Organisational Culture
Uncertainty /
Basic
Score
Purpose
Do we have a clear
sense of purpose?
Ambition
How ambitious are we
as an organisation?
0
1
Awakening /
Repeatable
2
3
Enlightenment /
Defined
4
5
Wisdom /
Managed
6
7
 No sense of purpose other
than financial results.
 A sense of purpose, other
than financial results, is
emerging.
 It is understood and
shared by most leaders.
 Not widely shared and
understood by wider
group of people and
stakeholders.
 There is a sense of purpose;
however, it is not very
engaging or compelling.
 It is shared and understood by
most people inside the
organisation.
 It is not understood or shared
by anyone outside the
organisation.
 No growth aspirations.
 A culture of creating high
expectations and
ambitious growth plans
does not exist.
 There is no evidence of
unconstrained blue sky
thinking.
 Growth aspirations are
approaching the market
average.
 Leadership is starting to
demonstrate signs of
unconstrained blue sky
thinking.
 At the early stages of
creating a culture that
supports unconstrained
blue sky thinking.
 Growth aspirations exceed
the market average.
 Growth aspirations are about  Leadership is consciously
the market average.
working towards creating a
safe environment to support
 Leaders are consciously
working towards creating a
unconstrained blue sky
safe environment to support
thinking.
unconstrained blue sky
 A culture of continuously
thinking.
challenging constraints is
 Leaders continuously
prevalent within the
challenge constraints.
leadership team and
emerging across the rest of
the organisation.
 A compelling sense of higher
purpose is emerging.
 It goes beyond succeeding
over competitors.
 It is understood and shared
by all employees.
 It is gaining traction outside
the organisation.
Certainty /
Optimised
8
9
10
Score
 There is a clear sense of
higher purpose that goes
beyond succeeding over
competitors.
 It is relevant and meaningful
to employees, suppliers,
markets, customers as well
as other stakeholders.
 It is readily understood and
shared by people inside and
outside the organisation.
/10
 Growth aspirations are well
above market average with
ambitions to grow to
become the best.
 A safe environment
encourages unconstrained
blue sky thinking.
 Continuously challenging
constraints is prevalent
throughout the business.
/10
Outlook
Are our growth
ambitions local or
global?
Confidence and
Attitude
Do we have a solution
focused can-do culture?
 A culture of global outlook
does not exist.
 There is no real appetite
and attempt at building a
global organisation/
business.
 There is little or no
regional or global
presence.
 A global outlook is starting
to emerge with leaders
seeking regional
opportunities.
 Plans are in place for
developing a regional
footprint.
 The need to understand
and fit in with local
markets and cultures is
well recognised.
 There is a limited regional
presence and value chain.
 Market opportunities are
not geographically
 A global outlook is starting to
constrained with most
emerge with leaders seeking
people in the business
global opportunities.
seeking global opportunities.
 Plans are in place for
 A clear global footprint is
developing a global footprint. developing supported with
limited local/regional
 The need to understand and
presence. Efforts are made
fit in with local markets and
to understand and fit in with
cultures is well recognised
local markets and cultures.
and practiced in regional
markets.
 The company is starting to
project a presence towards
 There is a limited global
becoming globally relevant
presence and limited global
with clear plans for
value chain.
developing its global value
chain.
 Market opportunities are
not geographically
constrained with everyone
in the business seeking
global opportunities.
 A clear global footprint
exists supported with
local/regional presence,
both physically and
culturally. Local markets and
cultures are well understood
and accommodated.
 The company projects a
presence that makes it
global and is supported by a
global value chain.
/10
 A “Can’t do because…”
culture is dominant. The
management team seems
to be predominantly
concerned about
constraints rather than
solutions.
 Fear of failure and
criticism stifles
experimentation and
learning.
 The emphasis is on the
plan rather than planning
with limited awareness of
what is going on outside
the organisation.
 A solution focused
leadership team is leading
the way through
experimentation and
learning whilst trying to
remove fear of failure.
 A “Can-do” culture is
starting to emerge as a
result.
 The emphasis is on the
plan rather than planning
on a broad-based outlook.
 Leadership is becoming
more aware of what is
happening around them
and are trying to respond
to events with reasonable
speed.
 A “Can do” culture is
emerging and the “Can’t do
because…” attitude is in a
minority.
 A solution focused culture is
emerging with leadership
actively encouraging and
supporting experimentation
and learning.
 The fear of failure is almost
eliminated.
 The emphasis is shifting
from the plan to the process
of planning
 Based on a broad outlook,
people seem to know what
is happening around them
and try respond to events
with speed and pace.
 The general culture in the
organisation is that nothing
is impossible and the default
reaction is ”YES, let’s find a
way to do it”.
 A solution focused culture is
prevalent where
experimentation, failure and
learning is actively
encouraged; e.g., fail-fast.
 Bounce-back-ability is high.
 A culture of planning is
prevalent.
 Based on a broad outlook,
people seem to know what
is happening around them
and respond to events with
speed and pace without
panic.
