Title: Believing Is Seeing: A Look At the Affect of Technology on Organizational Culture
1Believing Is Seeing A Look At the Affect of
Technology on Organizational Culture
2Culture Is A Pipeline To The Heart
- It is with the heart that one sees rightly what
is essential is invisible to the eye.
-Antoine De Saint-Exupery The
Little Prince
3Culture Defined
- The way we do things around here!
4The Lasting Influence Of Cultural Experiences
- The culture of an enterprise plays the dominant
role in exemplary performance. Highly respected
organizations have evolved a shared system of
informal folkways and traditions that infuse work
with meaning, passion, and purpose. (Deal and
Peterson, 1999)
5The New Magic Pencil
- There is no power like the power of an idea whose
time has come!
6If
Machiavelli said, It should be borne in mind
that there is nothing more difficult to handle,
more doubtful of success, and more dangerous to
carry through than initiating changes
7And
Yep! And Machiawhatever his name is, went on to
say, The innovator makes enemies of all those
who prospered under the old order, and only
lukewarm support is forthcoming from those who
would prosper under the new.
8You gotta be kidding! I cant do that.
9This, too, shall pass!
10I guess its time to retire!
11So
The target of change is typically the structure
of schools!
12Therefore, Introducing New Technology Into a
School Is To
CHANGE the way we do things around hereto
change the CULTURE!
How dya spell it?
13 Cycle of Change
Hope/Possibility
Informed Optimism
Informed Pessimism
Public Withdrawal
Private Withdrawal
Success/Completion
14Whats Happening
- Organizational Charts
- Job Descriptions
- Policy Manuals
- Schedules
- Rules
- Procedures
- Goals
15Lets talk about whats happening.
- In small groups, talk about how new technology
affects the attributes of whats happening in
the organization.
- Organizational Charts
- Job Descriptions
- Policy Manuals
- Schedules
- Rules
- Procedures
- Goals
16Whats Going On
- The Informal Organization
- Storytellers
- Priests
- Whisperers
- Gossips
- Secretarial Sources
- Spies
- Historians
17Lets talk about whats going on!
- In small groups, talk about how new technology
affects the attributes of whats going on in
the organization.
- Storytellers
- Priests
- Whisperers
- Gossips
- Secretarial Sources
- Spies
- Historians
18The Typewriters Tale A True Story
- A business teacher working on a new mission
statement that included emerging technology
said, The typewriter was good enough for me! - Several of her colleagues applauded.
Applause!
19An Innocent Red Pencil
- So powerful and enduring are many of the customs
encountered in our public schools that the
emotional effect often stays with us long after
the initial experience.
20The Typewriter As Symbol
- The nonprofit leader who is sensitive and
responsive to the organizations culture will not
act precipitously to change it, even if such a
change is on his eventual agenda. (Dobbs and
Nanus, 1999)
21The Old Masters Prints
- Only time will tell if the reported actions of
Lotta Change (a pseudonym) can be characterized
as a precipitous act. In a recently published
story Lotta cleared the school of all art and
other decorations, including a number of prints
that had been accumulated over 70 years.
22The Old Masters Prints
- A forty-year veteran teacher and principal at the
school was not pleased. She said - If we dont appreciate and respect the past, how
do we expect our children to respect and
appreciate what we have done.
23Master Metaphors!
- The correct metaphor can help sustain and enhance
the core values of an organization by eliciting
assumptions and behaviors that advance the
organizations real purpose.
24The New Sawdust!
- The rabbit could not claim to be a model of
anything, for he didnt know that real rabbits
existed he thought they were all stuffed with
sawdust like himself, and he understood that
sawdust was quite out-of-date and should never be
mentioned in modern circles. (The
Velveteen Rabbit)
25We all know that
- Evidence abounds that metaphors can dramatically
affect our lives and influence our behaviors - A chicken in every pot.
- Fly the friendly skies.
- The Pepsi generation.
- Just do it.
- People are our most important product.
26So, why not
- A world in every classroom!
- The world at your fingertips!
- Your childs magic carpet!
- A doorway to the stars!
- A childs ride on a rainbow!
27Powerful stuff this culture thing
- Diving headlong into the pool of beliefs, values,
and assumptions, history, stories, and tribes,
storytellers, healers, and gossips makes ones
head reel. - It means examining our basic beliefs and values
about work, play, and family.
28History, Stories, and Rituals
- In the culture of any organization, nothing
spawns experiences and emotions more readily than
the accessories of its history, described and
kept alive in many ways, but especially through
stories.
29The Velveteen Rabbit
- What is real? asked the rabbit one day. Does
it mean having things that buzz inside you and a
stick-out handle? - The Skin Horse answers
30A Final Wordor two!
- Organizations, especially schools, need leaders
who can understand and apply the power of culture
and the emerging technology to increase student
success. - Shame on anyone who would neglect the values,
beliefs, and assumptions that lead to the success
of our children.
31After all
- Children are a cherished message we send to a
time we shall never see.