It is more of an atmospheric issue.
It's
Leadership model deals with the psychology of groups and how a leader
can set a structure for those groups so that those groups are inspired to
do what is required through their own initiative rather than the leader
standing there and telling them what to do.
In order to achieve this, you have to get in to the emotional gratification
(the need to feel important, need to contribute, need to grow as an
individual) and tie them into the organization. So, effectively, what that
does is it also affects your entire organizational culture. A leader should
create an environment that affects the organization. A leader is not just
somebody that could say oh okay, this is what you do, when you are
creating leaders within your organization you are cultivating and
nurturing an organization where people can make decisions on their
own, where people understand the responsibilities they have to achieve
greater heights of excellent. And why? Theyre not doing it because you
tell them to, its because an environmental leader doesnt tell his people
what to do
WHY DO WE NEED AN ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
To be relevant. We live in a world where things are changing at a rapid
pace. The way we interact with each other
WHY DO WE RESIST CHANGE
We simply DONT resist change. We embrace change, we want change.
As human beings we are always finding ways to be more successful, to
develop ourselves more as better human beings, we are always looking
for ways to change. WHAT WE RESIST ARE ACTIONS THAT WE THINK
ARE BASICALLY STUPID. We dont wanna do stupid stuff. We dont want
to do things that we think are gonna waste our time (we want change,
we have ideas for change but we let go of our ideas because sometimes
we think theyre stupid, or sometimes we think that no one would agree
or acknowledge our ideas)
The Heart of Filipino Problems - Amor Propio
Posted by Carlos Fernandez
You know, I've always been blabbering about how much I hate Filipino
habits, I do Filipino Bashing (see my older blog posts), blah blah, and all
that. I've been doing it while trying to put my finger on why is it like
that? Why are Filipinos like that? What's the source of the problem?
Later on, while looking at a nursing reference in my research paper
writing job, I saw something I had read about, but didn't know was
embodied in a term - amor propio. This is usually defined as self-esteem,
self-image, self-respect and other similar concepts, but it can also mean
the bad side - self-pride, self-propagation, saving face. Meaning, public
image is all that matters. I for one see amor propio as translated to:
amor=love; propio=pride. This would mean for me love of pride.
public reputation saving face, again.
The reference I was looking through, Transcultural Communication in
Nursing by Cora Munoz, defined Amor Propio as "personal pride, saving
face and avoiding hiya (shame)." The meaning of amor propio in action
here is avoiding shame from disrespecting an older person or elder by
just avoiding confrontation and just submitting to whatever the elder
says.
But by this example itself, it already reveals a problem with amor
propio. What kind of problem? Number one, personal pride, saving is
the reason for avoiding confrontation. Pride is often cited as the root of
all sin, and here, the source of amor propio is personal pride. It for me
would indicate that most of the Filipino's social traditions have been
based on the wrong attitude.
Amor propio is not necessarily all that bad when what you're talking
about is the self-image and self-respect that one should have. But when
you talk about personal pride, that's different isn't it? For me, a
Christian is supposed to be humble and not concerned with personal
pride. So amor propio I believe does not exist in its fullest form in a true
Christian.
In the case of the Munoz book's example, I would think that avoiding
confrontation is the wrong thing to do here. The younger person could
still suggest that the older person is wrong in something, but in a
respectful way. Pointing out someone else's errors per se is not a
prideful or wrong act. There are certainly respectful ways of criticizing.
Unfortunately, Filipino culture considers pointing out an error an insult
to someone (because of that someone's personal pride), and thus a
person who wants things to be right will have to be very brave to point
out someone's error. This is preventing improvement and positive
change in our society. That would certainly be personal pride in the case
of the person being told the error. Even if he is elder, he should accept
he is wrong. So personal pride and the amor propio that stems from it
has to go.
A related concept is hiya (shame). Because the Filipino has amor propio,
he or she always wants to look good. At least Filipinos know what a
boastful pig is. The Filipino is afraid of being identified as a boastful pig,
for if he is, then he can be ashamed. Filipinos generally do not like being
identified as someone immoral.
Unfortunately, Hiya also has a self-esteem-destroying function. When a
person has a unique skill or talent, and likes to show it to the world,
other Filipinos will beat down on that person. They will say, how dare
you say you are different! Aren't you ashamed? Filipino culture has a
trait wherein there is an insane insistence in people to be the same (also
defined as an insane insistence to see eye to eye). In fact, praise for
