Innovating Lean Six Sigma: A Strategic Guide to Deploying the World's Most Effective Business Improvement Process

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Got Culture?

WITH JEFF KAHNE, PhD

We were on an initial conference call with the executive team of a prospective client, and we asked them to describe the company’s culture. There was dead silence; we could even hear crickets chirping in the background. Silence is a common reaction when we ask people about their organization’s culture. It isn’t a question that companies often consider, let alone thoughtfully discuss. Culture runs below the surface of most organizations.

Obviously, the answer to the question, “Got culture?” is yes. Every group has its own culture. It is a natural outcome any time human beings associate with one another. Perhaps ...