CREATING A

HIGH-INVOLVEMENT
CULTURE THROUGH
A VALUE-DRIVEN
CHANGE PROCESS

A MONOGRAPH BY
ROBERT W. ROGERS,
AND
B. JEAN FERKETISH, PH.D.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE MOVE TOWARD HIGH INVOLVEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS PROVIDE THE FOCUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

VISION AND VALUES DEFINE THE BEHAVIOR CHANGE

1. Creating the Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
2. Values Drive the Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

DESIGN FOR HIGH INVOLVEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

FOUR THRUSTS TO HIGH INVOLVEMENT AND EMPOWERMENT

3. Thrust #1: Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
4. Communications and Systems Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
5. Thrust #2: Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
6. Skills and Systems Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
7. Thrust #3: Accountability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
8. Functional Teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
9. Cross-Functional Teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
10. Self-Directed Work Teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
11. Accountability and Systems Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
12. Thrust #4: Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

IMPLEMENTATION
13. The Challenge of Juggling the Four Thrusts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

MEASUREMENT AND COMMITMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

ABOUT THE AUTHORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

© Development Dimensions International, Inc., MCMXCIV-MMV. All rights reserved under U.S., International, and Universal Copyright Conventions.
Reproduction in whole or part without written permission from DDI is prohibited.
1
 THE MOVE
TOWARD HIGH
INVOLVEMENT
Business today operates in an environment
of change. This environment challenges
leaders to redirect their organizations from
watching return on investment to watching
return on customers; from emphasizing
productivity rates to emphasizing process
improvement; and from satisfying short-term
financial goals to satisfying employees by
providing long-term opportunities.
The chaos created by competition, deregula-
tion, technological advances, mergers,
acquisitions, the domestic economy, and the
global marketplace is exacerbated by chaos
within organizations.
Employee expectations and commitment are
different today than they were a decade ago.
No longer can employers offer job security
in exchange for company loyalty. Leveraged
buy-outs during the 1980s and downsizing in
the 1990s have taught employees new values
about loyalty—if companies don’t give it,
they won’t get it in return.
Employees are less likely today than in the
past to sacrifice quality of life for promotion
into leadership roles. Financial rewards and
job security no longer top the list in surveys
of what employees want from their jobs.
Their new priorities are autonomy, involve-
ment, challenge, and personal growth.
In order to succeed, today’s leaders must
prepare their organizations to meet the
challenges of the new competitive
2
environment while incorporating the revised
priorities of employees, which is not an easy
task. Yet an organization can achieve this
balance and attain success in the marketplace
by building a high-involvement culture
that provides autonomy and moves decision
making down through the organizational
structure. In such an environment, employees
have a high degree of involvement and
ownership in their work. They make
decisions—not recommendations—that
reduce cycle time, improve customer service,
and prevent ideas from being killed by
corporate bureaucracy. The results are
continuous improvement, innovation, and
financial success.
Organizations do not achieve a cultural
change by accident. They achieve it with a
defined strategy for high involvement and a
measurable action plan. Many link their
strategy for high involvement to initiatives
that already are taking place in the organization
such as Total Quality Management or Total
Service Quality.
As a result, the language and approach might
vary among firms, but the intent is the same:
Organizations are trying to achieve a culture
change, or a collective change in behavior.
Moving to a high-involvement culture means
finding ways to unleash the talent and
energy of employees at every level of the
organization, while keeping them focused
in a common direction.
Most culture changes don’t succeed because
organizations don’t translate their vision and
values into daily behavior. Organizational
leaders are not sure how to align critical
success factors, values, and behaviors, all of
which will be discussed later.
 Value-Driven Change Process

Identify Design
Vision
Critical for Continuous
& Implementation
Success High Improvement
Values
Factors Involvement

> Communication

> Skills

> Accountability

> Systems

Meaurement & Commitment

Figure 1

This monograph describes an approach for
building a high-involvement culture that is based
solely on unleashing talent, not introducing
bureaucracy. It is based on behavioral change,
not banners. It is based on alignment and
results, not activity. The Value-Driven Change
Process shown in Figure 1 provides an
overview of the approach.
The first step in implementing a high-involve-
ment strategy using the Value-Driven Change
Process takes place when an organization
identifies its critical success factors. Next,
the vision and values are developed, clarifying
the desired situation and describing how it
will be achieved.
The high-involvement strategy helps turn the
values into daily behavior by strengthening
communications, skills, accountability, and
organizational systems. To be successful, the
strategy and implementation plan need to
be carefully designed and planned before
implementation in order to fit the unique
history and needs of each organization.
The remainder of this monograph looks at
each phase of the model in detail and provides
ideas and recommendations for building a
high-involvement culture by translating your
organization’s values into behavior.

3
 CRITICAL SUCCESS competitor) or internally focused (such as long
cycle times). They are important because they:

FACTORS PROVIDE
THE FOCUS
In order for change to succeed, people—and
organizations—need sound reasons why that
change first became necessary. In a culture
change these reasons are explained by the critical
success factors, which describe the current
situation and provide a focus for the change.
Critical success factors can be externally
focused (such as technical advances by a
> Serve as the catalyst and the reason for
the change.
> Become the focus of the change efforts.
Critical success factors help employees at
all levels of the organization understand the
current situation and the focus of the
change effort.
> Give your organization a competitive advantage.
Examples might include new production
technology, supplier partnerships, and so on.

Linking Culture Change to Critical Success Factors

Critical Success Factor Symptoms Cultural Characteristics

Customer Retention Losing 20% of customers Customer service not

each year.
Sales emphasis on new
customers.
Reduction in profit.
Reduction in market share.
important.
Innovation not occurring to
meet customer needs.
Teamwork not existing between
field and headquarters
operations.

Cycle Time Reduction Long lead times. Decisions bogged down in

Opportunities missed due to
late entry into the market.
Deadlines missed.
multiple approval layers.
Employees not having the
ability or responsibility to
make decisions.

Retention of Employees High turnover. Employees not challenged.

Competitors taking key Employees treated like
employees. “pairs of hands.”
Training and recruiting Employees not trusted to
costs rising. make decisions.

New Products and Services
Loss of market share. Innovation not occurring.
Shrinking markets. Ideas not encouraged.
New competitors. Ideas criticized quickly and
not given a chance to “live.”
“Not-invented-here” attitude.

