16 steps to changing corporate culture.

Sometimes good things come in small - or at least concise - packages. In 1993, a slim volume, Culture Shift, authored by consultant Price Pritchett, was published. Somewhere around that time, I remember being issued a personal copy by my organization. And, yes, I also recall attendant eye-rolling

on my part - yet another consultant's handout. Except that the booklet's analysis of the situation - and its advice based on that analysis - was spot-on; so much so that now, four years later, it remains on my shelf along with Tom Peters, Peter Drucker and the Toffler's Future Shock trilogy.

See Culture Shift as a kind of Cliff Notes to change and its management. Its major dictates deserve summing up and - if you like what you see here - find yourself a copy; it's a worthy addition to your library. And, no, I don't have any connection with Pritchett & Associates; I just happen to like the book.

CULTURAL GUIDELINES FOR CHANGING THE WAY YOU HANDLE CHANGE

1. Speed Up.

Do everything possible to accelerate, to create a culture of quicker reflexes.

2. Stay cool.

Change demands cool-headed thinking, clear focus, and well-aimed action.

3. Take the initiative.

Self-directed behavior is essential in today's world of accelerating change.

4. Get going.

You must be willing to improvise, to feel your way along.

5. Try easier.

Simplify . . . Look for shortcuts . . . without sacrificing high standards.

6. Spend energy on solutions.

Redirect grief, anger, or worry into the passionate pursuit of results.

7. Take more risks.

A culture unwilling to experiment has little chance to innovate.

8. Don't let strengths become weaknesses.

Adapt. Don't get locked in to set of skills . . . that could become outdated.

9. Welcome destruction.

The culture needs to rid itself of habits that have outlived their usefulness.

10. Make more mistakes.

To flourish in a rapidly changing world, you need to make more mistakes.

11. Shoot for total quality.

Raise your standards and pursue a culture of total quality. Make no compromises.

12. Protect what can protect you.

Protect the customer. That . . . protects you best in the winds of change.

13. Protect aloyalty.

You need to show some insensitivity to the organization's history in order to show proper respect for its future.

14. Have faith in the opportunities. Think in terms of possibilities rather than limits. Search for . . . a better future.

15. Take personal responsibility for fixing things.

Come up with constructive ideas . . . instead of waiting for somebody else to fix things.

16. Act like a child.

As kids we did not dread the future, even though it was unpredictable.