Change of the Organizational Culture - Essay Example

English Topic: Personal Essay This I Believe” Essay) Introduction One muffled drum spoils the symphony of the entire orchestra. An organization needs to be a homogeneous entity, consisting of heterogeneous types of personalities. The managers of the organization must cultivate proper understanding of the science of ergonomics. (Placement of proper men at the proper jobs) Efforts for individual perfection will lead to societal prosperity. Ongoing assessment and remedial measure are necessary for an organization to remain at the top and win the appreciation. When it is necessary to change, the organizational culture must change in keeping with the requirements of time, but when it is not necessary to change, it is necessary not to change. For short terms gains, long term vision of the organization must never be sacrificed. Enhance the merits of the culture, without causing damage to the soul of the organization. This I Believe! This I put into practice! Richard S. Gallagher argues, “In an organizational setting, the meaning of culture extends to the core beliefs, behaviors, and actions behind its daily business life…its values are unspoken, but they exert a powerful influence on the behavior of those who choose to be part of that organization.”(4) My organization attaches great importance to ethical and socio-spiritual values that are beneficial for the humankind. The communication received on that misty Monday of the winter stunned us. “Yours is one of the five organizations shortlisted for the grant. Our Senior Vice-President will visit your Head Office this Friday. He will conduct the final interview and ask you four questions. The duration of the interview is ten minutes and any one nominee from the list of your Managing Committee Members will appear for the interview. “Incredible! The fate of one time grant of $80,000 will be decided within ten minutes! That too on the basis of 4 questions! An urgent meeting of the 8 Managing Committee Members is convened the same evening and discussion on the startling communication begins. We work for the cause reformation and rehabilitation of the visually challenged persons, and education for the slum children. We are in this field for the last two decades. Education to the slum children is free; they are also provided books and clothing, mid-day meals, transportation from their residence to school etc. As for the visually challenged, cottage industry units like manufacturing candle, biscuits etc. have been established and they are given salary as per the government norms. The profits earned are ploughed back to create more employment opportunities for the visually challenged. Not one of the 200 persons doing service on the administrative side, and the teaching staff are compensated monetarily. All of them work on honorary basis, with a mission and not for commission! After prolonged discussion, the onus of facing the interview falls to my lot. I begin preparations for the interview with right earnest and study the past history of the organization from the day of its inception when it is managed by just 4 volunteers. I go through the balance sheets, year-wise achievements, the salient features of the present structures, etc. I do an extensive study of the problems of the visually challenged, their international significance, role of the United Nations Agencies, statistics related to important countries, outstanding achievements of some of the visually challenged, the issues related to slum children etc. My level of preparations in those four days is that of a candidate appearing for the highest Civil Service Examination! My organization must get this grant! How will I face the other Managing Committee Members if we fail to get this grant! …..and Friday arrives! Sharp at 9.45 a.m. Mr. James Patterson, the Vice-President of Charity Select Organization arrives with his Secretary. We escort him to the Conference Room of the two-story structure, which is our Head Office. I welcome him with a rose-garland! Soon, the Secretary requests me to get in and he stays out. “Our boss enjoys confidentiality of his questions,” he says with a wry smile. “Are the questions really tough? What is the theme of the interview like?” I venture to ask the Secretary. “Oh, yes! You need to wait for a few more seconds. Unpredictability is his specialty.” The secretary does not seem to be less intelligent than the boss. What a clever style to evade the question! “Whether answers to all the questions need to be correct?” “Perhaps and perhaps not,” says the Secretary and asks me to get into the room. The lone figure sitting in the chamber welcomes me with a broad smile. He scans though the literature, brochures, publications of our Organization placed at his disposal on the table. He does it with a mechanical motion, and does not seem to show much interest in them. He looks vacantly at the statistical charts on achievements of the Organization, hung on the walls of the cabin. Without any further notice, he fires the first salvo and looks straight into my eyes. “How many steps of the stairs you climb to reach this conference room?” No answer! “How many ceiling fans you have in this entire building and when are they dusted last?” No answer! “How often you get your washroom cleaned and which detergent you use for their upkeep?” No answer! ….and the final question now. I clearly see the sanction letter for grant flying away and vanish into thin air from the window right in front me. Mr. Patterson pauses for a few seconds and puts the question. “How many roses are there in this garland that you have so lovingly put around my neck? No guesswork and the count have to be exact …and I give you as a special case, two minutes to answer this question and Mr. Patterson begins to keep vigil on those two minutes. This question is like a slap on my face. I have arranged this garland with roses from the garden of our Organization. They are pink in color, county roses, known for their fragrance. Our women volunteers have readied it, especially for Mr. Patterson. Exactly after 120 seconds, Mr. Patterson asks me politely, “Can I know your final answer?” I summon courage. I must answer to at least one of the four questions tendered by Mr. Patterson. “You see Mr. Patterson, I do not count the roses, and I go by their fragrance. That lifts my spirits up and gives inner joy. They are the spiritual entities to me. I hope you like them.” “I do,” he says with a broad smile, “and I love your answer too!” Handing over the envelope to me he says, “This I Believe, your organization richly deserves. If you agree please request your Managing Committee Members to come over here as it is my duty to explain the rationale of my decision.” “…….This is the summing up. My first question is regarding the steps of the stairs. You go on the job of expansion, and in your enthusiasm to grow, lose count of the details. You fail to take proper care and the issues become unmanageable. This is one of the serious drawbacks of management. As for my second question, maintenance aspect is not taken care of by you well in time, and you do not have proper inventory of the items that you buy or receive as donations. The upkeep of your assets is another important aspect in a growing and ambitious organization. My third question, your washrooms are smelly and their upkeep is improper. I use the attached washroom and find the tiles have turned yellow. We lay great emphasis on cleanliness. Take notice of all these anomalies before the post-grant quarterly inspection by our inspecting staff. But your answer to my last question nullifies all your shortcomings. You do not go by the count of the roses, but by their fragrance…yes, fragrance it is! THE ESSENCE! The essence, the soul of your organization is sound and that is a great promise! You have taken care of the fundamentals, and other details can be taken care of with some extra efforts. Therefore, I have great pleasure in being able to do what I have done for you on behalf of my management. We adore ideas and work that enlightens individuals and society as a whole! This I Believe! And I like the message that you have painted on the wall at the entrance of the hall, ‘It is better to deserve without receiving, than to receive without deserving!’ Today you are able to receive something and you richly deserve it! Works Cited Gallagher, Richard S. The Soul of an Organization: Understanding the Values That Drive Successful Corporate Cultures. Kaplan Publishing, October 15, 2002, Print. Read More