Figure 2

4
Some organizations consider financial measures
(revenues, profits, and the various financial
ratios such as ROI, ROE, ROA) to be among
their critical success factors. Others consider
poor financial results an early symptom that
the leadership of an organization is not giving
the critical success factors enough attention.
Other symptoms can include loss of market
share, loss of customers and employees, and
missed delivery dates. All can be indications
that the organization is ignoring critical
success factors.
In order to improve an organization’s
performance, some aspect of its culture needs
to be strengthened or changed, and the critical
success factors become a focal point. Figure 2
(page 4) provides examples of how critical
success factors might be indicated by a
symptom or measure, and then highlights the
cultural characteristics that might need to be
changed or strengthened to achieve success.
The Value-Driven Change Process focuses this
change effort on critical success factors, and
helps to avoid a major problem accompanying
many change efforts: lack of focus. Due to
lack of focus, organizations get caught up in
the activity of training and improvement teams
but see little impact from them.
Critical success factors are identified by
conducting formal or informal scans of the
external and internal environments. The
external scan involves gathering customers’
opinions and feedback as well as analyzing the
market. The internal scan involves gathering
opinions from employees regarding the
organizational barriers to their success.
Formal feedback provides quantitative data
that get the attention of executives and keeps
the focus on what the majority of customers
want. Informal feedback provides rich
qualitative data upon which an organization
can build its uniqueness, leading to customer
satisfaction. Gathering a combination of formal
and informal information is the best way to
understand thoroughly what the customer
finds important.
For the external scan, formal feedback can
include customer surveys, market research on
a particular industry, project reviews for major
customers, complaint tracking, lost sales analysis,
service audits (such as mystery shoppers),
and competitive analyses of strengths and
weaknesses. Informal feedback comes from
one-to-one conversations between customers
and a company’s executive, sales force, or field
service people.
For the internal scan, formal feedback includes
surveys, cultural audits, quality audits, exit
interviews, internal feedback cards on service
between departments, and focus group meet-
ings. Informal feedback comes from hallway
conversations and impromptu discussions.
The Critical Success Factors
Scanning Cycle
AWAR
E N
ES
S
FOCUS
External Scan
Internal Scan
I
S
S
A LY
AN
Figure 3
5
 It is the combination of formal and informal
data that provides a thorough understanding
of what is helping and hindering the
effectiveness of the organization.
It is important to combine data from the
external and internal scans to identify critical
success factors. The external scan emphasizes
what’s important to the customer; the internal
scan identifies organizational barriers to meet-
ing customers’ requirements and expectations.
6
Focusing on external scans without addressing
internal barriers only creates frustration within
the organization.
The continual process of external and internal
scans starts the cycle of awareness, analysis,
and focus. This cycle in Figure 3 (see page 5)
generates critical success factors that focus
and refocus the change effort.
VISION AND vision or appreciating the visions of others is
easier than articulating your own. Many execu-

VALUES DEFINE tives have difficulty creating a vision for their

organizations in terms that can be transferred

THE BEHAVIOR easily to all employees—but the power of a

strong vision in a change effort is undeniable.

CHANGE Although using the word vision with regard

CREATING THE VISION
After the critical success factors have been
identified and the current situation is under-
stood, the next vital step of the culture
change is determining a new direction for
the organization and a vision of the future.
A vision is simply a desired future state.
The word vision came into common use
in business in the late 1970s and often is
confused with a mission statement. The
vision expresses the greatness toward which
an organization strives, whereas the mission
describes the business the organization is in and
its goals. Understanding the importance of a
to businesses is relatively new, visions have
been used throughout history to focus the
energy of large groups of people. Figure 4
shows several historical events and business
examples and describes the vision and the
mission in order to clarify the difference
between the two.
Business leaders develop an organization’s
vision from the information gathered during
the internal and external scan, as well as by
“benchmarking” best practices. For example,
if customers complain about service, reputation
for customer service excellence becomes part
of the vision.

The Differences Between Vision and Mission

Historical Event Vision Mission

The Crusades To create a free Holy Land. To find kingdoms for the
second sons of noblemen.
World War I To be the war to end all wars. To clarify the boundaries of
countries.
NASA Space Program To launch the new frontier. To land a man on the moon.

Organization Vision Mission

An Ice Cream Company
A Computer Company
A Retailer
To be the premier ice cream To grow 20 percent per year.
of choice.
To have a home for every To increase market share.
computer; a computer in every
home.
To treat you (the customer) in To increase customer
such a way that we are worthy retention by 20 percent.
of your highest esteem.

Figure 4

7
 The mission, on the other hand, might be to
improve customer retention by 20 percent. If
employees complain about a lack of authority,
empowerment becomes part of the vision,
while the mission might be to increase the
level of employee authority in the coming year.
Empowerment is a good example of the link
between critical success factors, vision, and
mission. When layers of approval disappear,
decisions are made more quickly, and cycle
time (a critical success factor) improves.
As a result, the organization moves closer
to its vision for customer satisfaction.
An organization’s vision statement describes
its macro goal and strategic advantage in the
marketplace while providing an inspiration to
employees. Answering a few key questions
about the organization’s position five years in
the future will get the wording started:
1. What will your market position be?
2. What will customers say about your
organization?
3. What will competitors say about your
organization?
4. What will employees say about your
organization?
5. How will the organization operate with
regard to decision making, structure,
communications, etc.?
6. What wording will be inspirational to
your associates?
An organizational vision acts as the homing
beacon by which every department, team, and
individual aligns their actions. This alignment
of visions and action strengthens the focus
of the culture change. The next step is to
encourage values and behaviors that move
the organization toward the vision.
8
VALUES DRIVE THE CHANGE
A clear vision identifies and clarifies the
direction in which the company is heading
and why it is important. The critical success
factors identify some of the key areas for
results. But employees also need to know
how the vision will be achieved. The how is
determined by the values of an organization.
Values are the attitudes, mind-sets, and beliefs
that determine how work is accomplished and
how employees interact with each other and
with customers. They are the subtle control
mechanisms that informally sanction or
prohibit behaviors. An organization’s culture
is based on the shared values that are reflected
in the behaviors of the leaders and employees
at every level.
Every organization has values that might or
might not be defined explicitly. Simply ask an
employee,“What’s important around here?”
The answer will provide either a positive or
negative insight into that organization’s values.
Examples might include:
> Working as a team.
> Service to customers.
> It’s best not to “rock the boat.”
> Shipment dates are met without regard
for quality.
Values develop from the past actions and com-
munications of leaders, or arise spontaneously
as the organization develops from one stage to
another.
Figure 5 (page 9) lists some common values that
leaders use to drive change. Most organizations
identify one driving value and four facilitating
values in order to keep the priorities sharp.
It is important to identify a driving value
because cultural values often come into
conflict. For example, when an organization
values customer satisfaction, service, and
product quality, it can run into conflict when
meeting a customer’s requirements. Prompt
delivery dates might need to be sacrificed in
order to achieve quality, or quality might take
second place to service speed. The decision
is easier to make if a driving value has been
identified to help set priorities.
Common Values
> Teamwork/Collaboration
> Empowerment/Involvement
> Innovation
> Quality
> Sense of urgency
> Risk taking
> Customer service
> Concern for people
> Meeting customer needs
> Maximizing resources/Cost consciousness
> Continuous improvement
> Trust
Figure 5
Many people ask why profit is not listed
among the common values of Figure 5. Profit
is a measure, it is a result, but it is not a belief
or an attitude.
A quick example illustrates the point. At a
recent conference, 150 Japanese business
people were asked to select one predominant
guiding value in their organizations from the
choices of quality, service, profit, innovation,
and concern for people. Seventy-five percent
of the attendees listed quality, and 25 percent
listed innovation as the value that guided
organizational behavior. At a similar conference
in the United States, 75 percent of the
participants selected profit.
This overemphasis on profit in the United
States promotes short-term thinking and
explains why many U.S. companies are facing
crises of one kind or another. In a culture
change, the leaders of the organization need to
determine what values are required to drive
the organization toward its vision.
After values have been determined, employees
need help changing their behavior to reflect
these new values. If values are communicated,
their importance is explained, and they are
linked to organizational practices. Values then
can help guide decisions that normally would be
made by referring to policy manuals and rules.
9
 Empowerment
By definition, empowerment means creating a
sense of ownership of jobs or projects by providing
clear expectations, control of resources, responsi-
bility, and coaching; it means offering help without
removing responsibility. Empowerment means that
all associates take ownership of their work and
willingly accept responsibility for taking action and
making decisions that reflect our clients’ and our
best interests.
Importance
As we continue to grow, our associates must
have the freedom, competence, and confidence
to take action to meet our customers’ needs.
Empowerment is a competitive advantage that
generates total quality, quality of life for associates,
and customer satisfaction.
Practices
> Leaders and associates will work together to
establish clear goals, expectations, and
accountabilities.
> Coaching, reinforcing, and recognizing our
associates will be an integral part of our
day-to-day activities.
> Decision making will occur at the lowest
possible level.
> Risk taking will be encouraged within delineated
degrees of freedom. Mistakes will be treated
as learning opportunities.
> Associates will have the data to measure their
own progress.
> Associates will own their jobs and will take
the necessary actions to continue improving
themselves, their work, and our organization.
Figure 6
When links between values and organizational
practices are evident, the values become more
concrete and practical. Employees know what
to do to support them, and behavior change
can begin.
Figure 6 provides an example of how one
organization linked the empowerment value
to practices. Communicating values does not
always constitute good news. Unfortunately,
this communication quickly identifies any gaps
between organizational practices and values.
10
DESIGN FOR
HIGH
INVOLVEMENT
In order to move the organization toward its
vision, leaders employ multiple strategies. Some
of these are related to market share, mergers,
acquisitions, or divestitures; others are related
to technology, research, or capital investment.
When the values are communicated, it is also
important to describe the high-involvement
strategy that will be used to close the gaps.
The high-involvement strategy weaves
these multiple approaches together and
unleashes the human talent that creates
success. It can be described as the internal
plan to appropriately involve and empower
people throughout the organization to
make decisions that relate to their areas
of expertise. Focusing on key words
emphasizes the scope of the definition.
First, the internal plan refers to a systematic—
rather than an ad hoc—approach to empower-
ment. The leaders of the organization design
the high-involvement strategy to focus on
critical success factors. Without such a plan,
good intentions disintegrate into unclear
roles and responsibilities, multiple teams
with overlapping charters, and activity without
results. A rush to high involvement without a
plan can result in chaos.
Second, saying that a high-involvement strategy
is the plan to appropriately involve and
empower people embeds a warning that the
answer to all involvement decisions is not
necessarily more people and more teams.
Some of the early lessons learned in high-
involvement strategies include knowing
when to:
> Empower a small group of people rather
than a large one.
> Trade long-term buy-in and acceptance for
short-term speed.
> Implement permanent structures (self-
directed teams) that increase empowerment
rather than temporary ones (cross-functional
teams). Inappropriate involvement can bog
down decision making.
Third, involve and empower refers to leaders
giving decision-making power to levels below
them, and those levels accepting power. Both
need to understand that empowerment means
interdependence, not independence.
Empowerment means creating a sense of
ownership in jobs or projects by providing
clear expectations, control of resources, and
coaching. It means that managers offer help
without removing responsibility for action,
and employees take action willingly and make
decisions in the best interests of customers.
Empowerment doesn’t release managers from
accountability and responsibility. In fact, it
places a greater demand on leadership than
does the traditional organization.
In a high-involvement culture, empowerment
needs to increase at every level of the organi-
zation: Executives need to empower middle
managers, who need to empower supervisors,
who need to empower professional, frontline,
and administrative workers. These newly
empowered levels need to know that a
high-involvement strategy does not mean an
attitude of “do what you please.”
Empowerment is based on a systems point of
view, an understanding of the connectedness
of all aspects of the organization. This under-
standing becomes visible when those who are
gaining power stress the interdependence of
the organization by keeping people informed
of, and involved in, their actions.
Fourth, make decisions that relate to their
area of expertise refers to expertise as a
moving target and a continually expanding
resource. The ability to empower employees
is based on their knowledge and skills.
In order to increase empowerment, the
knowledge and skills of prospective team
members must increase first. It makes little
sense to empower a group of engineers to make
decision on pricing when those engineers
don’t understand profit margins. By giving
them knowledge, you also give people power
that forms the basis for making decisions.
High involvement and empowerment
constitute a journey, not an event. Figure 7
(pages 12-13) the Development Continuum for
the High-Involvement Organization, provides
a snapshot of this journey. There is no best
place to be on the continuum, and different
organizations start at different places and
have different destinations. The idea through
all this is to improve by moving to the right.
The journey will differ in the pace and scope
of implementation for each organization.
The journey will be similar in approach as
organizations juggle and manage the four
thrusts of a culture change.
11
Development Continuum for the High-Involvement Organization

