It’s easy to see but often challenging to implement an adaptable organization.
It takes
Humility is required because it forces you to suspend your belief about what is the right direction to learn, listen, and change.
It also requires respect. I’ve talked about Jordan Peterson and his 12 Rules for Life. One of my favorite rules is number nine, which states “Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don’t.” Live by that rule alone, and you’ll experience change and growth.
But, now that we’ve looked at the first two quadrants, Mission and Adaptability, I would like to think about them as a pair.
Mission and Adaptability are at the top of the Denison Culture Survey. If you look at the very top of the circle, you’ll see
the words “External Focus.” External Focus means that the quadrants of Mission and Adaptability look “outside.” They are not focused on what goes on internal to the organization, but what is going on beyond the walls of the organization.
Organizations who have high scores in these quadrants at the top of the chart tend to be focused on and achieve growth and market share.
What I find interesting is the research behind these two quadrants.
Research indicates that during down times when market share and growth shrink, companies who have high scores in these two quadrants seem to be less impacted by the negative situation.
If growth and market share is your goal, make sure the people of your company score you highly in these two quadrants.
