the product. It is values that align people and get them committed to working for common goals.

In an organisation that truly manages by its values, there is only one boss: the company’s values.



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5.3.1 A Note on the ‘Philosophy’ of the Value System The desired end product of your organisation must allow for it to be driven by vision, mission and critical success factors. To become a value-driven, cost-effective system, the organisation acquires the ability to adapt to constant environmental change. It’s important also that the philosophy must allow for a holistic approach, integrating the human, technical and developmental dimensions of the organisation, as depicted in the diagram below: This approach should form the basis of the implementation of organisational culture at systems and sub-systems levels in the organisation.



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5.3.2 Leadership and Management Practices Leaders are deemed fundamental to the creation, development and maintenance of a sound and healthy culture and organisational climate. They are the custodians and behavioural role models of honour, integrity and moral courage. They are the champions of transformational change, as dictated by the internal and external environments of the organisation. Leaders play a key role in ensuring that the shared beliefs and values permeate throughout the organisation, by the manner in which they show commitment to task education, interact and show concern for others, and articulate and live the core values of the organisation. Top management makes the commitment to lead the organisation with character. In merging the core processes of the business with the organisation as a community / family of people, it is suggested that the following processes be followed to support the implementation strategy:

I. The Capability Process: People in the organisation are capable, have the skills, knowledge and personal qualities to renew themselves and to reinvent the future. Leaders have a high level of faith in the ability of their subordinates and encourage learning and improvement.

II. The Commitment Process: Members of the organisation play an

active role in the experience of creating something they commonly value. They use common language, symbols and metaphors that evoke positive emotions. Top management make a visible commitment, evoking a mutual commitment and contribution from its members.

III. The Contribution Process: Members are clearly able to see how their

daily work makes a real contribution to the organisation’s successes. Provision is made to use the full diversity of members’ talents and their contributions to the organisation’s existence.

IV. The Continuity Process: Survival implies the recognition and use of

the expertise in the organisation. Building such a resource requires for innovation in personnel practice, performance standards and pay systems.

V. The Collaboration Process: Members of the organisation move in the

direction of a clear, shared vision and overall common strategy. Reliable interdependencies are built through the free flow of information, establishing personal relationships and mutual trust.



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VI. The Conscience process: People accept responsibility for the organisation by invoking principles, ethics and values. There is a willingness to reposition the organisation into the larger community / family.

5.3.3 Aligning Values with Daily Practices Alignment is the heart and soul of the Managing by Values journey. Once you’ve clarified your mission and values and communicated them to all your key stakeholders, then is time to focus on organisational practices and behaviour to ensure they’re consistent with your stated intentions, priorities, and related performance goals. Opportunities for continuous feedback need to be provided. a. Personal (Self) Practices • Self-management and development. • Problem solving and decision-making. • Personal leadership practices. b. Relationship (Team) Practices • Effective team-member practices. • Group dynamics and processes. • Stages of building high-performance teams. • Team/group facilitation. c. Professional (Organisational) Practices • Strategic management and development. • Organisational systems and processes. • Resource-barriers management. • Rewards and recognition practices. d. In the process of aligning your values with daily practices the following

considerations will apply: • Focus on the behaviour, role, attitude and not the person. • Problems and conflicts are to be handled through process. • People need to take continuous performance input. • People need to have personal developmental goals that will also fulfil the

organisational goals.



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5.4 AN ONGOING PROCESS The Management by Value Process is an ongoing journey. The alignment process around shared values is like a magnet. The shared values are like energy that draws people together. To manage by values becomes a ‘way of life’. Yet people will experience the process differently. In research done by Blanchard and O’Connor the following sequence of reactions was experienced by the people during different phases: Stage 1 • The common view is that it is a good thing to do. The following general

assumptions are made: − Enthusiasts – it is easy to do. − Resistors – it is difficult to do. − Fence sitters – uncommitted observers.

• The common feeling is that the Management by Value Process is more for others than for ‘me’.

Stage 2 • People start to realise that the Management by Value Process will be a long

and perhaps ongoing process. • People will start recognise that each person, including ‘me’, will have his/her

own part to play in the process. Stage 3 • People will realise that the Management by Value Process requires an

ongoing collaborative effort, by everybody at all levels and in all areas. • Collective resolve to implement the process continually throughout the

organisation for the long term.



