It’s easy for leaders to get caught in the nets of minutia. Every six months is an excellent interval for rising above the shore and focusing your gaze on the horizon.

The data from a Culture Tune Up^TM provides an accurate perceptual reflection. That’s right, “accurate perceptions”. Financials provide accurate data to judge profitability, revenue, costs, but they don’t honestly tell you what people think of and feel about the organization. When it comes to culture, perceptions are reality. Take them to heart, find the message, learn, and renew the journey with vigor.

Not all leaders look inside, some make the mistake of going to a plastic surgeon. I worked at an entrepreneurial systems integrator that, up until it reached $300 million in annual revenues, remained authentic. The reality is that business and technical analysts travel frequently. Naturally, when the company surveyed the employees, woman especially complained that the travel schedules were difficult on young families. The company did something odd. Instead of agreeing with the obvious, it chose to form a committed to change people’s perception. The committed decided to create an internal PR campaign to educate us on how wonderful the company was for working women. In addition, it actively sought to win awards as a great place for women to work. With a little manipulation of data and by giving talking points to the representatives “chosen” for interviews by contest judges, the system integrator won its awards.

It also lost its authenticity. The meta-messages from leadership were “tell me what I want to hear” and “looking good is more important than doing good.” Of course, this “successful” campaign led to more thinking adjustment activities—corporate speak. Perhaps it’s only a coincidence that the lowest turnover in the industry (both for employees and customers) shot up to industry averages; the company after 25 years of double digit growth hit a wall, the leadership was tossed out, and eventually it was taken over by a smaller competitor. Perhaps it's not a coincidence.

Back to honest refection…although there are 17 variable and 8 areas, one can think of the results of a Culture Tune Up^TM as falling into 3 major categories:

• Direction
• Mechanisms
• Human Interactions

As for Direction, is there a compelling vision for the industry? Technology? The organization? Basically, what’s the next wave, and are we going to be hanging ten or watching with envy from the shore? Is it meaningful? Purposeful? Are we part of something bigger than ourselves? Is the world better off because of us? Do we have a clear strategy for winning and being successful?

As for Mechanisms, are our processes and systems supportive and enabling? Do they help or hinder employees do their daily tasks? Do they provide information people need to make wise and timely decisions? Do they increase customer loyalty? Supplier quality and efficiency? Employee retention?

As for Human Interactions, do people like coming to work and working with each other? Is there a sense of community? Do people feel appreciated? Are they growing? Are they contributing all their talents and ideas? Do departments and groups work well together? Do people want to sever the customer?

There’s a saying, “if you want to know what you thought in the past, look around yourself now.” Whatever the assessment says, the results reflect past decisions and events. We throw pebbles into the water, and the implications of those actions, ripple outward into our organization over time. We do the best we can with the knowledge and skills we have at the time. Culture Tune Ups^TM are feedback for learning and springboards for making major improvements going forward. Now is a time for seeing what’s on the horizon, noticing what is working and what is less-than excellent, and thinking big about what is possible.

Keep this in mind, your company wouldn’t exist today if your culture didn’t support how you did work and competed in the past. It made sense then. It makes sense to make different sense now.

Keywords: Leadership, Business culture, visioning, business renewal, change leadership

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Michael Cushman, The Engaging Guru, wants you to master enrolling others in your truth, get the goodies of life, and change the world.  www.engagingchange.com