Welcome to the thirteenth episode of Coaching Skills for Leaders. This week's topic: How Culture Affects Coaching

To reach me with questions, comments, feedback:
CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback

What do we mean by a strong culture?

Strong culture: consistent throughout the organization and thus has a strong influence on individuals
Weak culture: do not have as strong an impact on individuals because of inconsistencies (does not mean it is not effective)

In Organizational Culture and Leadership, Edgar Schein (2004) defines culture as, "…a pattern of SHARED BASIC ASSUMPTIONS that was learned by a group as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to PERCEIVE, THINK, and FEEL in relation to those problems" (p. 17).

We accidentally referred to Schien's book in the episode as "Making Sense of the Organization" which is actually a book by Karl Weick and also an excellent read on organizational culture, though the Schien book is an easier read, so we recommend that first.

We discuss Schein's three indicators of culture:

Artifacts
Espoused beliefs and values
Underlying assumptions

We also referenced the model below from The Character of a Corporation by Goffee and Jones:



Stay connected with this show on iTunes or on Facebook

I'd love your feedback on this show as well as any questions or topics you'd like me to address in future shows:

Visit CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback to submit comments, questions, or feedback.

See you in a week for the next episode!