QBQ! QuickNote - Creating a QBQ! Culture  |
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 I've been in the training industry since 1986 and have heard many discussions about organizational "culture" - and lots of definitions of what it is:
I don't know what the right definition is, but one exercise we at QBQ, Inc. like to take teams through is to allow them to describe their current culture - let's call it Culture 1 -using up to ten adjectives. Then we ask them to describe what they want to become, calling that Culture 2. Interestingly, there's always a Culture 2. No matter how excellent, profitable, or storied an organization is, we've never seen a team not describe Culture 2 differently - and better - than Culture 1. In other words, everybody seeks to improve, yet rarely does it happen! Why? Lack of personal accountability. As individuals we abdicate our ownership role in moving from "C1" to "C2." We step back thinking, I'm not going to take the risk. I'll let others do it. But here's the reality: Organizations change only when people change. And what must change are the questions we ask. Here are five Incorrect Questions (IQs) that hold our organizations back, because they hold each of us back.
Now let's use The Question Behind the Question and change these IQs to QBQs:
 Converting any or all of the IQs to QBQs will change our cultures, but let's focus on that last QBQ. A favorite client years ago, Mike Berman of Boston Scientific, asked this insightful question regarding the Super Hot Fad of the 1990s -Empowerment: "Is power given or is power taken?" It's a worthy debate, but one thing that's clear is this: Those who do not feel "empowered" often play The Blame Game, pointing fingers at the ... culture! And at people with position power such as executives and managers. Of course we still need bosses, when the "bullets are flying" we don't call a meeting - someone needs to take charge. But we're not talking here about times of crisis, but every day culture. And just as people blame management when they don't feel empowered, people also complain about cultures they don't like. But the truth is culture is created by people, by individuals - by you and me. It's never about "the company" - we just think it is. It's really about ... The Power of One:
I want to be this One Person - this person who knows I am the "One" in the phrase "The Power of One." I want to help create a QBQ! Culture. And that's where I want to work. How about you?  John G. MillerAuthor of QBQ! and Flipping the Switch ------------------------------------------------------------------- QBQ! QuickNotes may be forwarded by email to others or printed in their entirety with credit given for personal and group use. Copyright QBQ, Inc. 2007. All rights reserved. Host a QBQ! event at your organization and start making personal accountability a core cultural value. Click here for more information or give us a call today at 1-866-988-RAIN - we'd love to hear from you! Learn more about Personal Accountability and the QBQ! at our Personal Accountability at Work website Visit the QBQ! QuickNotes Archives Personal Accountability should be an important part of every organizational culture. Unfortunately though a culture of personal accountability is often times eroded and replaced by a destructive culture characterized by negativity, blame shifting, finger pointing, and poor employee morale. QBQ! The Question Behind The Question seeks to eliminate this noxious culture and replace it with one where individuals take responsibility for their actions and ask themselves what they as individuals can do to help the organization succeed and prosper. For more information about how you can create a culture of personal accountability in your organization give us a shout! 1-866-988-RAIN   |
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