How well do you really know your company? If you’re the owner or the CEO, you might say you have a pretty good handle on it. After all, you’ve been there since the beginning and you’re the leader.
While that might be true, you may not really know everything about your organization.
I’ll give you an example. We typically have our clients conduct a cultural assessment in which the acquisition team — the CEO, other C-suite executives and senior-level managers — each are asked to draw an organizational chart.
In one case, the CEO drew a chart depicting a flat hierarchy with everyone one the same level. According to the CEO, the business had open communication and everyone’s opinion was equally valued.
What one of the managers drew was quite different. The top of the paper showed one person labeled “God” and everyone else was way down at the bottom in what looked like a zoo.
Company Culture: Obviously, the CEO and the manager had very different perspectives about the organization!
Obviously, the CEO and the manager had very different perspectives about the organization!
While this is an extreme case, I tell this story to emphasize the importance of doing a cultural assessment, particularly if you’re the leader of your company. Having a clear and accurate picture of your business’s culture is important as you embark on an acquisition program.
