By Alexander Laufer
Shape the Right Culture
Project culture is what holds the organization together, providing project members with a shared frame of reference, rules of behavior, and an understanding of the do's and don'ts of project life. When project members share the same culture, they develop a set of mutually accepted ideas of what is real in their constantly changing environment, what is important, and how to respond.
The Talmud says: "We do not see things as they are. We see things as we are." Culture differences between project groups are often accompanied by divergent assumptions, values, and perceptions of reality that can have serious implications for project performance.
Unfortunately, these difficulties are not uncommon for projects. Project organization is temporary, with a finite end, and is typically composed of groups from different organizations, often with a range of culture. The project organization evolves throughout the life of the project, where different groups join and leave the project as dictated by the unique nature of the specific project. The limited and relatively short life of most projects, and the typically different cultures and interests of the various groups composing the project, render shaping project culture - one culture of the whole team - very difficult.
It is important to stress that even in permanent organizations, shaping culture is not easy and indeed requires leadership. Professor Edgar Schein of the MIT Sloan School of Management, who is generally credited with introducing the term "corporate culture," distinguishes between leadership and management by arguing that leadership creates and changes cultures, whereas management acts within a culture.
Project leaders need to shape their project culture not only to promote a "teamwork"culture, but also to ensure that the "right" culture fits their unique context. Making such a successful change is often dependent on having the right people and sometimes may be accomplished only by replacing some key people. However, even selecting the right people does not always bring about the desired cultural change.
This text is part of the book "Mastering the Leadership Role in Project Management - Practices that Deliver Remarkable Results". Author: Alexander Laufer. Editor: FT Press.
Shape the Right Culture
Project culture is what holds the organization together, providing project members with a shared frame of reference, rules of behavior, and an understanding of the do's and don'ts of project life. When project members share the same culture, they develop a set of mutually accepted ideas of what is real in their constantly changing environment, what is important, and how to respond.
The Talmud says: "We do not see things as they are. We see things as we are." Culture differences between project groups are often accompanied by divergent assumptions, values, and perceptions of reality that can have serious implications for project performance.
Unfortunately, these difficulties are not uncommon for projects. Project organization is temporary, with a finite end, and is typically composed of groups from different organizations, often with a range of culture. The project organization evolves throughout the life of the project, where different groups join and leave the project as dictated by the unique nature of the specific project. The limited and relatively short life of most projects, and the typically different cultures and interests of the various groups composing the project, render shaping project culture - one culture of the whole team - very difficult.
It is important to stress that even in permanent organizations, shaping culture is not easy and indeed requires leadership. Professor Edgar Schein of the MIT Sloan School of Management, who is generally credited with introducing the term "corporate culture," distinguishes between leadership and management by arguing that leadership creates and changes cultures, whereas management acts within a culture.
Project leaders need to shape their project culture not only to promote a "teamwork"culture, but also to ensure that the "right" culture fits their unique context. Making such a successful change is often dependent on having the right people and sometimes may be accomplished only by replacing some key people. However, even selecting the right people does not always bring about the desired cultural change.
This text is part of the book "Mastering the Leadership Role in Project Management - Practices that Deliver Remarkable Results". Author: Alexander Laufer. Editor: FT Press.
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