1 2

Transition of Values > Focus on profit, sales, and authority > Values questioned

Communications Thrust > Formal communications are limited > Formal communications sporadic and
content deals with light issues

> Symbols that reinforce status/hierarchy > Symbols questioned

> Meetings dominated by most senior person > Increasing frequency of meetings,
but not effectiveness

> Leaders’ behaviors inconsistent > Leaders aware of importance of their

behaviors

Skills Thrust > No emphasis on skills or development; > Skills learned ad hoc; no training
time for training discouraged plan exists

> Interactive and leadership skills ignored > Interactive and leadership skills
introduced to leaders

> Competition between functions and > Teamwork emphasized but not achieved
departments

Accountability Thrust > Hierarchical, multilayer structure > Organizational structure questioned

> Narrow jobs focused on tasks > Job narrow; some job rotation and
job enrichment

> Managers making decisions and > Teams used for specialty functions
controlling work such as safety, fire, housekeeping,
and medical emergencies

> Performance objectives set at top > Objectives set predominantly at the top

Systems Thrust > Viewed as isolated policies and > Conflict between systems and values
procedures questioned

Figure 7

12
 3 4 5

> Values articulated but not practiced > Conflict between values resolved > Focus on customer satisfaction through
consistently empowered employees

> Communications help employees > Annual communications plan > Communications open and frequent
understand business issues; financial implemented; information supports teams and go directly to people who need it
information is shared

> Negative symbols eliminated > Positive symbols introduced proactively > Symbols reinforce values

> Meeting effectiveness questioned > Meeting process improved > Meeting participation balanced

> Leaders begin behavioral change and > Leaders frequently achieve behavioral > Leaders consistently model values
occasionally use new behaviors change, even under stress

> Plan exists but is still one of the first > Team members and leaders have > Skills are identified and acquired
areas affected by a budget cut input into training plan and cross train systematically; training viewed as an
each other investment

> Interactive skills introduced to employees > Interactive and leadership skills training > Team members trained in interactive and
for both team members and leaders is leadership skills; leaders have strong
linked to values coaching skills and view employees as
internal customers

> Concept of internal customers and > Teamwork and internal partners > Functions and departments work as
partners introduced emphasized and achieved sporadically partners

> Restructuring begins > Layers reduced > Flat organizational structure

> Job design questioned > Redesign of jobs begins > Jobs and teams designed broadly to
encompass entire process/product

> Natural and cross-functional teams > Natural work teams take on operational > Teams make and implement decisions
have input and make recommendations responsibility; cross-functional teams
on decisions form, complete projects, and disband easily

> Individuals have input into objectives > Objective setting shared > Teams set objectives in line with vision
and values

> System alignment begins > Some systems aligned; most flagrant > Systems aligned and integrated;
mixed messages are eliminated continuous improvement a way of life

