The first annual Denison Best Practice Forum was held in Boca Raton, Florida on March 17-19 2005.  The event served to create and develop a community where Denison practitioners could meet to share stories of success and failure, consider the lessons learned, and plan for the future.  The program featured presentations from a number of organizations that have used Denison tools and methods to improve their culture, leadership, and performance.  The result was the creation and reinforcement of a network of Denison clients and consultants who have in common a drive for improved performance, a belief in the importance of organizational culture, and a commitment to learn from their colleagues.

Some of the featured presentations included:

Swiss Re: Luc Albert, head of Latin America for Swiss Re, described the dramatic turnaround in the Americas Division.

X-Rite: Tony Sanders, VP of Human Resources for X-Rite, described another dramatic turnaround. X-Rite builds sophisticated instruments to measure color for its industrial, retail, and graphic arts customers. 

American Eagle Outfitters: John Porcari, Director of Performance Strategy and Solutions with Five-Star, reported on American Eagle’s aggressive growth plans after tough years in 2002 and 2003. In the spring of 2004, AE used the Denison Leadership 360 to help identify strengths and challenges.

JetBlue Airways: Deborah McCuiston, Shawn Overcast and Brian Glaser of the JetBlue Airways Learning & Development team discussed the delivery and use of the Denison Leadership Development Survey through JetBlue University.

The sessions on Friday opened with Dan Denison’s presentation on the link between organization culture, leadership and performance. This was followed by the two Keynote speakers, Luc Albert Head of Latin America for the Swiss Re Americas Division and Tony Sanders VP of Human Resources for X-Rite.  Luc explained how Swiss Re Americas Division, a reinsurance company, used the Denison Organizational Culture Survey (DOCS) to help consolidate operations and refocus on basics and the bottom line. Then Tony described how X-Rite, a maker of sophisticated color measurement systems,  used the DOCS to increase customer focus and develop strategies for growth and innovation. The common theme in presentations and the discussions that followed was that both companies used the DOCS to identify problem areas that could be interpreted into action by a strong leader who understands the importance of culture to make profound changes in their organizations’ cultures and bottom line performance.

The first afternoon session focused on Transformations and Turnarounds lead by three very different businesses: TI Automotive Systems HVAC division, Robeco Investments, and Terumo Heart.  The conversations were kicked off by Brian Quinn, Global Technology Director for TI Auto, who presented on how TI used their DOCS results as part of a plan to develop an “involvement culture” focused on business team structure, setting priorities, and becoming a Teaching Organization. Eric Dirven of Dirvenadives, in the Netherlands discussed his work with Robeco Investments and how they moved from complacency to expansion by creating a burning platform based on 14 themes identified in workshops and mapped to the Denison Model. Rob Pasick, Senior Consultant with Denison, talked about his work with Terumo Heart and how he helped them move from research and development to clinical trials and manufacturing by using the DOCS to identify 9 areas for improvement. The session ended with group breakouts to discuss the possible interventions to improve these areas. In all three companies the DOCS was used as part of a successful plan to transform and turnaround struggling companies.

The Friday sessions concluded with presentations on the use of Denison tools to facilitate Mergers and Acquisitions. Chris Olex of Aviat showed how two accounting firms used the DOCS to prepare for their merger by doing cultural due diligence. Angie Mannino, VP of Culture and Change at RJ Reynolds, discussed how the perceived merger of ‘twins’ RJR and Brown & Williamson was anything but a merger of like cultures. The issue was that the combined companies had no established vision, mission or strategy. Action was taken by exploring the themes from the Denison Model 100 days into the merger and taking the DOCS in the 2^nd quarter of 2005. The results of which will become a shared company goal. The session wrapped up with Caroline Fisher of The Fisher Consulting Group, who described problems that merging companies or business units can anticipate and options in how and when to do cultural assessments. Caroline’s articles “Cultural Integrations: The path to a High Performance Merger” and “Making Mergers Work” provided for great discussions that continued after the session and throughout dinner.