someone's individual talent that is different from others is a value that
comes from abroad. Filipinos insist on sameness. Differences, even good
one, are sadly not appreciated. Sameness is considered a value,
difference is considered a sin. Also, people who have a special trait or
different skill that can be useful tend to shy away from using it they
have too much hiya to attract attention with it. Still, not a good trait.
The hiya of Filipinos is also used in another wrong way the fear of
losing face. Losing face is probably one of the greatest fears of the
Filipino. And often, it has no relation to the true moral condition of the
person. For example, even if the "face" of the Filipino is as immoral a
reputation as "womanizer of the town," the Filipino will still try to save
 it. Why? Because being a womanizer contributes to his public image as
someone strong or desirable to women. That is more important to him
than becoming morally upright. Even is he becomes corrupt in an effort
to save his face, he doesn't care. All that matters is the face.
Here for me is the heart of Filipino problems. Concern for saving face,
amor propio, and the hiya, should be eliminated. Even hiya? Yes, I've
heard many intellectuals say that the hiya of Filipinos is detrimental.
Instead, they should be bold enough to make a difference (and be
different!). We Filipinos should get the personal pride kind of amor
propio out of our system. It is causing Filipino people to value nonmoral
things more than moral things. It makes them value looking good rather
than being good, and thus the morality of Filipinos in their daily lives
suffers.
Wait... if you read the book my Munoz I mentioned above, you would
get my message... for Filipinos to improve, they must get rid of attitudes
and trait that actually define them as Filipino! Shocking isn't it? Yep, we
have to accept, what makes us Filipino are the things are the things
that are causing problems for us. But I've been told that these traits
have been impressed on us by the Spaniards in the old days, in order to
control us (yes, read your history, Filipinos!). To prevent us from getting
intelligent and revolting, we were given values that prevented us from
using our coconut shells and banding together, and improving
ourselves. Just look at the word itself, amor proprio it's a Spanish
word! This for me is a message, fellow Filipinos. We've wallowed too
long in antiquated, 16th century Spanish values. This is the 21st century!
It's time to modernize our thinking and our cultural values.
Amor propio - Filipinos are very sensitive to criticism, insults and hurt
feelings. Whether real or IMAGINED, and they can become implacable
enemies for reasons us westerners would deem trivial.
Amor Propio demands conformity to approved behavior patterns. it
could lead to "showing off" behavior, specially in the presence of peers
and subordinates.
Where there's emotional involvement, there's Amor Propio and pricking
on it may have devastating results.
Create A Positive Corporate Culture
Related:
Business
Business Planning/Strategies
Health Clubs/Fitness Facilities
Management
Program Management
Client Share Save to Library Like
Retention, membership, sales, customer service--these terms are used
frequently when describing the various aspects of running a successful
fitness facility. One term not heard as often, yet of equal importance, is
corporate culture.
Corporate culture reflects a facility's values, norms, and behaviors.
When a culture promotes positive and value-driven behavior, your gym
gains an edge on the competition. A well-defined corporate culture
creates unity among staff and loyalty to the club. But when the culture
has significant negative aspects, this leads to a reverse cycle
characterized by conflicted values, high attrition, and poor morale
(DiRomualdo 2005). Thus, making the effort to delineate and execute a
healthy corporate culture is essential in creating a facility that is
profitable, respected, and a desirable place to work. Read on to learn
how to define your facility's corporate culture and implement your
vision at the organizational, team, and individual levels.
Defining Your Corporate Culture
Corporate culture can be explained as the way a company defines and
captures what is important to ensure the organization's success
(Finklestein 2005). The key is "to help [staff] expand the horizons of
their awareness, and to facilitate them into taking responsibility for their
own actions, behavior, and attitude, " explains Larry Lipman, founder of
Fun Team Building in Atlanta, GA. Your corporate culture should be
precise enough that it helps guide employee behavior (Moneypenny
2004).
The first step is to define what corporate culture means for your facility.
Some factors are: how much to empower employees to make decisions,
how open the facility is to receiving input from others (i.e., employees,
members, suppliers), what values to promote to your members and
staff, and what behaviors to require and reward in your employees
(Finklestein 2005). These details will make up the core of your corporate
culture philosophy.
In addition, there are three other areas to consider when outlining your
corporate culture:
* Conflict Management - Establish ground rules for how disagreements
among staff are handled. Addressing conflicts in a constructive manner,
rather than avoiding them, maintains a culture of mutual respect and
