The Board
Volume 41 Number 09
Getting Culture Right: Six Questions the Board Can Ask
A teacher’s hardest task:
Creating a climate and culture conducive to learning
We may not think much about the culture of the organizations we lead. Culture may be something we assume is best left to the attention of others throughout the organization. Yet, the quality and nature of organizational culture can have a greater impact on the ability of the organization to change and improve than we realize. In fact, culture plays a key role in almost every aspect of organizational effectiveness. The quality of the culture influences level of commitment people are willing to make and how long they will stay.
Board members need to know organizational culture is highly correlated with the level of risk people are willing to take and tolerate. An unhealthy culture can undermine their
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Certainly, school board members are not present daily to experience and monitor the culture of the organization. Daily presence and monitoring is not the board’s role. However, there are questions board members can ask themselves and others throughout the organization to understand whether the culture is healthy and supportive of the work we are asking the schools and district to accomplish. Let’s explore six of these questions and what the answers might suggest.
First, is there openness to learning and growth throughout the organization? The arrogance of past success and an unwillingness to admit faults and embrace the need for more information will limit progress, regardless of the current performance of the organization. This cultural characteristic also can cut off the opportunity to learn from others who may have already met a challenges we face or developed new ideas and approaches that could benefit our efforts. The board must know disinterest in learning can lead to a false sense of security and stagnation.
Is accountability and
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