In one of the readings Gareth Morgan proposes some essential strengths to organizational culture.
"What impact am I having on the social construction of reality in my organization?" "What can I do to have a different and more positive impact?"
The piece that really jumps out at me here is the "more positive impact." I have been in places that people bring a negative energy to the organizational culture. This always intrigues me. I get it, but I don't at the same time. One of the first things I tell people that work for me is that working for me is a choice. If they are unhappy, they can leave. And if they are unhappy and expressed their concerns and things could not or did not change and they remain unhappy, they SHOULD leave. I don't want people working for or with me that are complainers. At times I have heard people talk and ask what the organization can do for them. Well, I lean towards the JFK phrase. "Ask not what your [organization] can do for you, but what you can do for your [organization]".