professionalism.
* Matching Responsibility to Competence - While it is acceptable to
challenge employees, be cautious about overloading staff with
responsibility. Proper levels of responsibility foster feelings of
accomplishment (Sattler & Mullen 1996).
* Welcoming New Ideas - Resist the temptation to be content with the
status quo. Encourage employees to brainstorm new ideas for
programming, sales and marketing, and other activities.
Once you have fleshed out the details of your desired corporate culture,
write it out clearly in a document that is available to all employees and
reinforce your vision in company meetings. Your corporate culture
should ultimately create a supportive environment that nurtures
personal, professional, and organizational growth.
Implementing Corporate Culture at the Organizational Level
A health club's culture starts with the organization's leader. The leader
must clearly communicate the company's vision statement and serve as
a role model for the desired attitudes and behaviors. This means that
club presidents, managers, and owners must all display your ideals. In
other words, lead by example.
Additionally, upper management should convene regular meetings to
discuss the company's long-term goals and how the staff plays a critical
part in achieving these objectives. By doing so, managers encourage a
collective responsibility for the well-being of the company. Once you
have instilled a sense of ownership among your employees, the
potential for organizational success is almost limitless. Employees who
truly care about the organization demonstrate superior attitude,
enthusiasm, and customer service, which is apparent to members, and
leads to their satisfaction and retention.
Furthermore, create an atmosphere that welcomes questions and
suggestions. One way to do this is to establish a time of day when
employees know you and other managers are accessible for private
discussion. Otherwise, your staff may consider you available at any time,
even if you have deadlines to meet, or they may do the opposite and
perceive that you are unavailable. By setting aside a specified time, you
avoid inconvenient interruptions, yet encourage employees to approach
you. This set-up creates an environment that instills confidence, trust,
and job satisfaction (Green 2000).
Implementing Corporate Culture at the Team Level
Fostering teamwork is essential to maintaining a positive and productive
atmosphere. Interdependence is important because no one staff
member can be as productive as a functioning team is when it works
together (Sattler & Doniek 1996).
Team building is largely based on trust. Since your employees don't
necessarily choose the people with whom they work, growing trust
among your staff is essential to building cohesive teams (Sattler &
Doniek 1996). Trust is achieved by instilling individual accountability and
letting employees know that their efforts are valued. The environment
must be one where staff feel they can openly discuss tense topics with
superiors and each other, knowing they will not be criticized. Encourage
employees to bring up both positive and negative issues. For example,
staff should feel comfortable discussing topics such as member
compliments and praise for fellow employees, as well as more difficult
topics such as job dissatisfaction. Once this trust is established,
teamwork can be very successful in finding ways to improve company
systems and processes, solving problems, or planning for opportunities.
In general, trust must be earned and can be achieved by leading your
staff in particular ways: avoid micromanagement which only discourages
employees, set realistic expectations and then encourage and guide
your employees in reaching them, and always keep your promises to
your staff.
In order for teams to thrive, there are several guidelines to follow. Each
team must have a clear purpose and distinct goals. Each team member
must know the team's purpose and goals as well as his or her specific
role. When these boundaries are not spelled out clearly, the team loses
energy and momentum. Teams must meet regularly, and each meeting
should have a detailed agenda. Make sure there is a system for tracking
action items, deadlines, and team progress. Rewarding teams for their
accomplishments and empowering them to make decisions will go a
long way in fostering motivation and momentum. "When teams are
empowered, they are naturally energizing to employees because they
allow them to have a measure of control and influence over their work,"
explains Bob Nelson, PhD, in his book 1001 Ways to Energize Employees.
Implementing Corporate Culture at the Individual Level
There are several ways to motivate employees to achieve the company
atmosphere you desire. Essentially, when staff know that each
individual is vital to the success of your organization, they will be
invested in the overall good of the facility.
First of all, individuals should meet regularly with their supervisors
regarding their role and responsibilities (no matter how big or small).
This creates a feeling that each individual is crucial to the club's success
and is indispensable. During these meetings, identify the strengths of
staff members and use each individual to their full potential. People
doing what they do best are vital to executing and building the desired
culture (Moneypenny 2004).
Secondly, recognize and affirm employees when they work in
