What is a good organizational culture? Are there basic cultural elements that all great organizations share? How do you build great culture? Despite the volumes written on the topic, these essential questions are common and practical answers remain elusive.
Organizational culture takes many forms, with each organization expressing its values in unique ways. On the surface what makes for a great culture can look very different across organizations. Regardless of what manifests on the surface, what lies beneath the surface in all extraordinary cultures are a common set of conditions that allow individuals, teams and organizations to thrive.
Join us for an intimate conversation with Michael Pacanowsky PhD, former Director of the Center for Innovative Cultures at Westminster College, on what makes for thriving organizations. Michael is a recognized expert and author of several books on organizational culture. Michael has unique insights on building extraordinary cultures through years of research and as a former member of W.L. Gore & Associates (makers of GORE-TEX® products).
This event is a must for organizational leaders interested in building organizational culture that has staying power.
The event is hosted by the Silicon Slopes Culture and Organization chapter and will take place at Kiln’s Lehi location, with pre-event networking, lunch and beverages.
Michael Pacanowsky is the former Director of the Center for Innovative Cultures at Westminster College. He began his academic career at the University of Utah and moved to the University of Colorado to become the Chair of the Communications Department. While at Utah, he began a second career as a consultant for W. L. Gore & Associates, makers of GORE-TEX(R) products. After consulting exten…
Michael Pacanowsky is the former Director of the Center for Innovative Cultures at Westminster College. He began his academic career at the University of Utah and moved to the University of Colorado to become the Chair of the Communications Department. While at Utah, he began a second career as a consultant for W. L. Gore & Associates, makers of GORE-TEX(R) products. After consulting extensively with Gore, and managing their annual Associate Culture survey for 12 years, he joined Gore as a full-time Associate in 1996 and worked for them until 2013. He then was offered and became the inaugural holder of the Gore-Giovale Chair in Business Innovation position in the Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business at Westminster. There he was able to use his Gore experience, and conduct research with dozens of companies like Gore that had extraordinary organizational cultures. His research took him to companies throughout the US and Europe. He published two books. The first, The Deep Dynamics of High-Performing Organizational Cultures, presents an actionable model of high-performing organizational cultures. The second, A Friday Filled With Joy, is a complementary in-depth case study of Menlo Innovations, a boutique software development company in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The book focuses on one day in the life of Menlo, and how its daily activities manifest the cultural elements of Pacanowsky's model. Since retiring from Westminster, Pacanowsky has worked as an independent consultant, speaker, and writer.
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Steering Committee
