Taming the Culture Tiger: What to Read

This issue of “What to Read” highlights Taming the Culture Tiger: The Art and Science of Transforming Organizations and Accelerating Innovation by Dr. Kate Price, which focuses on one of the biggest challenges facing leaders of life science organizations: how to foster sustainable cultures that enable innovation and lead to both scientific and business success.

“Purpose is not your culture. Spending time on team culture accelerates trust between members, especially for virtual teams, and high trust increases project performance, team satisfaction, effectiveness, and cohesion.

Dr. Kate Price

Summary

The author describes what culture is, what makes an effective and innovative culture and how to achieve culture change. With her background as a psychologist and real-life stories and examples interwoven throughout the book, it is clear to see how people and culture are tied together. By changing people, you can change culture. Dr. Price explains:

It’s a common belief that resistance is most prevalent within the rank and file of an organization. However, corporate communication plays a major role in whether resistance occurs. Frequently in my work with organizations, I find that leaders and managers are the ones who resist change, as Laetitia did, because of the challenge to their status, their entrenched ways of being, and their belief in the proven performance methods. The greater an individual’s motivation to maintain the status quo when uncertain about what change means for them, the greater their resistance to change will be. And if they don’t want the change, they are unlikely to be persuasive in their communications for change as the information cascades through the organization.

From Taming the Culture Tiger

Key Take Aways from Taming the Culture Tiger

The book is laid out in three parts, the first looking at what culture is (and isn’t) in an organization. The author explains the importance of the psychology of individuals and teams on a culture that supports, or detracts from, the goals of the company. The second part looks at what makes for effective cultures of innovation, but clearly explains that as each organization is unique (with its own unique culture), so must be each change plan—even if the principles are the same. The third part describes how to lay the path to successful cultural change, with each chapter dedicated to a different facet of organizational change.

Learn more about how to guide leaders to develop a deep understanding of people—how they think, feel, and act, and why they embrace or resist change. These elements build organizational culture and ultimately success.

PPS International Limited works with Dr. Kate Price and other consultants to support clients in life science organizations including in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical devices. Many of our programs advance organizational culture through leadership development and programs such as digital transformation.