accordance with your corporate culture. Managers who fail to
acknowledge the contributions of individuals are missing a simple
opportunity to foster high morale and could end up with poor work
performance, troublesome attitudes, and resignations (McGraw 1998).
Celebrate employee successes through verbal praise, monetary rewards
and bonuses, opportunities for advancement, a change in title or
responsibilities, a gift on employment anniversaries, or other types of
acknowledgement that fit for you.
The bottom line is that your employees are key assets in implementing
and maintaining the corporate culture you desire. So do your best to
affirm your most valuable resource - your staff (Sattler & Mullen 1996).
It will take time and effort to define and execute a thriving corporate
culture in your facility. The rewards are well worth it. The benefits for a
cohesive corporate culture are employee retention and productivity, a
stable company, better customer service, and ultimately larger profits
(Klein 1999). Who wouldn't want that?*
Motivate, Collaborate & Celebrate
Here are seven ideas that cultivate motivation and collaboration among
staff:
1. Organize staff retreats at off-site locations where employees gather
to discuss business and relax; therefore working together outside the
gym environment.
2. Arrange social outings that allow staff to get to know one another
personally, which in turn helps them work better together.
3. Conduct regular employee evaluations, which serve as a tool for
management to increase efficiency, productivity, and communication.
For individuals, evaluations are an opportunity for growth, renewal and
improvement (Haney 1995).
4. Have staff members spend time working in all areas of the facility to
foster a comprehensive understanding of the club's responsibilities.
5. Offer career development opportunities, including workshops or
seminars, that assist individuals in continually honing their skills and
knowledge base.
6. Feature staff members in your newsletter. Mention achievements,
sales goals reached, and personal or professional accomplishments.
7. Post a bulletin board that features a photo and bio of each staff
member. Use this board to post staff successes, certifications, birthdays,
or awards received.
Positive Corporate Culture
A Positive Corporate Culture lays the foundations for a Positive
Work Culture.
Both require cultural foundations of wellbeing and performance
based on the principles of commitment, trust and engagement,
together with the displays of manager behaviour that reflect
these foundations.
Managers influence the ways in which people behave towards
each other, and if the behaviour is based on commitment, trust
and engagement, employees respond by feeling psychologically
well and working at their peak level of performance.
Click here a video of Professor Derek Mowbray explaining the
benefits of a Positive Corporate Culture.
Characteristics of a positive corporate culture and a positive work
place culture
A clear, unambiguous purpose, expressed as a simple big
idea, an idea which all staff relate to closely, and are proud to
discuss with friends and colleagues.
An atmosphere of confidence, where all the staff are
interested in each other, support each other, and project this
confidence towards clients and customers.
Staff who behave respectfully towards each other, value each
others views and opinions, work in teams which are places of
mutual support, where anything is debated without a hint of
humiliation, where the critique of the individual and team
work is welcomed, discussed and where lessons are learnt
and implemented.
Staff who go the extra mile by providing unsolicited ideas,
thoughts, stimulus to each other, and where their interests in
their customers and clients offers something that is more
than expected, beyond courtesy, and beyond service, offering
attentiveness and personal interest.
 Challenges for their staff, that provide opportunities for
personal development though new experiences, and which
treat everyone withfairness and understanding.
Staff who are personally driven towards organisational and
personalsuccess intellectually, financially, socially and
emotionally.
Several Areas in Which HR Can Affect Organizational Culture Positively
or Negatively
by Ruth Mayhew, Demand Media
HR strategy can affect corporate culture.
Organizational culture is more than a buzz phrase. It's the "proper way
to think, act and behave within an organization," according to HR.com in
a July 2005 post. Managers make hiring decisions based on a candidate's
potential fit with the organizational culture; employees base a decision
to leave on whether that culture fits their needs. By virtue of its reach
and its principal goal to achieve a productive workforce, HR department
functions can have positive or negative impact on the corporate culture.
Ads by Google
Job Openings Philippines
Start Your Career Today Check Out The Job Openings Here!
www.ayosdito.ph/Opening
Employee Relations
Employee relations is an HR discipline that can affect the organization
depending on the way HR staff interacts with the company's workers
and leadership. The goal of employee relations is simple: to strengthen
the employer-employee relationship. How HR manages employee
relations issues can affect the organizational culture, good or bad.
Swiftly addressing and resolving workplace issues, fostering open and