13
 FOUR THRUSTS
TO HIGH
INVOLVEMENT
AND
EMPOWERMENT
Designing a high-involvement strategy means
planning actions around four organizational
thrusts: communications, skills, accountability,
and systems. These four thrusts are like the
thrusters on a rocket that are used to change
direction and speed.
The four thrusts of a culture change serve the
same purpose. Changing the thrusts speeds
up or slows down the rate of change. The
change effort can go off course or stall out if
more attention is paid to one thrust than to
the others.
For example, if the leaders in an organization
communicate the new values without providing
training to change behavior or without aligning
systems to support the values, frustration can
result. In addition, actions taken to strengthen
the thrusts must be monitored and adjusted
continuously to assure they are achieving the
desired outcomes.
The thrusts are not separate. Each affects—
and is affected by—the others, particularly
systems alignment. Systems are the channels
within an organization that enable the other
14
three thrusts to be managed and the values to
be supported and reinforced. Systems either
promote or hinder communications, skills,
and accountability.
Systems alignment is treated as a separate
thrust to assure that it receives significant
emphasis in designing the high-involvement
strategy. Empowerment is either encouraged
or discouraged by the systems in organizations.
If leaders concentrate on actions with regard
to communications, skills, and accountability
and fail to align systems, long-lasting
empowerment can’t occur. To emphasize
this connection, the systems that need to be
aligned in order to strengthen the four thrusts
are highlighted as each thrust is described in
this monograph.
THRUST #1: COMMUNICATIONS
Every event or action in an organization
communicates something. When actions run
parallel to what the leadership is saying, trust
and credibility build. When actions and
speech-making are disconnected, trust and
credibility are weakened. This simple formula
is the basis for the cliché,“walking the talk.”
The communications thrust is simple to under-
stand but difficult to manage. Like success
itself, organizations never can have enough
communication. A first step to managing this
thrust is to understand the major arenas of
communication and the role of systems in
communications, as shown in Figure 8.

Communications: Arenas for Action
The Formal Communications Process—
Includes official releases of information through
newsletters, brochures, videos, formal meetings,
and memos.
The Rituals and Symbols—Includes the subtle,
and not so subtle, messages that are sent by
the ways things are done . . . who parks
where . . . who is called by first names and who
is not . . . what awards are given to whom by
whom . . . and who is sent to which meetings
and how are they run.
The Behavior of Leaders—Includes every
aspect of the behavior of leaders, from the
CEO to supervisors and team leaders.
They “walk the talk.”
The Informal Communications Process—
Includes the grapevine or rumor mill.
Systems to Align—Priorities include
communications, compensation, promotion,
and recognition systems.
Figure 8
The challenge inherent in the formal
communications process is to change it
from the traditional advertising orientation
to a reinforcing and encouraging orientation.
Traditionally, organizational leaders decide
that change needs to occur and improvements
need to be made. To get the message out,
they call in the message experts who develop
slogans and imprint them on everything from
mugs to umbrellas. With all good intentions,
the message experts create a new program;
with the same good intentions, executives
implement the program.
The problem is that managers and employees
are burned out on programs, having been
down this path before. Therefore, they are
skeptical. Leaders use the word “process”
instead of “program.” But it has a slogan, mugs,
and pins, so it must be a program. Everyone
uses the souvenirs; nothing changes.
When formal communications processes are
used as advertising, they actually hinder the
change instead of helping it. What works for
soap doesn’t work for culture change because
our entire society teaches us to be skeptical of
advertising. We can’t advertise our way into a
culture change. If the formal communications
process delivers a message the organization is
not living, the credibility gap merely widens.
Instead of advertising, formal communications
need to focus on recognizing how the values
are coming alive in the organization. Instead of
long essays in newsletters and posters that extol
the virtues of teamwork, publish stories and
pictures showcasing teams that have achieved
success. For example,TRW’s newsletter recognizes
individuals and groups that find “a better way.”
That’s recognition of their values in action.
Instead of giving everyone in the organization
mugs and pins, make them available to anyone
who wants to recognize a co-worker’s efforts.
The message thus changes from a gimmicky
new program to an ongoing effort. That’s
recognition of values in action.
Instead of developing communications with a
group of media experts, employees need to get
involved. At Lantech, a manufacturing firm in
Louisville, a group of employees write, produce,
and approve the newsletter. More values in action.
Instead of concentrating on top-down
communication during round-table luncheons
that are as impromptu as press conferences,
events can be set up during which executives
do more listening than talking and seek
employee insights. Several plant managers
have commented that this is one of their best
learning experiences. And, it’s the value of
listening in action.
15
 The second area of communications is
organizational rituals and symbols.
Meetings are among the most common—and
most important—corporate rituals. Meetings
are the stage on which corporate values are
played out. While not quite a part of formal
communications, their perceived spontaneity
gives them increased credibility as a
communications channel for values.
Some participants will be active players and
model the values—or not. Others will watch
the play, reading clearly the message of what
is important—or not. And the critics will
put reviews in the hallways and cafeterias
reinforcing the values—or not.
Meetings send important symbolic messages.
How effective they are or are not represents
the overall effectiveness of the organization.
How conflict is dealt with in meetings, the
degree of openness, and the amount of follow-
through on action items become symbols that
the values are alive—or not.
> At Motorola in the 1980s, chairman Bob Galvin
changed the order of topics at monthly
executive meetings. The first two hours of
every meeting were spent reviewing quality
improvement results. Financial results were
last on the agenda. If Bob needed to leave
early, he never missed the improvement
results, but would skip the financial. This
sent an important message regarding first
and second priorities.
> At Milliken, the CEO always begins visits to
field sites with the question,“What have you
done lately to improve quality?” People at
all levels of the organization now make sure
they are ready with an answer.
> At IBM, resolving the 10 most significant
recurring complaints received in a year
became part of the following year’s business
planning process. The goal was to ensure
that these problems were eliminated forever.
Customer issues received repeated visibility
16
and discussion throughout the year,
reinforcing the organization’s value of
customer service.
Symbols abound throughout organizations.
Who gets assigned parking? Where do people
eat? Who gets an office? Who gets art on the
wall? Who gets a metal desk? Who gets
wood? Who needs a doctor’s excuse when
absent? Who doesn’t? Many aspects of our
organizations become symbols. The language
used is perhaps the most powerful.
Weiler Brush Company, a manufacturer in
eastern Pennsylvania, has been addressing the
problem of language for years. In the Weiler
Brush parking lot, you see signs for two types of
parking: visitor and co-worker. The grievance
procedure was updated and renamed
“disagreements.” New employees are no
longer “on probation,” but in the “getting to
know each other phase of employment”
The first, second, and third shifts were
renamed “day,”“evening,” and “night” in an
attempt to do away with the class connotation
of the old names. The plant introduced cellular
manufacturing, with employees in work cells,
and communication is now open enough for
co-workers to say, “We don’t like the word ‘cell.’
It sounds too much like jail. And we don’t
consider our work to be like jail.” The co-
workers selected a new term: work centers.
The language changes were simple; the
message changes were powerful.
The third area of communications, the behavior
of leaders, is the strongest symbolic message
in an organization. Do leaders live the values
or not? Do their decisions enable customer
satisfaction to be achieved? Do they act as a
team with other executives? Do they involve
employees in making and implementing
decisions? Leaders hold the power, so they
are responsible for leading the way to
empowerment. All positive behavior of the
leaders reflects the values of the organization
and demonstrates commitment to them.
Even showing up on time at meetings
becomes a symbol that a leader cares about
other people’s time.
The last area of communications, the informal
communication process, is important when
the formal communication process in an
organization breaks down and meetings don’t
deal with real issues. At this point the
grapevine takes over to supply employees
with the “real news.” Although the rumor mill
can never be eliminated in organizations, it
can only become truly harmful when it is the
sole source of credible information.
Leaders shouldn’t be afraid to listen to the
grapevine, though. It can help identify issues
that are of concern so they can be addressed
openly. It is a sign of strong communications
in an organization when supervisors bring
rumors up at a team meeting. “I know
there’s a rumor going around that work will
be transferred. Let’s talk about it.” Even if the
message is not one that employees want to
hear, open communications build trust.
Rumors erode trust.
COMMUNICATIONS AND SYSTEMS
ALIGNMENT
If leaders are going to align organizational
systems with values, they need to understand
the systems from a communications perspective.
The compensation system communicates
quickly what is important. If salespeople are
rewarded for new accounts rather than for
client retention, they are sent the message that
landing new accounts is more important than
retaining old ones—and that is what they will
achieve. If plant managers are rewarded for
production and not for quality, then they’ll
view production as more important. And if
engineers are rewarded for speed of design
and not for ease of manufacturing, then their
future emphasis will be on speed.
The first time someone does not live the new
values (for example, achieving results at the
expense of teamwork) and is promoted, the
message communicated will be that the values
are good as “wall decorations,” but not in the
daily lives of employees. Compensation and
promotion systems reward what really is
important.
Recognition systems communicate what is
important, as well. Many organizations are
moving away from employee-of-the-month
systems that tend to lose credibility over time.
Instead, they are using systems that provide
recognition by peers as well as by superiors.
These systems also encourage as-needed
recognition and accommodate recognition
for teams and individuals.
Another example of a system that needs to be
aligned is the customer service process, which
requires so many forms and approval levels
that real service often is delayed. The message
sent is,“The customer can wait.”
Examples of unaligned systems are plentiful in
organizations. Asking the question,“What is
this system communicating about our values?”
helps determine how to align such systems.
Aligning systems with organizational values
ensures that the right message about desired
behavior is communicated.
THRUST #2: SKILLS
Empowering people without providing them
with the required skills is like driving down
a dead-end street. Asking people to take on
new decision-making responsibilities without
preparation sets them up for failure. And
failure discourages involvement.
Figure 9 (page 18) outlines the major arenas to
be considered for skill development in a high-
involvement strategy. Every job requires all
types of skills.The skill areas are set up to help
ensure that the full scope of skills is considered.
17
 Lack of skill in any arena significantly reduces
an employee’s effectiveness. Skill arenas often
overlap, with skills fitting into two areas. For
example, customer service representatives
might argue that the service skills specific to
their jobs are more technical than interactive.
This might be true, but the distinction might
not be important.
When considering the skills that need to be
developed, leaders need to keep in mind
that not all skills are learned through formal
training classes. New skills need to be learned
intentionally. This means that a need has been
identified, the process for learning planned,
and progress monitored. Such skills can be
learned in training sessions, through such
special assignments as participation on task
forces, taking on the role of a trainer, and
temporarily accepting new assignments.
In addition, when providing training, leaders
will want to keep in mind the difference
between awareness and skills training. After
awareness training, employees know about a
topic (such as the organization’s competitive
situation); after skills training, they have the
ability to perform a new task. The task can be
technical, interactive, or team related.
Awareness training makes people more
receptive to new skills, but only skills training
leads directly to behavioral change. Determining
whether to provide awareness or skills training
is often a return-on-investment decision.
Awareness training takes less time (the
investment) but also results in less behavioral
change (the return). In addition, the decision
will need to be made about the best mix of
business, technical, interactive, and continuous
improvement skill development. The word
mix is key: A concentration in any one area
won’t be good enough.
18
Business knowledge helps employees under-
stand how their jobs are related to the larger
goals of the organization, why improvement is
needed, and how the new values will drive the
change. Organizations are becoming more
open in sharing financial information, customer
complaints, and competitive news. Business
knowledge can be conveyed through awareness
sessions, skills training, or regular communica-
tions channels. It is most powerful as an
ongoing process and not a special event that
is used only when a problem crops up.
Skills: Arenas for Action
Business Knowledge—Includes knowledge
of the organization’s industry and competitive
situation.
Technical Skills—Includes skills related to the
particular job such as welding, budgeting, word
processing, drafting, etc.
Interactive Skills—Includes skills that enable
all interactions to occur in such a way that the
values are supported, whether the interaction
is one-to-one or in groups, or with peers,
subordinates, superiors, customers, or suppliers.
Continuous Improvement Skills—Includes
skills that enable employees to look at their
outputs, job processes, and inputs, and then
systematically analyze and improve them.
Leadership Skills—Includes coaching and
reinforcing positive performance. In high-involve-
ment organizations, leadership skills are
required for team leaders and members, as
well as managers.
Systems to Align—Priorities include assessment,
training plans, job rotation, career planning, and
operational systems.
Figure 9
Technical skills include those that enable .
Empowered Team Member Skills
employees to perform the basic tasks of their
> Working in Teams
jobs. These include obvious skills such as
assembling parts, using a computer, or writing > Self-Directed Teams