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5.5 WHAT IS REQUIRED OF LEADERS DURING THE PROCESS? Leaders need to navigate the white waters of their environment. For this they need internal guidance. They need to discover three essentials aspects of their self:

a. A personal credo – personal values – to do the right thing! b. Competencies – capabilities – the skill to turn words into action! c. Confidence – your trust in your abilities – the will to make use of your

skills! Through history leaders gained credibility for two reasons:

a. Admiration for what they stand for. b. Respect for what they believed in.

Values serve a number of important functions:

a. Values are standards that guide our conduct. b. Values enable us to know what to do and what not to do. c. When values are clear we do not need to rely upon direction from

someone in a position of authority. d. Values are empowering – people are more in control of their own lives. e. Values serve as plans for resolving conflicts and making decisions. f. Values help to define priorities. g. Values serve a motivational function – they keep us focused on why we

are doing what we are doing. h. Values are beliefs about what means and ends are desirable.

The lesson for leaders is clear – to create high morality in your organisation, it is important to hold the right values.

5.5.1 Guidelines for leaders • The standard of our leadership depends not only on the qualities and beliefs

of our leaders but also the expectations we have of them. • The standard of our leadership demands a single standard of conduct in both

public and private life – if this is not so leaders will lose the respect of their people.

• The standard of our leadership requires that we strive for an ideal. We all have

the potential to achieve excellence – we can all think of ourselves as gifted.



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• The standard of leadership requires that we do everything a little better tomorrow than it was done today, every day. By evaluating our everyday actions we develop the skill to exercise moral judgement on the bigger issues.

• The standard of our leadership asks that we associate with colleagues and

friends who share our commitment. • The standard of leadership requires we share information with the people we

trust. How can leaders ask for the trust of the people they lead if they are not prepared to share information?

• The standard of leadership asks courage in every step to a higher standard of

leadership – courage to commit to absolute values and to the universal code of conduct to treat others as ourselves.

• The standard of leadership requires that when you stand up for what you

believe is right, you must have the courage to acknowledge your actions and face the consequences.

• In the standard of leadership the highest level of motivation occurs when all

employees are driven by a sense of personal responsibility to do their work to the best of their ability.

• The standard of leadership asks for everyone in the organisation, irrespective

of position, to commit one personal act of service every day. • The standard for leadership requires respect for the individual. This means

that every individual wants to do good work and to contribute to the success of the organisation.

• In the standard of leadership each one of us sets an example for someone

else, and each one of us has a responsibility to shape the future as we wish it to be.

• In the standard of leadership your life is your message. Leadership by

example in not only the most pervasive but also the most enduring form of leadership.



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5.6 CONCLUSION Organisational culture should become part of normal day-to-day management of our business. Those who do not live the organisational culture, as described in the desired behaviour and codes, will eventually leave the organisation. Top management / leadership will have to make a personal and visible commitment. Line managers will be held responsible for the desired end product. The Management by Value Process is no quick fix – it is a long-term, ongoing process. NOTES:



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6 THE POWER OF WORKPLACE CULTURE

Kotter and Heskett - both Harvard Business School Professors - conducted an attention grabbing audit on the role of culture in organisations. They published a landmark book on their findings in 1992 entitled “corporate culture and performance”. The book discusses their disccovery of evidence of an irrefutable truth – that workplace culture drives performance. In what had previously been based on intuitive logic, the research underpinning this book provided evidence that corporate cultures impact on an organisation’s long-term economic performance. Organisations with strong workplace cultures increased revenues by almost five times more than that of organisations with poor cultures. In addition, organisations with positive cultures significantly outperformed other organisations on measures including workforce growth, stock prices, and net incomes. The book was not only a landmark because of the empirical evidence it provided. The text proved to be a significant catalyst in terms of getting leaders, perhaps for the first time, to seriously consider their own organisation’s culture. Because of this groundbreaking work, more and more leadership teams consider workplace culture to be an important issue in the strategic management of their enterprise. Our own research for example, has revealed around 80% of senior leadership teams have a moderate or higher commitment to creating a positive, productive culture. It’s fair to say therefore, that over the past 20 years there has been considerable growth in the awareness of workplace culture as an important foundation stone for organisational success. Awareness alone will however not bring about any shift towards the creation of a more effective workplace culture. Leaders also need the knowledge, skills and tools with which to facilitate culture-change. And our research also shows that these components are in short supply. The truth is that, whilst most leaders now



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understand that culture is important, few understand the concept in any meaningful, practical sense. And most do not know how to manage it. And so, well intended as they may be, the efforts of most leaders to improve workplace culture have in most cases resulted in one of two courses of action. • In some organisations, attempts are made to improve the culture with

limited success, resulting in increased levels of cynicism at both staff and management levels.

