In creating agile organisations and driving transformation, it's impossible to overstate the importance and impact of culture. Organisations are complex relationship systems and to deliver a successful transformation, it is critical that leaders, coaches and others listen to, understand, communicate and respond authentically and with empathy to the humans within the relationship system. In Asia, this inevitably includes multiple cultural contexts and locations, each with their own nuances and organisational subcultures. Lisa will explore culture and its importance in agile organisations and transformations, with examples from local and international organisations.

1. Version 1.0
Agility - Main ingredient for the New Future
Cultural Agility - National University of Singapore webinar
Friday 2nd October

2. What’s the difference between
then and now?

4. Source: The Business Agility Report - 3ed Edition 2020, Business Agility Institute, September 2020
“Leaders continue to use
leadership styles and
behaviors that are consistent
with the legacy culture, and
not the new culture that the
organisation is trying to instill.
This sends a mixed message
to the rest of the
organisation”
Top challenges for organisations pursuing business agility

5. Organisational culture represents the values and behaviours,
represented in symbols, language, norms, values & artefacts
Culture is a reflection of what is shared, pervasive,
enduring and implicit

6. Tell me a story about something
that would only happen here
- Adam Grant
“

7. Source: Culture Hero

8. #1. If your people are engaged, your customers will be engaged
#2. People support what they create
#3. Your brand is your culture and your culture is your brand
#4. Change your behaviour to change your thinking (and your
beliefs)
#5. Simple is repeatable, and repeatable is understandable
#6. Hypothesise, experiment, learn & adapt
Source: Riders and Elephants

9. We believe that organisational systems are
naturally self regulating. They are learning
about themselves and adapting for survival.
When they see and understand themselves, an
organisational system will use it’s collective
intelligence to take the necessary adaptive
actions.

10. ● Each relationship system has its own unique entity
● Every member of a relationship system is a voice of the system
● Relationship systems are naturally intelligent, generative and
creative
● Relationship systems rely on roles for their organisation and
execution of functions. Roles belong to the system, not to the
individuals that inhabit the system
● Relationship systems are in a constant state of emergence,
always in the process of expressing their potential
Source: Creating Intelligent Teams: Leading with Relationship Systems Intelligence, Rod & Fridjhon

11. - Meet the team
- Reveal the system to itself
- Align & Action

12. Meeting the team
Organisational level - deep democracy

13. Adobe Creative Types
Play Personality Style
“The most successful adults
maintain the ability to play.”
— Dr. Jack Shonkoff

14. The vulnerability paradox - it’s the first thing I look
for in you and it’s the last thing I want you to see
in me
- Brene Brown
“

15. Source: No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work, Fosslien and West Duffy

16. My thesis is that there aren’t many idiots out there.
Problems arise from not understanding each other... I want
people to talk more about how they communicate.
The best dynamic you can get is a combination of
different people - you’ll have more ideas and points of
view - but the trick is you need a leader who can cope
with all the different characters
- Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots
“

17. Constellations

19. Source: Map by Circle
43 based on Frederic
Laloux's Reinventing
Organizations

20. Source: Spencer Stuart, featured in The Culture Factor, Harvard Business Review, January 2018

21. Source: Erin Meyer, INSEAD Professor and author of The Culture Map

22. ● Who are we today?
● What qualities describe us now?
● How do we do things now?
● What is working and what isn’t working at present?
● What is important to us now?
● What values are we proud of now?
● What do we want to leave behind?
● What are we proud of that we want to take with us?

23. ● Who and what do we want to become?
● How do we need to be better?
● What qualities will describe us in the future?
● What will be important to us in the future?
● What values will we be proud of in the future?

24. Leapers Bridge Builders Tradition Holders

25. Source: K2K Emocionando approach to self management, Corporate Rebels

26. What you’re really trying to do is change the cultural norms. The
cultural norms of society are don’t criticise your elders and it’s
very dangerous to criticise your bosses. Instead, we want to make
it healthy for everyone to be providing feedback all around and to
make that feel normal.
- Reed Hastings, CEO Netflix
“

28. Evolutionarily speaking, humans are conditioned to seek affiliation through families &/or tribes.
These groups band together and establish rules to create a sense of safety and belonging,
fight a common enemy or accomplish something meaningful. In business, tribes are linked by
a leader, a shared purpose or goal, a common culture or organisational boundary.

29. TEAMS
● Be kind: emotions are contagious,
which means your actions can have
a positive influence on your entire
organisations culture
● Create a culture of belonging
through microactions: say ‘hello’,
invite people into conversations, or
help a new hire meet others
● Share stories about who you are,
not what you do, and invite others
to do the same
● Don’t ignore the emotional burdens
your colleagues may carry
LEADERS
● Show vulnerability when assessing a
difficult situation, but present a clear path
forward
● Become a student of the people you
manage - avoid telling people what to
feel, listen carefully, and manage
individually
● Prioritise yourself and seek support from
other leaders to avoid emotional leaks
that negatively affect your reports
● Understand the challenges you and
others may face in leadership positions
and take steps to reduce them,
Source: No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work, Fosslien and West Duffy

30. The only way to systemically ensure that you have
great people at every level is to ensure that you
have great leaders at every level- leaders who
make the people around them better
- James Parker, CEOP, Southwest Airlines
“

31. Looking for some inspiration?
Check out
● Culture Hero:.culturehero.co
● Tribeless: tribeless.co
● Culture First by CultureAmp: culturefirst.com
● Riders & Elephants: ridersandelephants.com - the emotional culture deck is awesome!
● Culturevist: culturevist.com
● Happy Sandpit - happysandpit.com
● Corporate Rebels - corporate-rebels.com
Read
● Daring to Lead, Brene Brown
● Tribal Unity, Em Campbell-Pretty
● Creating Intelligent Teams: Leading with Relationship Systems Intelligence, Anne Rod & Marita
Fridjhon
● No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work, Fosslien and West Duffy
● The Culture Map, Erin Meyer
● The Culture Factor, Harvard Business Review, Jan 2018: https://hbr.org/2018/01/the-culture-factor
Listen
● We Are Netflix podcast: Season 3 - No Rules Rules: Co-CEO Reed Hastings

32. Lisa Duty
Singapore Director
Business Agility Strategist
Enterprise Coach
Thank you!
You can find me at:
+65 8543 9762
lisa@epicagile.com
@lisa_EPiCagile
epicagile.com