Questions for Each Staff to Respond (possibly in small groups for larger meetings)

1. Do the results of you OCAI inventory accurately reflect your assessment of the current and preferred culture in the organization?
2. What about your own personality and role in the organization might cause your current and preferred culture to be different from an overall average of assessments from others in the organization?

Questions for Group Discussion and/or Executive Team Discussion

1. Patterns and Group Needs. What patterns emerge as you review multiple responses? Are there trends based on department or role in the organization? Are there trends across demographic groups such as across generations, gender, racial/ethnic groups, etc.? How can you help reduce tensions between departments? If your dominant organizational culture is in tension with the preferences of particular groups, what are the implications of this as your organization works to develop and retain new leaders?
2. Staff Needs. One approach to organizational strategy is to simply average all the responses of staff and conclude that is what the organization needs to do. What might be the strengths and weaknesses of that approach? What might the “average” response be for your organization? You can just draw an estimate on a whiteboard.
3. Needs from Environment. Often an organization’s environment “demands” that the culture be a particular way in order for it to be effective in achieving its mission. What is the common organizational culture for similar organizations to yours? Based on your organization’s environment, what is the ideal organizational culture to achieve your mission within the current environment? Are the needs from the environment different from the needs of staff, and what are the implications of this?
4. Synthesis and Strategy. Create a synthesis balancing the needs of various groups, staff overall and environmental demands. What are the main areas where your organization needs to shift from its current culture to a preferred culture? What are the implications of this on your strategy?