• In other organisations, given the lack of know-how and appropriate resources, no meaningful attempts are made to improve the culture, resulting in a workplace culture that functions through “chance” or luck”, rather than creating a culture that is driven by intent.

The bottom line is that organisational success, or failure, is driven by its workplace culture. Therefore, leaders at all levels should create a culture-buy-design that is aligned with the strategic intent of the organisation, and which create an environment within which people can achieve their targets and execute their strategic objectives. How? By understanding, and then improving, their Unwritten Ground Rules, or UGRs. NOTES:



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7 A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO UNWRITTEN GROUND RULES

“Unwritten Ground Rules, or ‘UGRs’, are people’s perceptions of ‘this is the way we do things around here’. They drive people’s behaviour, yet they are rarely talked about openly.”

- Steve Simpson: Creator of the UGRs concept

7.1 SOME EXAMPLES OF UGRs • At our meetings it isn’t worth complaining because nothing will get done • The only time anyone gets spoken to by the boss is when something is

wrong • The company talks about the importance of safety, but we know they don’t

really mean it, so we don’t really have to worry about it • Our funniest jokes usually involve making jokes about our work colleagues • We go through the motions with our bosses, once they’ve gone we do

what we want

7.2 UGRs CAN BE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE UGRs can be positive or negative (or even neutral, meaning that they do not have an immediate positive or negative influence). Positive UGRs underpin teams that are upbeat, dynamic and productive. Conversely, if a team is not functioning well and there is a great deal of internal conflict, there is no doubt that negative UGRs will be in place. In any team there will inevitably be a mix of positive and negative UGRs. In some teams there will be more positive than negative UGRs. In other teams there will be more negative UGRs. How are UGRS created?



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7.3 UGRs ARE CREATED IN A NUMBER OF WAYS

7.3.1 People watch what gets noticed For example, if someone gets into trouble for speaking up, then a UGR might be: ‘Around here, you’re better off not to speak up, even when you’re asked’. Conversely, if bosses say that safety is vitally important, and someone gets into trouble for not conforming to safety procedures, then a UGR might be ‘Around here, we’re serious about safety’. At the same token, if bosses say that customer service is key to our success, and they show that they are serious about this value, then the UGR would become: ‘Around here, our customers come first’.

7.3.2 People watch what doesn’t get noticed For example, if someone speaks badly of a boss, and nobody suggests they shouldn’t talk that way, then a UGR might be ‘Around here, it’s fine to criticise bosses’. Similarly, if a person goes out of their way to help a colleague and no one recognises that extra effort, then a UGR might be ‘Around here, it’s not worth your while to help others out’.

7.3.3 People watch for any differences in terms of what people say and what they do.

For example, if a manager says ‘In this organisation, we care for our people’, and soon after that same person treats a person without respect, then a UGR might be ‘Around here, the bosses say one thing and mean another’.

7.4 THE EFFECT OF UGRs ON PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE ORGANISATION

It’s really interesting to note that our behaviour is very heavily influenced by UGRs. For example, if you speak out at a meeting when there is a commonly held UGR that says ‘Around here, it’s best to say nothing at meetings’, then you will get a very interesting reaction from others at the meeting! Eyebrows might rise, smirks might appear on faces, and some people might even elbow the person sitting next to them! You quickly find out that this is NOT the thing to do at meetings!



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If you continue to defy the prevailing UGRs, then there is a strong possibility you will be alienating yourself from others. It won’t take long for you will be regarded as an ‘outsider’. Bear in mind though that UGRs can act just as powerfully in positive ways. For example, there may be a UGR that says ‘Around here, when people are under pressure, we all pitch in to help’. Again, if you do not act in accordance with this UGR, you risk being alienated from others – and so everyone pitches in. Part of being human is that we are all influenced by others. At first, our parents, grandparents and other important adults influence us. Then teachers have a big part to play. By the time we are teenagers, the issue of influence becomes very complex through peer pressure!

