This weeks curator, Laura-Jane Parker, reflects on how organisations under pressure expose their true culture and what can be done if those behaviours aren’t what you want to see; she also shares 5 links for further reading on the topic.
What’s your organisations default?
This week, I have blogged on the nature of default behaviours in an organisation and how these are exposed in times of stress and pressure, testing the success (or otherwise) of any cultural change initiatives. I have also explored some key areas to focus on to build an organisations ‘core strength’, such that it is able to respond better to change – both in good times and bad.
>> see When the going gets tough
Do you ever have those days, weeks or even months when everything needs to be done yesterday? The last couple of weeks have been exactly that for me. I am about to take a four week holiday from work to get married, so deadlines and demands on my time have been piling in, both professionally and personally. I care about both things, so the pressure I’ve put on myself to succeed at both organising a wedding and fulfilling all of my Postshift work has felt huge. And last week, when my mum came to stay, it all came to a head as we had a huge argument about her getting lost on the way to my flat. This was not my finest moment (I have since apologised!) and very unlike me to let something so minor get me so frustrated.
Weekly Linklog
- The designers who decide defaults have immense, potentially life-saving power. How Default Settings Rule the World — Pacific Standard
- It’s not you, Microsoft — or your highly anticipated, eagerly awaited SharePoint 2016. It’s us — the users. That’s the conclusion of new research from AIIM, a Silver Spring, Md.-based. The Problem With Microsoft SharePoint? People | CMS Wire
- Making excuses offers temporary relief from a challenge or problem, but they also hold us back. What You Can Learn From The Excuses You Tell Yourself | Fast Company | Business + Innovation
- Our traditional obsessions—success, taking action, fitting in, and relying on experts—undermine continuous improvement. Why Organizations Don’t Learn | HBR
- Hovering isn’t terribly helpful, but hands-off management can hurt the team even more. Forget Micromanaging, Hands-Off Leadership Could Hurt Workers More | Fast Company | Business + Innovation
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