a brochure. When asking employees to take > Participating in Meetings

on new responsibilities, these skills need to be > Leading Effective Meetings
examined more closely.
> Rescuing Difficult Meetings
Production employees might require skills in > Valuing Differences
scheduling or budgeting. Engineers might
> Reaching Agreement in Teams
require skills in price calculations and profit
> Continuous Improvement Process
margins. Salespeople might require skills in
contract language. Involving employees in
Figure 10
identifying these skills is a first step in provid-
ing such skills. At this point, leaders need to put good
management skills into action. In the high-
Interactive skills provide a direct link to
involvement organization, delegation must
turning new values into behaviors. Interaction
be appropriate. Leaders will find themselves
is part of the process that helps work get done.
seeking more information than they will give.
For example, if the particular value being
Seeking, not telling, is the cornerstone of
emphasized is teamwork, then interactions
empowerment. It helps leaders fulfill their
either build teamwork or they don’t. In moving
new role as coach rather than the traditional
toward a high-involvement organization, inter-
role as director. Successful performance will
action skills must be improved at all levels.
need to be reinforced. Being specific about
As involvement increases, so do interactions,
this behavior leads to continuation of the
and interactive skills are essential.
behavior. Initiative, for example, should
Continuous improvement skills include the continue to be encouraged.
systematic approach that every employee uses
The role of leader no longer will belong solely
to make improvements in the organization.
to traditional leaders. Professionals, frontline,
The steps for continuous improvement usually
and administrative employees all might be
include assessing the situation, looking for
asked to lead cross-functional and project
causes, targeting ideas and solutions, implement-
teams. With these new roles comes the need
ing actions, and making these actions ongoing.
for new skills in leading meetings, reaching
The skills also include using tools such as
consensus, resolving conflict, and gaining
cause-and-effect diagrams, run charts, and
buy-in for ideas. Figure 10 lists the skills
solution-implication diagrams.
required by team members in an empowered
These skills become important as teams are organization.
formed to make improvements in an organiza-
Service skills are more important than ever.
tion. Put 10 people on a team, and there will
With the emphasis on the customer,empowered
be 10 different approaches to problem solving.
organizations encourage employees in
By providing training in one approach, teams
manufacturing and engineering to meet the
can become efficient more quickly.
customer directly. In addition, continuous
improvement efforts expand the definition of
customer to include internal partners.