7.5 AN IMPORTANT QUESTION: ‘WHO MOST INFLUENCES US IN THE WORK CONTEXT?’

At first glance, it makes sense to propose that the people with the greatest influence over us will have the greatest amount of experience. If people have had more experience than us, then it is logical to conclude that they would know more than us and we would be most open to be influenced by them. But this proposition has two logical flaws – which relate to the amount of time we spend with people and the extent to which we feel a personal connection with people. So, while we might respect the knowledge and experience of senior leaders, we might not spend much time with these people, so their influence is diminished. And even if we do spend time with some senior leaders, we might not feel we personally connect with these people, so again, their influence is diminished. This means that those with greatest influence over us are people we spend time with and who we feel we ‘connect with’ most. If we’re spending time with people and we ‘connect’ with them, then we respect their opinions and allow ourselves to be influenced by them. If these same people have negative views about things (i.e. negative UGRs) then it’s likely we’ll follow suit, because we don’t want to alienate ourselves from these people. Another part of being human is that we all want to feel accepted by the people whom we respect, so if they ‘live’ negative UGRs, then it’s likely we’ll follow suit. Similarly, if they ‘live’ positive UGRs, we will most likely do the same.



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7.6 PERSONAL BIAS AND UGRs All of us see things realistically, but the key is how we interpret things we see and hear! Because we are individuals with different life experiences, we have different biases. This is easy to prove. If two people watch a political speech on television, one person can walk out of the room saying that was the best political speech they have ever seen. The other can walk out of the room saying that was the worst political speech they have ever seen. These people have observed the same thing but have interpreted it differently.

7.6.1 How personal bias affects UGRs Personal bias affects us before, during and after events. For example, if you were told you were to go to a training day, you have pre-existing views about ‘training’ which will influence:

• Your thoughts and behaviour before the day: If you regard training as a waste of time, you might complain to others about the session you have to attend. If you regard training positively, then what you say to others about the upcoming day will be positive.

• How you will behave during the training session: If you have negative views about training, then on the day you may well be looking at your watch, and your thoughts would likely be on matters other than the training!

• What you say and do after the training: If you have negative views about training, then even if the training session was a good one, you would likely say to others that this was a ‘once off’ occasion where the session wasn’t too bad! In other words, you retain your view about training being a waste of time by explaining to others that this was not typical of training!

So what has this got to do with UGRs? A key point here is that as we see events unfold in the workplace our interpretation can influence our perceptions of the UGRs. For example, if we believe a UGR which says ‘Around here, bosses don’t care about us’, then it almost doesn’t matter what a boss says – in fact, we might become even more cynical if a boss says ‘I’d really like to hear your views on this’. Your behaviour would be totally different if your UGR was ‘Around here, bosses are doing their best to improve things for us’.



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7.7 HOW CAN WE USE UGRs IN THE WORKPLACE? Once people become aware of the concept of UGRs, the start to see things differently! They will notice UGRs exist in the workplace and they will also notice how people conform to UGRs – both positive UGRs as well as negative UGRs. In fact, if ever you want to se the power of UGRs at play, all you have to do is observe people at work for a little while (or in any other setting, for that matter) – watch how UGRs impact on people and how they drive people’s behaviour (including your own!) After you’ve observed UGRs in the workplace, there is a very important issue you need to consider. If you are ‘living’ negative UGRs (and most of us are, to some extent at least!), you might want to reconsider whether it is worthwhile continuing to act this way. Sometimes, people hold-on to negative UGRs that were created a long time ago. While people may come and go, it’s interesting to note that sometimes the negative UGRs remain! So if you are holding on to negative UGRs from the distant past, maybe it is time to let go, and take a fresh and more positive approach. Maybe you need to question yourself about whether it is worth holding on to any of your current negative UGRs. Another thing you can do is to question yourself about your interpretation of events. Would you classify yourself as a person who sees things mostly though a positive lens, or as a cynic who views the world through a negative lens? Do you think you need to reconsider how you interpret events – starting with those events that play out in the workplace? You can do this by asking yourself ‘What’s my starting position in this context?’ For example, at a meeting, ask yourself ‘What is my frame of mind as I go into this meeting? Is it primarily positive or negative?’ Maybe you could try using a different lens. You can also start to question the views of others. Sometimes negative UGRs are blindly adhered to, almost without question. Maybe you can offer an alternative point of view if discussion centres on blindly accepting negative UGRs. And finally - you can try to ‘live’ positive UGRs. There will always be room for people to find negativity in any situation. If we dwell on those negatives, then there’s a good chance those negatives will be realised. Also, by dwelling on negatives, people tend to give up hope, which is a sad state for anyone.



