Two books are reviewed and each addresses different topics although the Harvard Business Review (HBR), On Change Management, and Tye and Dent's Building a Culture of Ownership in Healthcare, have contents that work well together. A website of short but informative videos is also reviewed.
Building a Culture of Ownership in Healthcare: The Invisible Architecture of Core Values, Attitude, and Self-Empowerment by Joe Tye and Bob Dent was published in 2017 by Sigma Theta Tau International and costs US $44.95. This book has 269 pages that include an introduction, foreword, 10 chapters, an afterword, and index. Examples that illustrate points made in each chapter make this an enjoyable book to read. Chapters conclude with chapter questions and references.
This book is about organizational core values, attitudes, and self-empowerment. You may be thinking at this point, so aren't there numerous books addressing these topics and haven't they been discussed previously? You would be correct in this thought, but what this book does that is different is the manner in which these concepts are presented result in the concepts "sticking in" your mind.
The book is organized into three parts. Part 1 describes the Invisible Architecture of an organization. This Architecture consists of core values, organizational structure, and workplace attitude. Chapter 1 compares the invisible architecture with a visible architecture of bricks and mortar. Using this metaphor, the organization's foundation is its core values, the superstructure is the organizational culture, and the interior is workplace attitude. The authors build the case for successful organizations not only having attractive and functional physical plants but also their people and culture. I like this metaphor as it helps structure my understanding of the necessary components. On page 15, the authors describe a newly opened building ceremony that celebrates the building being "'finished." The next point is key as they state that no one can act as though it is finished; ongoing maintenance is required. This same key point is made repeatedly throughout the book regarding the invisible architecture, core values, organizational structure, and workplace attitude.
Chapter 2 describes the accountability continuum and why a hierarchical accountability culture will underperform. The metaphor "the galley ship" is discussed and why it should be used instead of the "right bus" metaphor. This results in a transition from a culture of accountability to a culture of ownership within an organization.
In Part 2, the Invisible Architecture, a chapter is devoted to each concept: the foundation of core values, the superstructure of organizational structure, and the interior finish of workplace attitude. In Chapter 3 when discussing core values, the authors give examples that make the concept of core values remain in the readers' mind. On page 45, I have to quote one example because it made me chuckle as I read the book. In a box named Core Value Examples, the core value from Integrated DNA Technologies was listed: Be yourself, unless you are jerk. I cite this because it is these types of catchy but significant nuggets that can be gleamed from this book. Whenever someone now says, remind me what a core value is, I give this example and everyone in the room seems to understand. The interaction of personal and organizational values is discussed. A section looks at why many healthcare value statements in use don't work. I found this interesting as I can relate to some of the issues discussed. Examples of organizational successes and failures around their stated core values are presented.
Chapter 4 is about the Superstructure of Organizational Culture. Peter Drucker, one of my favorite authors, is credited with the phrase "Culture eats strategy for lunch." This chapter discusses the reasons why this statement continues to be reflected in organizations. The authors present the combined role of culture and strategy. Numerous examples are given of these concepts in use in healthcare and other organizations. Chapter 5 addresses workplace attitude. Culture doesn't change unless people change and people need tools, structure, and inspiration to help them change. The first part of the chapter discusses the negative attitudes and behaviors encountered such as bullying, gossip, and venting. The Attitude Bell Curve and Passion-Performance Matrix are presented and discussed.
Part 3 looks at values, culture, and leadership. Chapter 6 discusses the importance of a culture of ownership as it relates to employee engagement, patient satisfaction, and the eight characteristics of such a culture. The authors describe the implicit contract between employee and leadership in a culture of ownership. The Culture Mapping Schematic Wheel use is presented. Chapter 7 looks at the core elements of culture of ownership and how toxic emotional negativity is caustic to culture. Tools are presented to use to promote a workplace initiative. The Pickle Pledge challenge is discussed in more detail than when it was first introduced in this book. I think it merits consideration. Self-empowerment is discussed and its role in culture. In Chapter 9, the importance of fostering personal values and organizational values is presented and the impact this has on strategy and culture. The role of leadership in the culture of ownership is discussed as well. Chapter 10 presents the lessons learned about culture change using the movement to ban public smoking as an example. The Afterword written by Porter-O'Grady reflects upon the question: "What is keeping me (the reader) from beginning this essential work where I live, lead and practice?" (p. 252)
I highly recommend this book. It is meaty but not stodgy as it presents important concepts and strategies. I found myself rereading some of the examples because they were very interesting and engaging. As I said, I also found myself chuckling at some of what was in the book that has only made me remember it more clearly. It would be a great book for leadership to read and discuss and determine where they and the organization are in relation to a culture of ownership.
The second book reviewed is a compilation of articles on change from the HBR. The book, On Change Management, is part of HBR's 10 Must Reads series that includes five other "must reads" such as The Essentials and On Leadership. The reason the series is titled 10 Must Reads is because each book contains 10 previously published articles that HBR has deemed essential in the topic area. On Change Management was published in 2011 by Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation, costs US $24.95, and has 210 pages. At the end of each article, the original date of publication is listed. These articles first appeared between 1990 and 2005 and are authored by well-known names in management.
The first article is Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail by John P. Kotter (1995). This article sets the stage for later articles that address one or more of the eight errors he presents. The second article looks at Change Through Persuasion by David K Garvin and Michael A. Roberto (2005) and gives an example from healthcare. They discuss the major changes needed and how the leader persuaded others to make the changes. Another article Tipping Point Leadership by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborge (2003) discusses how changes occurred in the New York City police department that resulted in a radical change in safety in New York City. Other intriguing titles include A Survival Guide for Leaders and The Real Reason People Don't Change. The book concludes with Why Change Programs Don't Produce Change by Michael Beer, Russel A. Eisenstat, and Bert Spector (1990). These authors argue that "successful change requires commitment, coordination and competency" (p. 180) and this is as pertinent today as in 1990.
I highly recommend this book because it offers good solid information presented in an interesting manner in a short article format. These articles cause the reader to think about the content after reading them, and in most cases, the content presented is readily useable regardless of the scale of the organization. It is an interesting companion to Tye and Dent. Tye and Dent are very good at presenting the positive results of building culture and what should be accomplished while the HBR book presents the how.
The last item reviewed is a website http://www.hrb.org/video. This site contains short, yet informative videos presented in an engaging manner on numerous business and leadership topics. I have found myself on this site for longer periods of time than is most likely productive for my other work but I have also learned a lot about new ideas and concepts. For concepts you want to learn about in more detail, references or books are cited. I highly recommend this site but not if you have a deadline coming up!
In summary, I highly recommend the two books and one website discussed. The topics are pertinent to most everyone who works in an organization regardless of the size and those who encounter change either as a participant or as a leader of change.