19
 Employees throughout the organization will
be required to improve the way they meet
both the personal and practical needs of their
customers. They will need the skills to deal
with dissatisfied customers and go one step
further by encouraging customers to express
their dissatisfaction.
SKILLS AND SYSTEMS ALIGNMENT
For skills to be improved in an organization,
systems need to exist that identify the need,
plan for the development, encourage
participation, and monitor progress. These
systems include needs assessment, individual
developmental plans, training plans, and
performance management systems.
Organizations today pay more attention to
distinguishing between skills that are needed
by all employees and those specific to certain
groups. They provide training just in time for
the skill to be applied on the job, and they
understand that cascading some skills down
the organization is a good way to develop
skills and gain buy-in.
Organizations that are serious about improving
skills also understand that many operational
systems need to be adjusted to encourage
participation. For example, the production
schedule might need to be rearranged, telephone
coverage provided, and charge-back numbers
made available.
If the skills are more appropriately learned on
the job or in special assignments rather than
in the classroom, then systems featuring job
rotation and career planning need to be
20
considered and aligned. Other systems need
to change to allow time for learning. Nothing
discourages using new skills like turning job
enrichment into extra work by not shifting
workloads or providing additional time so new
assignments can be learned and enjoyed.
If employees find it easy to acquire new skills,
then management sends the message that it
is serious about improvement. Asking the
question,“What is preventing skills from
expanding?” helps determine which systems
need to be aligned to strengthen the skills
thrust and enable values to become reality.
The biggest barrier to strengthening the skills
thrust is resources, and the resource of time
is often a greater barrier than that of money.
Organizations either provide time up front to
teach skills, or time on the job as employees
stumble, try again, and ultimately fail.
THRUST #3: ACCOUNTABILITY
Empowerment does not mean that everyone
(or, for that matter, no one) is responsible.
It does mean that responsibilities and roles
shift. In order to strengthen the accountability
thrust in an organization, leaders will want
to consider the arenas for actions outlined in
Figure 11 (page 21). For change to occur
and last, employees at every level of the
organization need to know who is responsible
for which objective, the expectations for
how the objectives will be achieved, and
the positive or negative consequences.
An organization’s performance management
system plays a critical role in achieving
accountability in the organizational structure.

Accountability: Arenas for Action
Performance Management—Includes the
process of clarifying expectations, providing
coaching on fulfilling them, and tracking progress.
This usually represents a key system to be
aligned as well, but it is dealt with separately
to emphasize its importance.
Job Design—Includes determining the tasks and
responsibilities that are part of the job and what
technical as well as interactive skills are needed.
Organizational Structures—Includes looking
at non-traditional structures in order to improve
the flexibility of the organization. Examples are
networks, “skunk works,” and partnerships
with support departments such as accounting,
purchasing, and MIS.
Team Structures—Includes the use of functional,
cross-functional, and self-directed teams in order
to achieve improvement and empowerment.
Systems to Align—Priorities include performance
management, information management,
compensation, promotion, and recognition.
Figure 11
The performance management system is a
funnel that takes macro goals down to
individual jobs and behaviors. Without such
a system, critical business issues will fail to
be addressed, and values will not turn into
behaviors. In short, what gets measured and
rewarded gets done.
Recently, a Midwest retailer complained that a
strategy to shift its merchandising efforts was
not working. An investigation pointed out that
the macro goal had never been broken into
new purchasing goals, new promotional
campaigns, and new shelving ideas. A strong
performance management system would
have corrected the problem. Performance
management systems can be the linking
mechanism for strategy implementation.
They become twice as powerful when
used to build a high-involvement culture by
including behavioral feedback.
An effective system clarifies expectations and
provides feedback on objectives (the whats)
and behaviors (the hows). The values can be
reflected in both the whats and the hows.
In a high-involvement organization, the
objectives (the whats) are similar to those of
traditional organizations; they still focus on
critical success factors. In this case, however,
the critical success factors have shifted.
Instead of objectives that include just the
quantity of products delivered or the number
of customers served, they now include both
quantity and quality goals and targets for
customer satisfaction. These types of objectives
reflect the values of quality and customer service.
The values are also reflected in behavioral
dimensions that determine how the objectives
will be achieved. Although more difficult to
measure, employees need to be held accountable
for achieving objectives while living values
such as teamwork, empowerment, and
integrity. Although more difficult to measure,
employees also need to be held accountable
for such behaviors as running or participating
in meetings, demonstrating initiative, interacting
with internal customers, and willingness to
contribute new ideas.
Expectations and feedback in such areas make
the values a daily reality. Figure 12 (page 22)
shows how values can be demonstrated in
both quantitative objectives and behavioral
expectations.
If both the whats and the hows are achieved,
employees need to be rewarded and recognized.
If the whats and hows are not achieved,
employees need to receive coaching and
development, or to have rewards withheld.
Both the whats and the hows need to be
linked clearly with the vision and values.
21
 An effective system includes the full scope of
contributions to the organization, both on the
daily job and in cross-functional efforts. Such
a system can be modified to include input
from peers and internal customers. It is not a
means of one-way communication.
Employees need to be involved actively in
generating objectives and expectations, tracking
performance by having information available
to them, soliciting feedback and assistance,
handling reviews, and planning developmental
activities. Feedback is an ongoing process, not
an annual event.
Employees who have had little or unsuccessful
experiences with performance management
systems can find them threatening. In order
to decrease the threat, it’s important to have
employees involved in designing and develop-
ing measures that track both objectives and
behaviors. To measure progress toward the
objectives, employees will need information
on reject rates, complaints, scheduled delays,
and so on. Information systems will need to
be aligned to provide this type of data.
Performance management systems play a strong
role in providing the feedback that shapes the
new culture. Organizations moving toward
high involvement also will want to analyze
their jobs to ensure that opportunities for
empowerment and involvement are inherently
built into each job through job design.
Job design includes looking at the responsibilities
of the job from both a technical and a behavioral
point of view. Responsibilities might shift in
order to increase empowerment.
For example, an organization might determine
that purchasing supplies will shift from a
management responsibility to a team member’s
responsibility. This function of the manager’s
job obviously has changed, but so have the
required behaviors (the hows). Instead of
handling purchasing, the manager now will
coach others, passing along the learning
gained from years of doing. This is a shift in
responsibility, mindset, and behaviors.
Jobs also need to be designed to include time
for involvement in ongoing improvement efforts.
This sends the message that involvement—
proactively looking for improvement areas,
taking action on them, and developing the
skills needed to become involved—is part of
everyone’s job.

Linking Performance to Values

What Values How

Number of customer > Quality > Thoroughness and

requirements met completeness of work
> Service
Improvement in > Treatment of
> Innovation
customer satisfaction customers
levels > Collaboration
> Exploration of new
Number and impact of ideas
process improvements
> Seeking input and
offering assistance