Saturday’s session focused on Developing Leaders. John Porcari, Director of Performance Strategy and Solutions, for Five Star Development, presented his work with American Eagle Outfitters in which he used the Denison Leadership Development Survey (DLDS) in conjunction with the DOCS to create an Emerging Leaders program aimed at cultural changes to sustain performance. Heather Serice of VeriSign, an infrastructure services company used focus groups and Denison materials to create and apply a Leadership Success Profile to open people’s eyes and provoke discussions and networking. Deborah McCuiston, Shawn Overcast and Brian Glaser of JetBlue Airways explained how it uses a customized version of the Denison survey to help teach Principles of Leadership at JetBlue University.

In the Building Global Partnerships session, Guenther Braun of IBM Consulting described a Middle Eastern telecommunications monopoly that used the DOCS to become customer and employee focused in order to expand to other markets and face competition for the first time.  Sara Moulton Reger of IBM Services Research presented a cultural change necessary to the success of a difficult merger between accounting firms. Initially both parties thought that both organizations had the same culture because their stated values and organizational structures where almost identical. Cultural surveys soon revealed that the merger of cultures was not going to be easy and they developed specific  techniques to facilitate the integration.

The Denison Forum concluded with Dr. Kevin Love’s describing a book he is developing on best practices and processes using Denison materials. The book will analyze data collected from case studies to determine the most effective intervention strategies for different types of clients and issues. Dan Denison and Bill Neale wrapped things up with a discussion of key lessons learned from the Forum and suggestions for future directions.

To download the full article on the 2005 Denison Best Practice Forum, click here.

In recent months, the Denison Organizational Culture model has gained significant exposure in China. Earlier this year, the company opened a joint-venture office in Shanghai, and a journal article highlighting the application of the Denison Organizational Culture Survey (DOCS) appeared in the March, 2005 issue of the Harvard Business Review-China.

Entitled “Organizational Culture: Measuring and Developing It in Your Organization,” the article was written collaboratively by William H. Mobley, Lena Wang, and Kate Fang. Mobley serves both as Professor of Management at China Europe International Business School in Shanghai, and as Managing Director of Denison Consulting Asia. Wang and Fang serve on the professional staff of Denison Consulting Asia as client managers. The company, a joint venture between Denison Consulting and Mobley Group Pacific, began operating as a partnership in April 2005.

In the article, the authors define organizational culture, citing research findings about its impact on bottom-line performance. In addition, they provide background about the development of the Denison Organization Culture model, calling it “one of the most valid and useful models and measures of organization culture.”

The article also highlights the application of the DOCS tool at a variety of organizations in China, showing specific survey results and analyzing the strengths and challenges faced by the client organizations. Organizations that applied the DOCS tool included a global office furniture company; a China-based insurance firm; a global consumer products business; a hospital; and a company operating worldwide in the high-tech sector.

Mobley, Wang and Fang characterize the Denison Organizational Culture model as a valid device for enabling organizations to guide their transformation and change processes. They conclude that measuring organizational culture is a strategically important tool that organizations can and should use to gain key competitive advantages.

To view a complete copy of the Harvard Business Review-China article, click here.

Dan Denison, founding partner of Denison Consulting, and Caroline Fisher, president of the Vail, Colorado Fisher Consulting Group, recently presented a paper on organizational culture and corporate governance. Entitled “The Role of the Board of Directors in Shaping Corporate Culture: Reactive Compliance or Visionary Leadership,” the paper was delivered at a June 2005 conference sponsored by the Center for Corporate Change, a unit of the Vail Leadership Institute. The event -- “Changing the Game Forum: Reforming American Business” -- was held in Beaver Creek, Colorado.

Denison and Fisher based their presentation, in part, on a panel discussion at the 2004 Changing the Game Forum. They made a strong case that corporate boards of publicly traded companies have a mandate to engage -- to some degree -- in understanding and shaping organizational culture, especially in the post-Sarbanes-Oxley world. This new U.S. law establishes the obligation that a board must demonstrate that the corporation is free of fraud and malfeasance.

“At a minimum, the board must act to ensure compliance,” said Denison.

According to Denison and Fisher, corporate boards of directors must pay attention to corporate culture, but they have options on how to tackle this responsibility. In their paper, they presented a continuum of possible approaches, ranging from “reactive compliance” to “visionary leadership.”