candid communication between leadership and staff and reinforcing
that HR is an advocate for both the company and the employees are
ways to positively affect organizational culture.
Compensation
Your organizational culture may become fodder for job seekers
throughout the online and offline community if HR develops an
ineffective compensation structure. Compensation and benefits are
important tools for attracting and retaining talent. If you aren't paying
workers competitively or if there are deep divisions between executive
and staff pay practices, it can have a negative impact on the
organizational culture. On the other hand, if your HR compensation
strategy includes rewarding employees for their contributions, paying
fair wages and providing comprehensive benefits, these affect the
culture in a positive way.
Related Reading: HR Theory & Organizational Readiness
Workplace Safety
Employers have an obligation to provide workers with a safe, hazard-
free work environment. Training on effective safety measures,
evacuation plans and responses to workplace incidents is essential to
ensure employees' safety and well-being. The absence of workplace
safety policies and procedures results in an environment where
employees may feel threatened, which in turn, negatively affects
productivity and your organizational culture.
Effective Leadership
In addition to HR, supervisors and managers sustain a positive
organizational culture through effective leadership. Delegating
responsibility based on employees' skills and interests and recognizing
employees' contributions to the department and the organization are
tenets of effective leadership. Supervisors and managers who
communicate openly with their employees, provide constructive
feedback and coach workers are fundamental to a positive workplace
culture. HR provides leadership skills training to supervisors and
managers to ensure that they're capable of managing their department
functions and their employees.
How to Create a Positive Work Culture
by Kate McFarlin, Demand Media
A positive workplace culture leads to increased productivity, better
employee morale and the ability to keep skilled workers. Negative
attitudes in the workplace, particularly when they are displayed by
management or the small business owner, can have a dramatic impact
on the entire workforce. Taking the steps to ensure that a positive
culture is present in the workplace will go a long way towards keeping
your organization running smoothly and keeping your employees happy.
Ads by Google
Spring Jewelry Wholesale
Wholesale! 20 Years Jewelry Export, Exclusive Design, 2000+ Items.
viennois-online.com
Step 1
Create a clear vision statement for your company. Employees like to
know that the job they are doing is making a difference. By creating a
vision statement about where you want your company to be in the
future and how you want it to make the world a better place creates an
air of striving for betterment in the workplace. This lays the foundation
for a positive work culture.
Step 2
Look for positive attitudes while hiring. Negative people can quickly sour
an entire workplace. When hiring employees, look for a friendly smile
and an upbeat disposition. Ask questions of new hires to determine how
they handle conflict and interactions with others. If you already have
negative employees on staff, take them aside to discuss their attitudes
and make it clear that you are creating a positive work culture and
negativity will not be tolerated.
Related Reading: The Advantages of Diverse Culture in the Work Force
Step 3
Make an open-door policy. When the boss is inaccessible and distant to
employees, they may not feel as though their opinions matter. Establish
an open-door policy and encourage interaction with employees. Ask
their opinions, listen to what they have to say and remember to be
positive in your dealings with them.
Step 4
Engage your employees in daily operations of the company. Employees
may not realize the good that the company is doing behind closed
doors. Keeping them informed about exciting new changes or new
horizons will help them stay engaged in the company and feel more
positive about the future. Be honest and open with your employees.
Step 5
Let your employees know they are appreciated. Employees who are not
recognized for the work they do can feel as though their work is
unappreciated. Establish reward systems for excellent performance and
never forget to thank an employee for a job well done.
This is a goal for Ben Kirshner. After several years of working in less-
than-positive offices, he launched Elite SEM, a search engine marketing
firm, with one major goal: to employ happy employees.
I really care about what my employees want and need and constantly
welcome feedback, he says. I also take good care of themwith free
food, unlimited time off, and competitive compensation.
His strategy has worked out nicely. Today, Kirshner employees 25
people across three offices and has a very low turnover rate.
Changing a companys culture takes time, patience, and serious
dedication.
It is sort of like a diet, says Chinsky Matuson. If you are 400 pounds,
you cant get rid of that weight by just eating one less bag of chips. You
have to completely change your life.
Its the same with a companys culture. If your culture isnt where you
want it to be, start looking at making big changes. Those changes can be
tough ones because they might include terminating bad apples.

