035. Ed Schein & Peter Schein: Why Culture Change Isn't Working
Apr 8, 2021
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Ed and Peter Schein, experts in culture change and leadership, discuss the importance of humble leadership, building healthy cultures, and understanding subcultures within an organization. They highlight the misconception of culture change and the impact of leaders' actions on shaping organizational culture. Strategies for humility as leaders and the significance of relationships in addressing issues are also explored.
Culture cannot be easily changed or manipulated like a machine; breaking it down into technical, social, and macro cultures can facilitate understanding and change.
Creating a psychologically safe environment where leaders practice humble inquiry and genuine curiosity can foster trust, encourage dialogue, and contribute to positive change in organizational culture.
Deep dives
Understanding the Resilience of Organizational Culture
Ed and Peter Shine discuss the resilience and complexity of organizational culture. Drawing from anthropological insights, they emphasize that culture cannot be easily changed or manipulated like a machine. They propose breaking down culture into technical culture, social culture, and macro culture to facilitate understanding and change. The focus should be on identifying specific issues or behaviors within these cultures and working towards addressing them.
Creating Safe Spaces for Speaking Up
The podcast explores the importance of creating a psychologically safe environment where employees feel comfortable speaking up. Ed and Peter Shine highlight the need for leaders to be open, humble, and receptive when employees share information or concerns. They emphasize the power of humble inquiry, where leaders ask genuine questions and demonstrate interest in understanding various aspects of the organization. By fostering trust and inviting dialogue, leaders can encourage employees to share valuable insights and contribute to positive change.
Authentic Leadership and Trusting Relationships
The podcast underscores the significance of authentic leadership and trusting relationships in shaping and reinforcing organizational culture. Ed and Peter Shine stress the importance of leaders developing genuine relationships with their direct reports, creating a climate of openness and trust. By listening, responding, and paying attention to what matters to employees, leaders can influence and shape culture. They highlight the need for leaders to be authentic, vulnerable, and consistently reward behaviors that align with the desired culture.
The Role of Humble Inquiry in Effective Leadership
The podcast concludes by emphasizing the role of humble inquiry in effective leadership. Ed and Peter Shine emphasize the power of asking questions, being open to learning, and suspending agendas to gain deeper insights and build trusting relationships. They suggest incorporating moments of reflection and mindfulness into meetings to address the context before diving into content. The podcast highlights the need for leaders to demonstrate humbleness, curiosity, and a genuine interest in understanding the organization's dynamics and challenges.
"The tragedy is that so many managers get told that you mustn't show weakness, that you should always be in control - this is just nonsense in today's world, and yet we continue to teach it."
Join your host, Tobias Sturesson, and his guests, Ed and Peter Schein, for this episode on The Leading Transformational Change podcast. During their engaging conversation, Ed and Peter share how we can build more healthy cultures and trusting relationships through humble leadership and humble inquiry.
Be inspired by their insights into why we should stop talking about culture change, how we can build more human workplaces, and what really shapes culture.
Ed Schein is Professor Emeritus at MIT School of Management and is the 2012 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Leadership Association. Peter Schein is the co-founder and COO of the Organizational Culture and Leadership Institute in Menlo Park, CA. Prior to that, Peter was a strategy and corporate development executive at large and small technology companies in Silicon Valley. Ed and Peter’s latest book, Humble Inquiry 2nd edition, is an international bestseller. Duration: 49:30
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