To access a copy of the Denison-Fisher paper, click here.

Gerry Schmidt, Ph.D., president of Matrix Consulting -- based in Folly Beach, South Carolina, has submitted a paper for publication by The Conference Board that highlights the Denison Organizational Culture model. It’s called “Managing Paradoxes in Change: Six Steps for Building a Balanced Culture.”

With headquarters in New York City, The Conference Board creates and disseminates knowledge about management and the marketplace to help businesses strengthen their performance and better serve society.

In the paper, Schmidt profiles his company’s experience in mobilizing a successful cultural change initiative at Jeppesen Sanderson. The company serves a major supplier of navigation tools for the aviation industry. A new chief executive officer at the firm was determined to fulfill his vision for making the company’s products available in electronic and digital formats, vs. the paper format that had been the industry standard for more than 70 years.

In the program, Matrix helped Jeppesen Sanderson use the Denison Organizational Culture Survey (DOCS). All 1,800 employees of the company participated in the poll, creating a benchmark measurement of the organization’s culture. Results from the survey were used to develop, implement and refine the change strategy; enhance communication with employees; and create a compelling sense of urgency for change.

To access a copy of the paper, contact Anne Farrand.    

A brand new General Manager at the largest West coast business unit of a $3 billion technology firm headquartered on the East coast, had just arrived with a ‘mission’: change the ‘country club’ atmosphere of the site and make it profitable at the same level as all the rest of the corporation.  The newly arrived GM had been overseas for many of the past 10 years, and heard a continuous stream of criticisms about this ‘oddball’ business unit where accountability was lax, customers were a ‘necessary evil’, and technical design innovation was king.

After running head-first into this 20-year ‘engineering culture’, the new GM realized that he would profit from outside help in aligning this business unit with the mainstream culture.  He engaged the Sapience Group to ‘change the culture’.

The Sapience Group, a firm with expertise and tools in building the capabilities required for strategy execution, called on Denison Consulting to assist with the diagnostic phase of this engagement.  

Sapience designed a robust process to meet this organizational requirement that included the following timeline of events:

The Denison was a perfect complement to the Sapience overall organizational development consultation in that:

• The statistical and normative data provided compelling evidence for this engineering culture that devalues ‘soft’ and subjective data that is not quantitative
• The broad organizational assessment Denison paradigm that is built into the tool and goes beyond the narrow definition of culture
• The ease of administration for respondents
• Availability of a baseline for comparison over time

Sapience used the Denison Organizational Culture Survey to assess the ‘actual’ culture, preceded by a series of group events aimed at defining the ‘desired’ and ‘required’ culture for execution of strategic business objectives.   This is a point so often blurred in culture change initiatives:  the ‘culture that we want’ is not necessarily the ‘culture that our strategy dictates’, and, of course, not necessarily the ‘culture that we have’.  Clearly articulating and building leadership consensus about these distinct, but often overlapping domains, is a primary value that the Sapience Group offers. 

After clearly articulating and building consensus about gaps between the ‘ideal’ and ‘actual’ culture, Sapience helped define a handful of priority initiatives that have been successfully launched and are already beginning to show a shift toward the ‘required’ culture.   In another year,  the client will re-administer the DOCS and make course corrections based on deltas from the baseline administration.

Denison Consulting recently was highlighted via a major feature story in a weekly publication serving the business community of Southeastern Michigan. The article --  “Culture Overhauls Can Mean Profits for Denison and Clients” --appeared in the February 21, 2005 edition of Crain’s Detroit Business.

Executives representing two key clients served by Denison Consulting were interviewed for the story, and are quoted. They included Dave Brandon, chairman and chief executive officer for Domino’s Pizza Inc., and Karl Lawry, area vice president of human resources for the Pulte Homes Inc. office in Royal Oak, Michigan. In addition, other clients cited were the National Cancer Institute, JetBlue Airways, and Target Corporation.

In preparing the story, the Crain’s Detroit Business journalist spoke at length with Bill Neale, founding partner of Denison Consulting.