Figure 12

22
Just as job design can affect empowerment
and involvement, so can other structural issues
in the organization. An organization’s structure
provides the pathways by which interactions
flow. In the move to high involvement,
organizations often find that traditional structures
do not provide flexibility. To achieve greater
flexibility, the number of layers of management
in a company is scrutinized and reduced over
time. For example, a Japanese car manufacturer
has seven layers of management between the
factory worker and the CEO; American car
manufacturers can have as many as 22.
Other attempts to improve flexibility in the
structure of organizations (while still maintaining
strong accountability) include forming networks,
“skunk works,” and partnerships that improve
relationships between operations and support
groups such as accounting, MIS, purchasing,
and human resources. One of the most
common structures for increasing flexibility,
making improvements, and increasing both
empowerment and accountability is the use of
teams in the workforce.
Teams can take many forms, but the most
common are functional teams, cross-
functional teams, and self-directed teams.
All need the guidance of managers and
become highly empowered as they move
from simply recommending responsibilities
to, ultimately, implementing responsibilities.
In other words, teams are accountable for
implementing their own ideas.
FUNCTIONAL TEAMS
A functional team is a department or staff that
meets periodically for the expressed intention
of improving the processes they own.
Examples might include:
> The shipping department looking for ways
to improve the process of pulling inventory.
> The claims department looking for ways to
improve the process of documenting calls.
> The design department improving the
process of tracking work in progress.
Any manager can encourage a functional team
to begin looking at improvement opportunities
within a department. Encourage is the key
word, because these teams seldom will start
on their own. Managers and supervisors can,
of course, be part of these teams but will need
to be careful not to dominate idea sessions.
CROSS-FUNCTIONAL TEAMS
Cross-functional teams focus on improving
processes that cross organizational boundaries.
Such teams are made up of members from
various departments that affect, or are affected
by, the process. Cross-functional team members
should be selected from the employees who
are closest to the work and really understand
it. This often means that the teams not only
are cross-functional but also represent a variety
of levels. In addition, it is possible that the team
might not be led by someone with traditional
position power.
Cross-functional teams have the capacity to
confuse roles and responsibilities in an
organization. Both employees and managers
need to become comfortable with “non-managers”
in leadership roles. Team leaders, no matter
what their level in the traditional organization,
now will need to hone skills once reserved for
managers. These include facilitating meetings,
dealing with conflict, and influencing others.
Organizations struggle with how to integrate
daily job duties with roles on cross-functional
improvement teams. In addition, as teams move
beyond recommending bodies to implementation,
empowerment grows in the organization.
SELF-DIRECTED WORK TEAMS
A self-directed work team is an intact group of
employees who are responsible for a “whole”
work process or segment that delivers a
product or service to an internal or external
23
 customer. To varying degrees, team members
work together to improve operations, handle
day-to-day problems, and plan and control
work. They are responsible for getting work
done and for managing themselves.
This team structure pulls improvement efforts
and empowerment into daily work more
strongly than in the case of functional and
cross-functional teams. In this structure, teams
take on the accountability for improvement
as part of the job—not merely as an addition
to the job.
Many organizations are finding that self-directed
teams provide a tremendous boost to the
transformation of the organization and are
directly addressing critical success factors.
For example:
> A tire manufacturer that uses self-directed
teams at its plant in Oklahoma produces
twice as many tires with 35 percent fewer
managers than its sister nonteams plant.
> A large insurance company increased
productivity by 20 percent and reduced case
processing time by as much as 75 percent
within a year after implementing teams.
Teams, regardless of their type, generate more
ideas for—and greater acceptance of—change
than can individuals. With teams, however, come
the problems of unclear boundaries, overlapping
responsibilities, and limited resources. These
are all issues that organizational leaders need
to address, and this often means looking at the
systems that are creating barriers to success.
ACCOUNTABILITY AND SYSTEMS ALIGNMENT
One of the first systems that organizational
leaders will want to align with the new vision
and values is the performance management
system. Due to its importance to the
accountability thrust, it was handled in detail
earlier. Performance management systems
usually feed into compensation, promotion,
and career planning and development systems.
24
These linking systems need to be aligned with
the vision and values, just as the performance
management system was.
Compensation systems need to be aligned to
ensure that pay and bonuses support values
such as teamwork, acquiring new skills, and
providing service to internal and external
customers. Promotions need to go to people
who live the values while meeting objectives.
Career and development plans need to provide
opportunities to strengthen behavioral dimen-
sions such as team leadership, cooperation,
analysis, and planning.
Keeping expectations and accountabilities clear
during times of change is especially challenging
because they often are changing. Asking the
question,“Who is accountable, and how will
they know they were making progress?” helps
determine which systems need to be aligned
to strengthen the accountability thrust.
The two most formidable barriers to strength-
ening the accountability thrust are assumptions
and communications. As organizations get
caught in the hectic pace of change, leaders
assume that everyone knows where they are
in the process, where they should be, and
what has yet to be accomplished. It’s only
after the change stalls out that leaders stop
assuming and start asking basic questions.
THRUST #4: SYSTEMS
Organizational systems are both a cause and
an effect of organizational values. Such systems
enable specific behaviors to occur, and they
reflect what is important to a company. For
example, it is difficult to encourage the value
of innovation when there is no system in
place that encourages ideas to be suggested,
developed, evaluated, and implemented.
Similarly, even if an organization emphasizes
the need for customer satisfaction, it is obvi-
ously not important when the existing systems
highlight only issues of finance and quantity.
Systems need to be integrated to ensure
that the values are reinforced consistently.
Teamwork often is identified as a value.
It becomes part of an integrated system when
it forms a basis for decisions with regard to
hiring, promotion, performance reviews,
recognition, compensation, training, and
career development. By making teamwork
an important part of each of these systems, it
integrates the systems, prevents the sending
of conflicting messages, and both encourages
and reflects the values (see Figure 13).
An Integrated Human Resource System
Career
Planning
Succession
Assessment Planning
Dimensions
Performance Recruitment
Appraisal and
Selection
Job
and
Training Team
Design
Figure 13
Although we discussed each of the other thrusts
and systems earlier, they are summarized again
here. The summary emphasizes that the
thrusts are not separate efforts. They must be
coordinated, occur concurrently, and align
with organizational values in order to achieve
a culture change.
Communications—Formal communications
systems need to be changed to provide infor-
mation on customers and examples of the
values in action. Using many quotes from
employees will provide recognition and add
credibility.
Performance Management—“What gets
measured gets done.” If the objectives of a
performance management system don’t link
directly to the vision and values, there is little
chance of making them a reality.
Compensation—Organizations need to rethink
their compensation plans to ensure they are
rewarding behavior and objectives that support
the vision and values. Salespeople need to be
rewarded for customer retention; operations
need to be rewarded for quality as well as
quantity; and support groups, such as engineer-
ing, purchasing, and accounting, need to be
rewarded for building internal partnerships.
Information Management—Employees
need more information if they are empowered
to track and monitor their own performance.
In the past, information systems have provided
only financial information. In the high-involve-
ment organization, they also need to provide
information on the satisfaction of both internal
and external customers. In addition, employees
should receive information directly instead of
through several layers of management, which
might cause delays.
Recognition—Recognition is a powerful
reinforcer. Awards, recognition letters, and
celebration luncheons symbolize our achieve-
ments. Recognition affects future behaviors.
People are inclined to repeat actions for
which they are rewarded. Organizations can
shape behavior by recognizing behavior that
demonstrates the values.
Promotions—In a high-involvement
organization, people are promoted who
lead in an empowering manner. This means
promotions based not only on results but also
on achieving results while supporting values.
Few actions kill credibility faster than talking
about the importance of certain behaviors and
then promoting someone who is the antithesis
of those behaviors.
25
 Selection—Selection systems need to be
aligned so they can identify people whose
behavior on the job demonstrates the values.
It is a waste of time and effort to work on
building a continuous improvement culture
and then let just anyone into it.
Training—Training communicates expectations
as well as provides skills. If training that supports
values such as customer service, continuous
improvement, and teamwork is lacking,
employees will doubt their importance. It is
critical to provide skills training, as well as
awareness, and to focus the training on the
needs of the individual. Training should not
take place cafeteria style, with employees
picking and choosing what they want. It
should be linked strategically to the change
for which the organization is striving.
Job Rotation—If teamwork and flexibility are
to be organizational values, then employees
need to possess a variety of skills so they can
rotate among various jobs. In addition to
skills, job rotation systems add the diversity
and challenge that fuels high involvement
and empowerment.
Career and Development Planning—Plans
for personal development and organizational
advancement need to include opportunities
to strengthen behaviors as well as to acquire
technical skills.
26
Operational Policies and Procedures—
Comparing operational policies, procedures,
and processes against the values of the
organization will identify standard operating
systems that are in conflict with the values
(such as multiple approval levels that not only
slow cycle time but also demonstrate a lack
of trust).
Aligning organizational systems with values is
a never-ending task. As leaders and employees
gain more experience and comfort with
empowerment, they are willing to address
more and more systems to unleash talent.
Early in the empowerment journey, for example,
it might seem impossible to move from four
levels of approval to two for a certain purchase.
Later, one approval level becomes the obvious
answer. Or, it might seem threatening to
involve peers in the performance feedback
process; later in the journey such involvement
becomes typical.
Although aligning systems is critical in the
movement to high involvement, it is also often
overlooked. This is because of a common
viewpoint that holds,“We’ve always done it
this way.” This means that, in effect, the system
has become invisible. By addressing all systems
in each phase of a culture change and in all four
thrusts, systems alignment becomes a priority
and remains one throughout the change process.
IMPLEMENTATION
THE CHALLENGE OF JUGGLING THE
FOUR THRUSTS
Leaders often ask,“Which thrust do I start with?”
and “What is the proper sequence for each
action?” The logical approach would be
communicate, provide skills training, hold
accountable, and align systems. Change,
unfortunately, isn’t that easy. Although this is the
basic flow, communication is continuous, the
required skills keep expanding, accountability
keeps changing, and systems are aligned and
realigned throughout the process. In addition,
anytime struggles or barriers are met, any or all
of the thrusts are adjusted. It is crucial to get
employees involved in the design as well as
the implementation of the high-involvement
strategy.
Cross-functional teams can be set up to plan for
the strengthening of each thrust. The leaders
of the organization play a critical role in
ensuring that teams stay focused and that
their ideas and plans are integrated. If the
plans are not integrated and prioritized, the
effort degenerates quickly into much activity
with little result.
Implementation often will stall out because teams
are structured only to make recommendations
and not to help with implementation. For
example, if a team is formed to determine how
a performance management system can better
support organizational values, the team might
determine that the system doesn’t promote
teamwork or continuous improvement, and
recommend that it be restructured. The
organization’s leaders then should choose
how to implement this recommendation.
They might thank the team and turn their
recommendation for restructuring over
to the human resources department for
implementation. Or they might ask the team
to stay together to lead the restructuring.
The second alternative takes another step toward
high involvement, but it requires more alignment
of accountabilities. The team, instead of a
functional department, now researches systems
and benchmarks other organizations. The team
is involved in designing forms, communication,
and training to support the new system. The
team also monitors the effectiveness of their
recommendations and adjusts their approach
as necessary. The jobs of team members need
to allow time for these added responsibilities,
and performance feedback should include
their contributions.
Initially, the high-involvement strategy requires
special attention, with carefully identified
teams that have specified charters, members
trained in a team process, and strong sponsors.
This attention is important as organizations
learn how best to use teams. It’s important
to achieve early success; this is easiest when
dealing with a few teams rather than many.
Organizations should start small and focused
and encourage involvement and participation,
with teams growing at a steady and somewhat
controlled pace.
Eventually the high-involvement strategy
becomes a way of life. Teams will continue
to have members with the right skills, and
specified charters and sponsors. The
organization will have learned what types
of projects are best assigned to a team. The
skills required to be part of a team will be so
common that team start-up and progress is
rapid. Teams will form and disband as new
issues arise and are resolved.
In a high-involvement organization, both leaders
and employees know that the high-involvement
strategy needs to be monitored and refined
constantly. If ignored, it will deteriorate. In
addition, once people experience the benefits
of a high-involvement culture, they always
are looking for ideas that will increase
empowerment, and they remain curious about
27
 the benefits achieved by moving another step
to the right on the Development Continuum
(Figure 7, pages 12-13).
As actions within the thrusts are implemented
and the pace of change picks up, organizations
can become unfocused and confused. The link
of the actions within each thrust to the vision,
values, and critical success factors keeps organ-
izations focused on the task. Measurements
send messages that also help organizations stay
focused and committed.

