IMPROVING ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

CulturalKeys strongly recommends understanding your organizational culture before trying to improve its effectiveness.

CulturalKeys uses a six-step research and engagement process to explain how the culture works:

• 1. Engage with the client to learn their concerns about the organizational culture
• 2. Conduct cross-function and cross-level interviews to identify both issues and insider views of the current and imagined ideal culture
• 3. Gather other data including interviewee drawings of the organizational culture, workplace observations (e.g., in meetings, at workstations), and documentary materials
• 4. Analyze all ethnographic data to obtain a 360-degree view of the cultural themes and patterns, consistency with the mission and values, and enablers for and obstacles to change
• 5. Apply cultural and organizational theory and lessons learned from pertinent case studies to craft specific recommendations for change
• 6. Share and validate the findings and recommendations with leadership, planning for next steps

UNDERSTANDING AND REACHING CONSUMERS

CulturalKeys recommends understanding consumer behavior from multiple perspectives: the consumer, the manufacturer or provider, and other stakeholders in the retail chain.

CulturalKeys follows a similar research and engagement process with a few notable differences.

• Observation is essential in understanding how a product, experience, or service is used
• Interviews offer an opportunity to explore the use context (e.g., home, workplace) as well as the meaning associated with use
• Comparisons can be made with brand characteristics and intended or expected use
• Evaluations provide further insight into consumer decision making and choice

CHANGE MANAGEMENT

Designing and implementing change can be challenging.

CulturalKeys typically employs various interventions, used in combination, to jumpstart the change process:

• Discuss the research results and recommendations with the client, deriving an understanding of their perspective and approaches to change
• Develop practical tools to assist with change
• Design and deliver problem-solving workshops to organizational leaders
• Guide the work of small, empowered problem-solving teams to address roadblocks, disconnects, and contradictions in the organizational culture or the emerging issues related to product, experience, or service