/10
 A “Can-do” culture is gaining
dominance over “Can’t do
because…” culture.
 A solution focused leadership
is actively leading supporting
experimentation and learning
whilst trying to remove fear of
failure.
 The emphasis is on the plan
rather than planning on a
broad-based outlook.
 Leadership seem to know
what is happening around
them and are beginning to
respond to events with speed.
Compassion
and Teamwork
Do we have an
environment that
encourages everyone to
act for the greater
good?
External
Networking
Are we an introvert or
extravert organisation?
 Acting out of self-interest
is the dominant culture.
 A supportive culture that
acknowledges weaknesses
and supports strengths
does not exist.
 People generally feel
undervalued and
unsupported with little or
no opportunities for selfimprovement.
 At all levels, there is little
or no networking outside
the organisation.
 There are limited or no
trusting relationships with
external organisations.
 There is little or no
understanding of what is
happening outside the
organisation.
 There is no plan in place to
develop and improve
external networking.
 Thinking of and acting for
the greater good is
emerging across the
leadership team.
 The leadership is actively
trying to develop a
supportive culture that
acknowledges and takes
responsibility for
weaknesses whilst
supporting strengths.
 People and their dignity
are treasured and valued
by the leaders.
 There is an emerging
understanding of the need
to enrich the external
network.
 External networking and
relationships are at their
infancy but developing.
 Some awareness of what is
happening outside the
organisation is emerging.
 There is a plan in place to
develop and improve
external networking.
 Thinking of and acting for the
greater good is the dominant
culture across the leadership
team.
 The leadership is successfully
trying to develop a supportive
culture.
 A culture that acknowledges
and takes responsibility for
weaknesses whilst
supporting strengths is
starting to gain dominance.
 People and their dignity are
treasured and valued by the
leaders and this way of
working is starting to gain
traction in other parts of the
organisation.
 Leaders are actively engaged
in external networking and
they actively encourage
others to enrich their external
network.
 Some trusting relationships
are already in place and a
wider external network is
developing.
 There is good awareness of
what is happening outside the
organisation.
 There is a plan in place to
develop and improve network
richness.
 Thinking of and acting for
the greater good is the
dominant culture with little
regard for self-interest.
 A supportive culture that
acknowledges and takes
responsibility for
weaknesses whilst
appreciating and supporting
strengths is emerging.
 People and their dignity are
treasured and valued with
the leaders encouraging
people to contribute at the
highest level.
 Opportunities for selfimprovement are starting to
emerge.
 People at all levels think of
and act for the greater good.
 A supportive culture that
acknowledges and takes
responsibility for
weaknesses whilst
appreciating and supporting
strengths is prevalent.
 People and their dignity are
treasured and valued.
 People actively support one
another to contribute at the
highest level.
 People actively seek out
opportunities to enable
themselves and others to
continuously better
themselves.
/10
 Everyone is encouraged to
develop and enrich their
external network.
 There is a well-established
external network with
trusting relationships
emerging.
 There is a high-level
awareness of what is
happening outside the
organisation.
 The network is being
leveraged to identify
collaborative opportunities.
 There is a continuous effort
to develop and improve
network richness.
 Everyone habitually seeks to
develop and enrich their
external network.
 There is a rich external
network with many wellestablished and trusting
long-term relationships.
 The external network is
continuously developing and
growing.
 There is a high-level
awareness of what is
happening outside the
organisation.
 The network is being
leveraged for collaborative
opportunities and creating
competitive advantage.
 There is a continuous effort
for identifying and
developing collaborative
opportunities.
/10
Structure
Do we have a flat
networked structure
that encourages
corporate
entrepreneurial
behaviour?
Openness and
Transparency
Do we have an open,
fair and transparent
organisation?
 A culture of open
communication does not
exist and bureaucratic
structures constrain open
communication.
 Management sees the job
as controlling everything
and does not trust people
to get on with their jobs.
 There is a low level of
awareness of each other’s
jobs and responsibilities
that constraints
networking and open
communication

 The need for freedom
from command and
 A flat network-based
control is recognised.
organisation structure is
emerging.
 The leadership team is at
the early stages of creating  Bureaucratic structures that
a flat organisation free
constraint networking and
from bureaucratic
entrepreneurial behaviours
structures.
are being systematically
eliminated.
 Leaders see their job as
keeping communications
 Leaders keep the lines of
free flowing without the
communications free flowing
need to know everything
and encourage
that is going on.
entrepreneurial behaviour
without the need to know
 However, a command and
everything that is going on.
control culture is still
dominant in parts of the
 Awareness of each other’s
organisation.
responsibilities is developing.
 There is some awareness
 Internal networking is
of each other’s
emerging with some early
responsibilities but this is
signs of and entrepreneurial
not widespread.
behaviour.
 A flat network-based
organisation is dominant.
 Bureaucratic structures that
constrain networking and
entrepreneurial behaviours
are mostly eliminated.
 Management keeps the lines
of communication free
flowing and does not try to
control everything (freedom
from command and control).