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Your opportunity as a leader lies in identifying positive UGRs which you can live by, and then influence others to do the same. Remember – if you do nothing, then nothing changes. You can and do influence others, so you can make the choice for your influence to be positive. NOTES:



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Envision - Clarify the Key Cultural Attributes (KCAs) necessary for the organisation’s future success (or alternatively, reaffirm the organisation’s Value Statements) Assess - Evaluate the current culture in terms of the KCAs (or existing Value Statements), and implement improvements based on that evaluation Teach - Familiarise as many people as possible, and especially leaders, with the UGRs concept Involve - Involve people in creating and prioritising aspirational positive UGRs - linked to the KCAs or Value Statements - by which they would like to characterise the organisation into the future Embed - Identify and implement strategies to embed the aspirational positive UGRs



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PART 2

Diversity

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8 DIVERSITY, AND THE POWER OF WORKING TOGETHER TOWARDS A COMMON GOAL

8.1 INTRODUCTION TO DIVERSITY

Diversity is a natural part of the organisational fabric, and brings richness to it. Without diversity, nothing will ever get done. No discoveries made, and inventions produced. On top of which life will be boring. Nature is diverse, and there is a critical balance that requires an understanding of how the whole consists of pieces. It is necessary for the leader to understand diversity, and to recognise the uniqueness that each person brings to the organisation in order to help people to work together more effectively towards high performance participation. ACTIVITIES: Refer to the following group exercises attached as an annexure to this workbook: EXERCISE 1: EXPLORING OUR DIVERSITY EXERCISE 2: SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 3: STEREOTYPES EXERCISE 4: DEFINING DIVERSITY

8.2 SYNERGY THROUGH INTRA-PERSONAL MASTERY According to Peter Senge, intra-personal mastery is the backbone of diversity, and is rooted in the following two concepts: • Surface level occurrence • Deep structure level foundation



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“Intra-personal mastery embraces the inter-dependent orientation, but in order to be masterful in the outside world, it is necessary to start the practice of mastery deep within oneself.”

- Peter Senge

How you ‘occur’, or rather, how you function on a ‘surface level’ is basically the manifestation of what you really are at a ‘deep structure level’. This leads to the notion that the authentic person will present themselves at a surface level on a day to day basis in harmony with who they are deep down, at the deep structure level. We already know that each of us is uniquely different – you have a unique deep level foundation and you manifest this in a unique way on the surface level. But other people only ever get to experience who you are at the surface level, which is where we operate and interact on a day-to-day basis. It is here, at this level, that we experience our diversity. When we fail to accommodate the uniqueness and the rich diversity of those with whom we come into contact it will lead to unnecessary conflict and needless battles that will surely make our lives miserable, while undermining organisational effectiveness at the same time. Dr Bernaas Swanepoel explains the ability to embrace diversity as the “ukubona experience” (our ability to ‘see’, and the ability to learn and to unlearn). Ultimately, we should strive to understand diversity at the deep level structure, consisting of two very important dimensions:

8.2.1 The primary or inborn dimension: • Age • Race • Ethnicity • Gender • Basic physical ability

8.2.2 The secondary or acquired dimension:



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• Education – formal and informal and experience (your history) – private and public.

• Wealth – income and economic conditions in which you grew up, current status.

• Marital status – single, married, widowed, divorced. • Religion – faith and moral values. • Geographic location – where were you raised, community (rural or urban)

setting. • Family – parental status, children, relatives etc. In summary then, diversity spans both the “Deep Level Structure” (the “micro-chip” of who we really are) and the “Surface Level”, which is the interface where we get to demonstrate to the world our skills, character and competence.

8.2.3 What is the implication of this? We are similar in the sense that we all have the ability to ‘see’ together. Yet each one of us has abilities, which are different and unique because of all the internal and external influences in our lives. The moment we realise this, we become more self-aware, and develop improved personal insight. This is when we reach the stage of breaking through our horizons of expectations and begin to value the dynamics of diversity in life and in nature.

8.3 UNDERSTANDING THE STRATIFICATION OF THE WORKFORCE

Most of us spend up to eight hours at work every day. We do this because of many reasons – primarily to earn a living. For most of the time the workplace is a Surface Level experience. In other words, it is a place where you can practice and live your personal mastery… and where you get to experience other people at their surface level. The workplace, like society, is a structured environment, one that allows people to work together towards a common goal. The workforce is naturally organised in different “stratas” or levels. This has nothing to do with job grading, rank or seniority – but has to do with the dynamic that comes to play when different people, who are each part of different cultural, ethnic and informal groups, find themselves in an environment together with people from other cultures and groups.



