Corporate Culture Upgrades

One can say that the heart of an organization is its corporate culture, as it is the context from which everything functions. Corporate culture is often called “the character of an organization” and is supposed to embody the highest vision of the company’s founders. However, the real “on the court” corporate culture which informs the day to day functioning of a company, often exists by default, not by design. Left unattended, a corporate culture falls victim to the negative traits of individuals, groups and/or circumstances: gossip, fear, inertia and poor communication quickly become the norm. A corporate culture that is created (or resurrected) by intentional design, frees personnel from the negative status quo which in turn, generates alignment by creating ideological consistency. Shifting the working reality at the individual level will dramatically alter the organization and the overall results it produces. The Handel Group™ assists client organizations in creating a strong corporate culture that allows companies to operate like well-oiled machines, freeing personnel to perform at an optimal level and inspiring them to do so.

Altering a Culture — Approach

The Handel Group gets to the bottom of what’s really driving a corporate culture. Over time, practices develop unconsciously, resentments build up, people come & go, and items of concern go unsaid, unresolved and unchanged. All of this dramatically impacts the happiness, confidence and productivity of the individuals that make up a corporate entity. We not only get to the heart of each matter and fix problems, but also teach people how to preserve & maintain new lines of communication and relationships over time.

Altering a Culture — Process

1. We usually begin the process by working with an organization’s top executives, as these are the most influential individuals whose actions (or lack of actions) determine the culture.


2. As we work with these executives, we also conduct a cultural assessment to determine the organization’s current cultural reality and its facets by interviewing designated executives and personnel. These interviews are confidential and one-on-one with a senior Handel Group Consultant and are one hour in length per person. We use these interviews to fully understand all that the department is dealing with and how it has affected the individuals in the team(s), the overall team(s), and their results.


3. We create a Findings & Solutions Report and then present our report to the executives. The report will give a clear overview of all the themes of what is not working and our proposed solutions to each item. From here we will propose the plan of action that we believe would make the biggest difference. This will most likely include coaching of the top executive(s) and the top management.


4. We begin to coach and work with the organization’s leadership team (who gets coaching is determined with the executives). This coaching will begin to address the findings of our assessment and some of the leadership and cultural impediments and habits that exist in the organization.


5. After approximately 3 months, when we have made progress with the organizational leadership, we will conduct a one or two-day seminar with the executives and the leadership team. This seminar will be designed to introduce additional aspects of The Handel Group’s methodology and to develop an aligned vision for the organization. This vision, once created, will drive the rest of our work in the organization.


6. Once the vision is created and aligned upon, we will continue to work with the executives and the leadership team to coach them on creating and implementing new behaviors that will support their personal and organizational commitments. We assist the leadership in taking on the accountability of nurturing the new culture, which greatly increases sustainability.


7. If and when required, we will conduct seminars for the rest of the organization in order to help leadership with implementing the new culture.