The Key to Changing Organizational Culture

Why do conversations about an important topic like culture typically go nowhere, leading companies to waste time and money with “cultural change efforts” which very seldom work? Does culture really matter? How important is culture in shaping an organisations' present and future?

The Boston Globe just ran a front-page story in their “Ideas” section on organizational culture, inspired by some depressing events involving the Boston University hockey team. It was much more impactful than the average writing about culture, and raised several questions as above. 

John Kotter, the chief innovation officer at Kotter International (www.kotterinternational.com), a firm that helps leaders accelerate strategy implementation in their organizations, and is the Konosuke Matsushita Professor of Leadership Emeritus at Harvard Business School has written an excellent article about culture changes and their role and importance. 

Here is the link to John Kotter's piece that was published in Forbes