This document outlines the transformation of an organization's culture from one that was hierarchical, inwardly focused, passive, averse to change, and fearful, to one that is organized but not hierarchical, actively involved in the community, self-analyzing, communicative, cooperative, and appreciative. It achieved this shift by developing a shared vision and plan, measuring and celebrating successes, openly analyzing failures, providing training, giving honest feedback, using work restructuring techniques, and reinforcing the new culture through various activities and discussions that encouraged unity, freedom, and charity.

1. My Favorite Change

2. Where We Begin, Culture-Wise
• Hierarchically structured
• Inwardly focused
• Passive
• Averse to change
• Blameful
• Fearful
• Locked into rigid work units
• Encouraging dependence rather than self-sufficiency

3. Where We Wanted To Head
• Organized, but not hierarchically
• Actively involved in the campus and the national community
• Self-analyzing, self-correcting, self-sufficient, but not self-
centered
• Communicative
• Cooperative across functional lines
• Appreciative of each other’s efforts
• A learning organization
• Effective and efficient
• Joyous

4. How We Got There
• Developing a common vision, mission and plan and
writing them down
• Measuring progress, celebrating successes
• Openly analyzing failures and trying again
• Training—both skills and conflict resolution
• Giving honest feedback about performance,
rewarding good work
• Using work restructuring techniques
• Laughing a lot!

5. Reinforcing the Culture
• Retreats or Advances
• All Hands Meetings
• Great Place to Work Committee
• The Golf Cart
• Learning to tap dance
• The “what constitutes good
service”
discussion
• Hero worship sign

6. Oft Repeated Inspiration
• In essentials, unity
(hence, mutually agreed upon mission, principles,
goals and plans)
• In non-essentials, freedom
(hence a flat organization in which people feel free to
decide how to do the agreed upon work)
• In all, charity
(hence parties, laughter, appreciation of each other)