Positive endorsements of the Denison model and tools -- including the following quotes -- appeared in the story:

“The Denison survey really impressed us as we got more and more familiar with it.” -- Dave Brandon, Domino’s Pizza

“We were able to measure the culture, see what people were missing out on, and improve upon it. It moves you from good to great.” -- Kari Lawry, Pulte Homes

“I would say that Dan Denison is one of the leading thinkers in the field of organizational culture.” -- Gretchen Spreitzer, associate professor of management and organizations at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.

To view a complete copy of Crain’s Detroit Business article, click here

With the April 2005 launch of a joint-venture operation in Shanghai, China, Denison Consulting now has three offices to serve clients around the world. Denison Consulting Asia is a partnership between Denison Consulting and Mobley Group Pacific.

The new operation emerged out of an ongoing collaboration between Denison Consulting and William H. Mobley, Professor of Management at China Europe International Business School in Shanghai. Mobley, who serves as Managing Director of the new office, has been working in China for the past decade. He formerly served as president of Texas A&M University.

Client managers at the Shanghai unit are Lena Wang and Kate Fang.

By expanding in China, Denison Consulting has enhanced its capabilities for serving clients already operating in Asia, as well as those who are planning to launch activities in that region soon.

Late last year, Denison Consulting opened a branch office in Zurich, Switzerland. The firm’s headquarters are located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A.

The address and contact numbers for the new Shanghai office are as follows:

Denison Consulting Asia

Suite 2006-2007

One Corporate Avenue

222 HuBin Road

Shanghai 200021

P.R. China

Phone: (86 21) 6340 6222

Fax: (86 21) 6340 6226

Denison Consulting has a new look and a fully updated website. The company recently adopted a new brand image and logo, and also launched an enhanced Internet site. To check out these developments firsthand, visit Denison on the Web at www.denisonconsulting.com.

“For many of our clients and prospective clients, our Internet site is a key source for company news, background information, product profiles and updates, research insights -- and more,” says Bill Neale, a founding partner for the company. “We are striving to ensure that our web interface is as clear, timely, well-organized and user-friendly as possible.”

The all-new website features in-depth information about the Denison model; explanations about Denison tools and services; case studies; staff profiles; journal articles and news stories; the company’s newsletter; and online product demonstrations.

As always, the Denison Consulting team welcomes questions and feedback about the new website.  Please Contact Ann Howell with any questions or comments.

The Denison Consulting team has expanded, with the addition of five new professionals at the company’s Ann Arbor, Michigan headquarters and one new professional at the Zurich location. The new staff members are: Shawn Bourne, Han Chae, Mike Gillespie, Ryan Muir and Karen Luce in the Ann Arbor office; Caroline Huber at the Zurich office. Han, Ryan, Karen and Caroline work in the client management department. Shawn is a systems manager, and Mike is a research associate.

“We are pleased to have added such talented people to the Denison Consulting team, as we strive to serve our clients with a focus on quality, professionalism and organizational improvement,” said Dan Denison, founding partner of the company.

Shawn Bourne holds a master’s degree in information systems from Eastern Michigan University, as well as a bachelor’s degree from Cincinnati CMS.

Han Chae earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Cornell University, and previously conducted statistical data analysis and survey research at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

Mike Gillespie holds a master’s degree in industrial/organizational (I/0) psychology from Michigan State University, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of South Florida. He is currently writing his doctoral dissertation at Bowling Green State University.  

Caroline Huber coordinates survey projects at Denison Europe.  She is an Economics graduate from the University of Zurich in Switzerland.  She is fluent in English and German and proficient in French.

Karen Luce has over five years of experience in e-learning instructional design and technical writing. She holds a master's in writing from DePaul University and a bachelor's in English education from Michigan State University.

Ryan Muir is the new director of client management at Denison.  Prior to joining Denison Consulting he worked as a project manager for a software company specializing in environmental regulatory tracking. He holds a bachelor’s degree is psychology from Central Michigan University.

To meet the entire Denison staff, click here.

Dan Denison and the Denison Race Team competed in the challenging Cooper Tires Championship Series at the Mid-Ohio sports car course on August 27th and 28th 2005. After a flat tire in Race One, Denison came back to finish 18th of 30 in Sunday's Race Two.

For more information about the series or about the Denison Race Team, visit www.cooperseries.com or Contact Jill Reedy.