28
MEASUREMENT
AND
COMMITMENT
In the Value-Driven Change Process, measure-
ment might have been covered under
communications, because that’s one of its
primary functions. It might have been included
under skills because it will be new to many
people. Some type of measurement would be
an obvious way to strengthen accountability,
and a system is needed to make it useful. The
position of measurement in the process links
it to commitment as a means of showing why
it is important.
Measurement lets people know that progress
is being made. Think back to the games of
your childhood. Remember the times when
someone suggested,“Let’s play but not keep
score.” Those games were probably short
and not much fun. Measurement adds to the
interest (and fun) and certainly doesn’t need
to be a source of fear.
During the change process, measures need
to include more than financial numbers or
information on production runs.
Measurements need to demonstrate the
link between values and the critical success
factors. For example, they need to include the
perceptions of external and internal customers,
or indications that innovation or teamwork is
improving. Leaders might think this is soft
data, but even soft data are better than no
data at all and can be strengthened over time.
Figure 14 lists the criteria for effective
measurement systems.
Measurement also helps to build commitment.
Measurement provides information on
progress, and progress should be celebrated.
Celebrations combined with measurable
progress and a sense of accomplishment also
build commitment. Celebrations also provide
recognition and encourage involvement.
Criteria for Effective
Measurement Systems
1. Provide continuous data so employees
can monitor progress daily.
2. Avoid measuring too many things. Measure
what’s important—those things that link to the
vision and values. Extraneous measures
cause confusion and diffuse efforts.
3. Include measures of internal customer
satisfaction; this strengthens the partnership
chain that supports the external customer.
These types of measures can be difficult,
but soft measures are better than no
measures in this area.
4. Include a comparison level or a bench mark.
This communicates what is possible.
5. Make sure measurements are easy to use
and understand.
Figure 14
Measurement deals with the head; commit-
ment comes from the heart. Both the head
and heart of an employee must be involved to
make change work. The head wants informa-
tion; the heart celebrates success and strives
for greater achievement.
Gaining commitment is a top-down, continuous
process. Leaders need to be consistent in the
message they send and the values they live.
As their commitment is demonstrated through
consistent action, commitment and trust grow
in the organization. People will believe that
high involvement is a reality, and continuous
improvement will keep it alive.
29
 CONTINUOUS The journey to high involvement and
continuous improvement never ends.

IMPROVEMENT New business issues will arise that refocus

and energize the efforts. When continuous
The following beliefs form the foundation improvement becomes a cultural trait, an
of an empowering culture and can be used organization has made great progress in its
to trigger thinking about a move toward strategy for high involvement. At this point
high involvement in your organization: employees at every level ask,“How can we be
even better?” And no one fears the changes
1. The customer’s needs are critical. that come with answering this question.
2. Anything can be improved. Our thanks to Jill George, Jeanne Wilson,
3. Quality is everyone’s job. John Hayden, and Rich Wellins for helping to
shape the ideas in this monograph.
4. The person doing the job knows it best.
5. People deserve respect.
6. Teamwork works.
7. There is value in differences.
8. Involvement builds commitment.
9. Support builds success.
10. You make the difference.

30
ABOUT THE
AUTHORS
Robert W. Rogers is President of Development
Dimensions International. A recognized
expert on assessment, leadership, performance
management, and organizational change, he
has presented at major conferences around
the world and authored numerous articles,
monographs, and book chapters. Bob was
the lead author of the book Organizational
Change That Works: How to Merge Culture
and Business Strategies for Maximum Results.
B. Jean Ferketish, Ph.D., when this monograph
was written, she was a senior consultant,
quality improvement, in the Organizational
Change Group at Development Dimensions
International (DDI). Her responsibilities
included leading total quality implementation
projects, facilitating planning sessions with top
executives and client implementation teams,
and developing processes to address special
implementation problems, such as plateaued
efforts, ineffective teams, etc.
Ms. Ferketish has a Ph.D. in instructional
design and technology and an MBA from
the University of Pittsburgh; she also holds a
bachelor’s degree from Duquesne University.
31
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