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These levels are not strict, but, in general, one can easily identify the stratas once you know what to look for – and this insight will also give you a better understanding of which strata you fit in, in relation to other stratas. NOTES:



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8.4 THE STRATA OF THE INDIVIDUAL MINDSET VERSUS THAT OF THE COLLECTIVE MINDSET

One of the major differences at the surface level exists within people’s mindset. Some people interact from a strong individual mindset orientation while others rely more on their strengths from a collective point of view.

8.4.1 Individual Mindset Generally speaking, this is the “Western” mindset, and is identified by: • Competitive spirit. • Internal locus of control. • Desire to win, even at the expense of others. • Willingness to compete. • Personal decisiveness – you make your own decisions (even when these

are in opposition to the norm). • Your ‘stuff’ belongs to you, and is for your personal use. Others have their

own ‘stuff’. • Homes with walls and fences, to protect your turf – often we don’t even

know our neighbours.

8.4.2 Collective Mindset Generally speaking, the “tribal” mindset, identified by: • External locus of control. • Respect for elders and their council. • Focus on the group – community before self. • A sense of sharing. • Collective decision making, generally only after discussion and debate. • Village, fenced off to protect the tribe from predators – but within the

enclosure, everyone shares what they have. ACTIVITY: Refer to “EXERCISE 5: UNDERSTANDING THE INDIVIDUAL / COLLECTIVE MINDSET”, attached as an annexure to this workbook.



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8.5 THE STRATIFICATION MODEL

8.5.1 The Canonised Central System

These are the people who predominantly make up the individual consciousness. Typically, this is the Western-style leader.

• They are the symphony conductor or choir masters – they control the

performance. • They are the dominant taskmasters. • They mark the territory, make the rules and set the pace. • Individual consciousness oriented. • Strong personal and positional powers. • Affluence driven. • Wealth creators.



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• Success is predominant. • Often emotionally intelligent. • Independent / interdependent. • They can easily be isolated. • They have difficulty communicating / making contact with those at the

peripheral zone.

8.5.2 The Primary Models

These are the matured secondary models, who are about to penetrate the canonised central system.

• They are on the verge of penetrating the central system. • Full of energy and new ideas. • Can be real paradigm shifters. • Innovative risk takers. • Busy developing a strong individual consciousness orientation. • Age is not a factor. • Can sometimes be over-eager – they can get lost. • Need coaching and mentoring. • Performance and affluence driven.

8.5.3 The Secondary Models

These are the people who are leaving behind the tribal village, in their pursuit of personal success.

• They are maturing – have moved out of the central system, or • They have never been in the central system. • May have high levels of experience and wisdom. • May be near retirement. • Still want to fulfil a worthwhile role. • Cannot easily function in a collective mindset environment. • Insecurity can lead to many negative actions.



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8.5.4 Peripheral Followers This is the tribe… • Has nothing to do with colour or race. • Biggest group in any team / organisation / society. • Often driven by poverty. • Sense of sharing has been strongly developed – they stand together. • The group comes first – individual is second. • Collective conscious orientation. • Dependency syndrome. • External locus of control. • Can easily be influenced – positive or negative. • Strong, even harsh internal disciplinary code.

8.6 CONVERSION DYNAMICS

The contact between the different levels is based on the dynamics of conversion – the ability to switch effectively from one zone to another in order to affect proper understanding.

-Dr Bernaas Swanepoel

Confusion, mistrust and conflict, most of the time, originates from the fact that contact between the different levels is not correctly understood. You must therefore be able to code-switch from one level to the other. This can become a nightmare - most of the time you need to focus on dealing with obvious differences such as language, education and culture, with the result that it is not easy to also take cognisance of the less obvious dynamics brought about by the interaction between the different strata.



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Tips for effective code-switching: • Sensitivity towards the other person. • Be a good listener and observer. • Show empathy / understanding. • Have knowledge and understanding of the codes (verbal and non-verbal.) • Practise the “in their shoes” principle. Dr Swanepoel provides the following insights: • There is a constant flow of energy between the different strata – either

positive or negative. • In theory, everybody wants to be as near as possible to the central canonised

system because it seems as if everybody there has money and are perceived to have a “better” life.

• The solution to the refraction or breakdown in communication between the strata lies in developing an understanding of diversity and inter-dependency – and how this drives healthy relationships.

• In order to function effectively, everybody needs to be relatively happy – the different stratum must each be healthy, satisfied and strong.

• Strong leadership, with the focus on co-producing, is essential.