When employees are happy, they do better and treat their clients
better, says Kirshner. It is better for the organization.

Ok, so lets say your company is suffering from less-than-stellar turnover

rates and youve noticed your employees acting a little lackluster lately.
You might consider giving your corporate culture a revamp.

Heres how:

1. Define your legacy

Decide what kind of organization you want to have, suggests Roberta

Chinsky Matuson, president of Human Resource Solutions, an HR
consultancy in Northampton, Massachusetts and author of Suddenly in
Charge: Managing Up, Managing Down, Succeeding All Around. Many
people leave the corporate environment and join a small business
because they were treated poorly.

Think about what you want people to say about your company when
they leave and then work backwards.

2. Hire Smartly

Get the right people on the bus, advises Kirshner. You can lay out a
vision, but you need good people to take it to the next level. Most great
workers already have jobs. Make sure you offer a differentiator.

3. Listen

Employee-to-employer feedback is hugely underrated in companies of

all sizes.

Ask your employees what they like about working at your company,
what they hate about it, and what they would do differently if it was
their company, suggests Kirshner. Focusing on their needs creates a
positive corporate culture.

4. Engage

Consider sharing company goals and financialsgood and badwith

your employees. Open lines of communication will create a culture of
openness in your organization, and employees may become more
engaged in the success of the business.

I try to be very transparent, Krishner says. Employees like knowing

what is going on.

5. Reward

A pat on the back is always appreciated, especially when it comes from

your boss.

Give recognition where it is due, Chinsky Matuson says.

Acknowledging and rewarding can really energize your employees.

6. Prepare to change