Lift! Towards a positive, comprehensive leadership style

Date: 22.06.2011Author: Marcella Bremer

Having looked at Quinn’s management roles, based on the Competing Values Framework it’s time to take a look at "LIFT". Robert Quinn and his son Ryan Quinn wrote this book to show people (and managers) how they can become a positive force in every situation. Fascinating claim, isn’t it? Let’s see how you can lift yourself and others, using the framework and organizational culture types.

Competing Values Framework, Leadership

How to relate the Competing Values Framework to the MBTI

Date: 17.05.2011Author: Marcella Bremer

The Competing Values Framework (CVF) that is the basis of the OCAI tool, can be related to personality traits from the MBTI. Dyah Ayu Paramitha and four other graduate students from the University of Indonesia, writing their Master theses on Organizational Psychology, proved it again (next to the researchers Basen & Frank).

Competing Values Framework, OCAI

Lead your staff to a new organizational culture!

Date: 7.04.2011Author: Marcella Bremer

After doing the organizational culture assessment instrument (developed by Cameron & Quinn), people wonder how they personally fit into the current and preferred culture. Especially people in a leading position make a big difference when it comes to culture change. They are the catalysts who lead the change initially, they pull that "chariot of change". If they don't, sustainable change is not going to happen.

OCAI, Organizational culture

Cases: Organizational Culture in IT organizations

Date: 4.03.2011Author: Marcella Bremer

"Sell new technology or sell problems..."

Would you expect consultants who improve processes in software companies care about corporate culture? Maybe not. However, Jorge Boria and his company do because he found that it works best to start any change with respect for the current culture...

Case Studies, OCAI, Organizational culture

Competing Values Leadership: quadrant roles and personality

Date: 4.02.2011Author: Marcella Bremer

After doing the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (developed by Cameron & Quinn), people sometimes wonder how they personally fit into the current and preferred organizational culture types. Should they change their work style or leadership style to facilitate the desired culture change? The answer is yes: organizational culture change requires the personal change of a critical mass of organization members.

Competing Values Framework

OCAI helps Ericsson work on a High Performance Culture

Date: 6.01.2011Author: Marcella Bremer

Ericsson is working on establishing a "High Performance Culture". This doesn't mean blindly chasing ambitious targets and handling the whip, but establishing the right mix of elements to optimize the organization's performance. Riquard Van der Vliet, an executive at Ericsson's R&D department in the Netherlands, shares their story using the OCAI. "Handling a whip will not get you high performance. You need to balance competing needs."

Competing Values Framework, OCAI

The Real Secret to Achieving Stellar Results

Date: 8.12.2010Author: Marcella Bremer

About six years ago I stumbled upon the Competing Values Framework and have been a big fan ever since. As a leadership consultant, I immediately integrated this tool and my first client was a major, worldwide hotel where I worked with one of its busiest properties in mid-town New York City. What became quickly apparent was how easy the assessment is to conduct, how easy the results are to understand, and how interesting the whole approach can be.

Competing Values Framework, Organizational culture

Employee Engagement: using Organizational Culture

Date: 15.11.2010Author: Marcella Bremer

Calling customer service, you immediately hear whether they really care or whether they feel indifferent. Intuitively we all know the importance of employee engagement. And research confirms it. In a study of professional service firms for instance, it was found that offices with engaged employees were up to 43% more productive. I'm a much happier customer when the service employee cares about my problem and puts in maximum effort to solve it...

The engaged employee is engaged in the work, their co-workers and the workplace. This is what employers and executives are looking for: People who are committed and participate, who think about improving, changing and so on. They have this magic "ownership" that is crucial for successful change. They have intrinsic motivation and feel responsible. They supply energy and ideas and will go the extra mile. At least, if you don't frustrate them unnecessarily and give them a chance to participate.

Change Management, Organizational culture

OCAI Workshop at Philadelphia Care

Date: 30.09.2010Author: Marcella Bremer

"The OCAI assessment made the need for market culture apparent. Team opinion shifted."

How do you take advantage of the results of your organizational culture assessment? It's essential to work these out during an OCAI workshop. Berrie Stam, regional manager at Philadelphia Care (care for disabled people), shares their story with us. "We achieved a great outcome. The team suddenly understood that they need more than just getting along well. Resistance to targets and results disappeared when the team realized that they are necessary for a successful future."

Philadelphia's management team, consisting of location managers, health care counselors, and executives participated in the useful OCAI workshop. People usually have an overall picture of their organizational culture. So does the Philadelphia team, as we saw during a meeting on a sunny day during springtime in Zwolle. They describe their culture with the key word "solidarity".

Case Studies, OCAI

“Clan culture eases work pressure and gives us wings…!”

Date: 14.09.2010Author: Marcella Bremer

“The OCAI assessment improves understanding and incites reflection,” according to Ytje Jensma. She is an operational manager at the UMCG Rehabilitation Center. “It turned out that we have a dominant clan culture—more than I expected. I have seen how important a friendly working environment is. A private hospital was understaffed in spite of good salaries, because doctors and patients were bossing the nurses around.”