Frequently asked questions
What is organisational culture?
Organisational Culture tells people how they should prioritise their work, how to behave in order to ‘fit in’ and for what they believe they will be rewarded. In a school the organisational culture is shaped by a range of internal factors such as school mission and values, school structures, policies and procedures, and leadership behaviours. The critical question is whether school leaders are intentionally shaping a culture that helps teachers thrive.
My staff are so busy, how do we find time for another initiative?
The aim of culture shock is to help teachers thrive. We want to give great insight to schools so life is easier for everyone. We just need 30 mins at your next meeting to get all the information we need to get started. We do all the hard work analysing the info behind the scenes and present the initial findings back to you at your next leadership team meeting.
We encourage teams to categorise their action items into four simple buckets.
Leveraging your strengths — what capabilities can be used to drive improvement in focus areas.
Keep Doing — what is an area of strength that you need to make sure you keep doing!
Quick Wins — what are the low input/high impact actions you can take immediately.
Big ticket items — what are the themes that require attention and a more detailed plan for culture change.
We make it easy to see exactly how to change.
My school is doing OK, why would I need to reculture?
If you want continuous improvement at your school you need to dig deeper to find opportunities. Increasing pressure on teachers also means that you can bubble along with good student outcomes but teacher well-being is under pressure which isn’t sustainable. If you are a new Principal we highly recommend running a CAT Scan so you can hit the ground running.
The other key reason is when a school needs to be ready for digital transformation or wants to see a better return for an investment they have made.
How long does the cat scan process take?
The actual scan will take about 15 minutes for staff members to do — whole process from start to finish can be completed within one school term.
How can a school actually change culture?
It’s easier than you think. Once you know exactly what to work on, Culture Shock’s 4S model is a simple framework you can follow.
Sell the idea.
Show the staff how to do things differently.
Systematise with management tools.
Support with stories, rituals and visual cues.
How regularly will I need to repeat the CAT Scan?
We recommend running a follow up every 12 months to assess progress.
Does your survey involve students and parents?
Our diagnostic tools focus solely on improving organisational culture which means we only survey the school staff. Once you get organisational culture right then you can see the impact on the students and the parents and there are plenty of tools out there to assess this.
Why is culture so important?
Culture is the foundation for all change, positive or negative. Industries are embracing culture as the key to transformation success and unlocking the potential of the people within their organizations.
With good culture, teachers will be happier, more productive and more able to model great learning with their students.
With good culture, professional learning will be more valuable. Positive change will be faster, and more obvious.
With poor culture it doesn’t matter how many ‘PD’ days you run, or how much you ‘demand’ change take place - you won’t get the change you want.
Culture is the key to transformation!