Making culture a forethought. What to do when strategy meets organizational culture

Organizational culture is a key ingredient in successfully managing monumental strategic change initiatives. Those who are successful in managing change are actively integrating organizational culture into their total planning process. Organizational cultures should be a forethought in the management of the change process. Managers should give the same care and thoroughness to culture that they allot to the other major aspects of a plan. The culture of any organization in the midst of rapid change will not tolerate an information vacuum. People affected by change want to be able to ask questions and be heard. Communication should be interactive. Create opportunities that allow people at all levels of the organization to close the past. Without closure, some of the best people may feel that the organization has betrayed them. Creating a process that allows people to work through the change and motivating people to reinvent their approach and role in the new ways of doing things is what healthcare leadership in the 1990s is all about. It is part of the critical skill set that is necessary to lead Catholic-sponsored health services into the future.