8.7 CONCLUSION Intra-personal mastery is very important: and forming, developing and understanding your own uniqueness is the starting point. If you understand how you see yourself, understand the power of diversity, and understand the dynamics between the individual and communal mindsets, you will be able to shift from one orientation to the other with greater ease. You should continuously assess your own intra-personal mastery by looking at your own ability to: • To ‘see’ for yourself (thus becoming a good role model and becoming

trustworthy). • To ‘see’ together with others (to feel, mentor and build relations). • To let others ‘see’ (through listening, teaching, coaching, and by empowering

others).



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9 CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

We are separated more by our ignorance, than by our differences.

- Unknown

One of the most underestimated, neglected and misunderstood aspects of human interaction is without doubt the cultural differences that we experience during “surface level” interaction. This can range from friction in the workplace, to ethnic cleansing. Worldwide, throughout history, cultural differences (fuelled by ignorance) have been a painful issue. • Slavery • Colonialism • The Holocaust • Apartheid • The many religiously inspired wars and conflicts around the globe… such as

in Ireland and many other countries. • Ethnic cleansing, which continues to this very day, like in Burundi and

Czechoslovakia. • 9/11 (The September 11 attacks on the Twin Towers). • Sadam Husein’s regime, and his fall at the hand of the USA and it’s allies…

and the resulting conflict in the region. • The ongoing crisis between Israel and the Palestinians. • The civil wars, oppressions and uprisings in Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Syria.

I feel my heart break to see a nation ripped apart by its own greatest strength – its diversity.

- Melissa Etheridge

The fact is that as a species, we need to seek a solution. We must learn from the past in order not to repeat it. The intolerance that we show on the surface



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generally stems from ignorance and misunderstanding. It also leads to feelings of superiority versus inferiority – in other words an attitude of “our way is better than yours!” This transfers to the workplace – even if more subtly so than in the mainstream of our daily hustle and bustle. And it costs us dearly. How do we counteract this? By broadening our knowledge, by raising our awareness, and by heightening our levels of tolerance. We can do this by reading or through first hand experience. The latter seems to be very effective because it offers personal experience – it closes the gap between people. People who don’t know each other have a tendency to clash. All we need to do is ask, and listen. ACTIVITY: Refer to “EXERCISE 6: INTER-CULTURAL DISCOURSE”, attached as an annexure to this workbook. NOTES:



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9.1 HARNESSING DIVERSITY To a large extent the success achieved at work will depend on how we harness the diversity in the workforce. The focus should be on our ability to see each other without prejudice - a willingness to first understand – and then to be understood. We must encourage open and free dialogue about both our similarities and our differences. Similarities promote affinity. Differences are a potential source of richness – but also conflict. We must therefore try to follow a holistic approach – focusing on one feature alone constrains the process of understanding and inhibits our ability to work together. Based on the concept of the emotional bank account that exists in relationships, where we make deposits through supportive and positive behaviour, and withdrawals through intolerant, negative behaviour, consider the following… What depositing are you making in the emotional bank accounts of your people in the workplace?

What withdrawals have you recently been making?



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9.2 CONCLUSION Any organisational ‘vision’ that is worth having will be a synthesis of strategic intent and cultural values. Corporate values are largely a waste of time unless they are anchored in the underlying support of all concerned.

“Only when the pieces of a chain are linked, can they make a noise.”

- African Wisdom



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10 REFERENCES Morden, A.R. Principles of Management. McGraw-Hill. London. 1996 Amstrong, M. How to be an even better manager. Kogan Page. London 1990. Bennis, W and Nanus, B. Leaders: The strategies for taking charge. Harper & Row. New York. 1985 Cole, G.A. Management: Theory and Practice. DP Publications. London, 1996. Hamel, G. and Prahalad, C.K. Competing for the future. Harvard. Boston. MA. 1994. Hickman, C.R. Mind of a manager. Soul of a leader. Wiley. New York. 1992. Maxwell, J.C. Developing the leader within you. Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville. 1993. Maxwell, J.C. Developing the leaders around you. Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville. 1995. Maxwell, J.C. The 21 Irrefutable laws of leadership. Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville. 1998. Murphy, E.C. Leadership IQ. Wiley. New York. 1996 Ouchi, W. Theory Z. Addison-Wesley Reading. MA 1981. Peters, T. and Austin, N.A. Passion for Excellence. Fontana. London. 1986. Prahalad, C.K and Hamel, G. The core competencies of the corporation. Harvard Business Review. May-June. 1990. Swanepoel, B. The Stratification Model. Potchefstroom. 1998.