 Generally people are trusted
to get on with their jobs and
entrepreneurial behaviour is
actively encouraged.
 Awareness of each other’s
responsibilities is continuing
to develop.
 Internal networking and
entrepreneurial behaviour is
developing.
 A flat network based
organisation structure is
embedded with free flowing
lines of communication.
 People are trusted and are
free to get on with their
jobs.
 There is a high level of
awareness of each other’s
responsibilities.
 Management act as coaches
and facilitators, actively
encouraging entrepreneurial
behaviour and avoid getting
in the way.
 Internal networking and
entrepreneurial behaviour is
prevalent.
/10
 Communication of
strategy, key initiatives
and key numbers is limited
to the leadership team.
 Communication is top
down with only the
operational numbers being
shared beyond the
leadership team.
 Performance is seen as the
exclusive responsibility of
the leadership team.
 A process of internal
communications is in
place.
 Leadership is consciously
working towards creating
an open and transparent
culture.
 Communication is largely
top down with some twoway communication taking
place in certain areas.
 Key performance
information is exclusive to
the leadership team.
 Performance is largely
seen as a management
responsibility.
 A strong internal
communications culture is in
place with visual approaches
to communication enabling
two-way interaction.
 Communication is multidirectional with regular
opportunities for updates
and feedback.
 All performance information
is being openly shared
across all levels but mostly
internally.
 Performance is largely seen
as a team responsibility with
success being celebrated
and appropriately
recognised.
 A strong internal and
external communication
culture exists with visual
management approaches
enabling two-way dialogue.
 Communication is multidirectional with regular
opportunities for updates
and feedback.
 Key performance
information is openly shared
at all levels internally and
externally.
 Performance is seen as
everyone's responsibility
(including external partners)
and success is openly shared
and celebrated at all levels.
/10
 An open and transparent
culture is emerging.
 Use of visual management
and communication
approaches are emerging.
 Management is actively
encouraging multi directional
dialogue on the performance
of the organisation.
 Most performance
information is being openly
shared, but mostly internally.
 Performance is largely seen as
a team responsibility.
Focus and
Commitments
Do we have the
organisational focus
and commitment to
deliver our ambitions?
 There is no clear focus and
commitment to deliver
against business
objectives.
 Objectives and targets
have no clear foundations.
 There is no process for
setting and reviewing
business objectives.
 Management are not able
to articulate how the
business objectives will be
achieved.
 Success or failure is often a
surprise.
 There is always an excuse
for failing to achieve
business objectives.
 Underlying culture is that
“we are often wrong and
we are not sure why”.
 There little or no creative
debate around what else
can be done and most
discussions are
constrained by the
numbers.
 Leadership team
understands and are
committed to deliver
business objectives.
 The business objectives
are developed by the
leadership team who are
able to articulate how they
will be achieved with some
consistency.
 Progress and performance
is tracked against
assumptions but the
analysis is over simplistic
to enable corrective
actions to be taken with
confidence.
 Underlying culture is that
“you can be wrong as long
as you know why and you
have a plan/solution for
corrective action”.
 There is some debate
around what else can be
done which is often
constrained by the
numbers.
 Most people are focused and
committed to deliver the
business objectives.
 Business objectives are a
product of a repeatable
process but some of the
underlying data and
assumptions are ambiguous.
 The numbers are owned by
the management who are
able to articulate how they
will be achieved with a certain
degree of confidence.
 Managers are actively working
towards empowering people
to take the necessary actions
to hit the numbers.
 Progress and performance is
tracked against targets but
the practice of tracking these
against assumptions is
emerging.
 A culture that encourages
understanding of the reasons
behind success and failure is
emerging.
 There is creative debate
around what else can be done
which is somewhat
constrained by the numbers.
 Most people are focused
and committed to deliver
the business objectives.
 The business objectives are
the product of a robust and
repeatable process but
some of the underlying
assumptions are ambiguous.
 The numbers are fully
owned by the management
who are able to articulate
how they will be achieved
with consistency and clarity.
 People are empowered to
take necessary actions to hit
the numbers.
 Progress and performance is
tracked against assumptions
enabling corrective
interventions.
 A culture that encourages
deep understanding of the
reasons behind success and
failure is becoming
dominant.
 There is creative debate
around what else can be
done which may, at times,
be constrained by the
numbers.
 Everyone is focused and
committed to deliver against
business objectives.
 Business objectives and
targets are built from data
with clear, ambitious and
realistic assumptions.
 The process for developing
and reviewing business
objectives is reliable and
repeatable.
 Business objectives are fully
owned and people at all
levels are able to articulate
exactly how they will be
achieved.
 Success or failure is never a
surprise with underlying
reasons enabling learning
and development.
 The underlying culture is
that “you can be wrong as
long as you know why and
have a plan/solution”.
 There is an unconstrained
creative debate around
what else can be done.
 Numbers and targets are
treated as guidelines and
consistently exceeded if
possible. “Blow them away”
is the general underlying
culture.
Total Score
Total Score %
Please divide your total score above by 90 and multiply by 100
/90