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PART 3

Activities



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11 ACTIVITY 1: EXPLORING OUR DIVERSITY Working in pairs, conduct an interview with a colleague, using the questionnaire as a guideline. During the feedback session, each of you will introduce the other to the larger group, based on what you have learnt of one-another during the interview. It is important that you make notes while you are busy with the interview so that you can give effective feedback during your introduction. Name / surname / nickname / praise name / clan or tribe:

Family background: parents / siblings / extended family:

Background information - upbringing and education:



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Career / working life information:

What is important to you in life?

What is your best characteristic?

What are your aspirations?



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FEEDBACK - Summary for inter-group introduction:



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12 ACTIVITY 2: SELF-ASSESSMENT After completing the interview, complete the following self-assessment… Similarities between you and the person you interviewed:

Differences – list the most obvious differences between you and your interview partner:

Your individual uniqueness is registered in your personal “micro chip”, which feeds from four separate sources within you. Take a moment to consider each of these: Physical development: There are many physical similarities and differences between you and your interview partner - name a few…



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Mental development: List some of the similarities and differences between you and your interview partner:

Social development: List some of the similarities and differences between you and your interview partner:

Spiritual development: List some of the similarities and differences between you and your interview partner:



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13 ACTIVITY 3: STEREOTYPES List some positive aspects of the cultural group to which you belong?

What stereotypes do others have of your culture?

In what ways are you personally affected by these stereotypes?

If you had the power to change how others perceive your cultural group, what would you change?



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Within your work context, what stereotypes have you seen or heard expressed regarding workgroups or even professions?

In what way does this stereotyping affect your organisation?

Learning point: Every one of us is a unique human being! Our “ukubona” (ability to see) experience is different because of various internal and external influences. Yet, according to Covey, we share the following needs: the need to live, to love, to learn and to leave a legacy.



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14 ACTIVITY 4: DEFINING DIVERSITY Working in groups, develop a mind map for diversity: Write a definition statement for diversity:

DIVERSITY



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15 ACTIVITY 5: UNDERSTANING THE INDIVIDUAL / COLLECTIVE MINDSET

In groups, discuss each of the following: Describe how people who subscribe to the ‘individual mindset’ behave in the workplace, with specific reference to how they interact with other people/ groups:

Now do the same with reference to those people who subscribe to the ‘collective mindset’ or c’ collective consciousness’:



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Obstacles and difficulties when people from the two different mindsets interact… On communication:

The principles of sharing:

On leadership:

On taking responsibility:



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On problem solving:

On affluence and poverty:



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16 ACTIVITY 6: INTER-CULTURAL DISCOURSE (IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONTEXT)

We have already learnt that knowledge, awareness and understanding of each other’s way of thinking and getting things done helps us to place things in the right perspective. Let’s share our thinking on the following… Discuss the meaning of the following words in your group:

Lekgoa

Umlungu

Boer

Afrikaner

Kaffir

Christian

Jew

Muslim

Hindu

Buddhist

African

Rooinek

Apartheid

Bojelothoko

Ubuntu / botho

Medemenslikheid

Rainbow Nation



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Motswana

Mosotho

UnZulu

UmXhosa

Identify other words to be discussed:



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Ask each other to share interesting thoughts about the following: Family life - relationship between family members (husband-wife; parent-child, and so on), the upbringing of children and other related matters.

Living conditions - traditionally and currently.

Food, preparation of food (also religious dietary prescriptions), eating and “table manners”.

Entertainment - song and dance, music, stories.



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Specific customs - lobola, initiation, marriage.

Relationships between: women, men, children, young adults.

Values - respect, loyalty, honesty.

Religion – ancestors.



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Beliefs – and supernatural beliefs.

View of nature - names of places and their meaning; and trees, animals, birds.

Language - pronunciation, specific sounds such as ‘clicks’ and how to pronounce them.

ACTIVITY FEEDBACK: Let’s share some of the interesting things we’ve learnt from, and of, one another.

How will these learning impacts on our relationship at work?



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What can we do differently in the future to create a better understanding of one-another, and how can we be more tolerant of our differences in the future?

Documents

Diversity - toolkit.epic-hub.comtoolkit.epic-hub.com/uploads/all/all/all/files/Workbook 5.pdfserved as Senior Pastor until the late 90’s, when he started speaking, training and consulting