Case Study
Changing the Corporate Culture using Extended DISC® Team Analysis
 The following is a story of a company that went through a process of complete change in its corporate culture. Originally the company operated in the wholesale business importing goods and selling them mostly to non-profit organizations. The company employed 300 people, most of whom worked in administration, warehouse and logistics. Some were working in sales but it was more customer support than search for new accounts. The corporate culture could have been described as being harmonious, stable, peaceful, slow paced and centrally managed. The Shotgun Map (shown right) is a presentation of the staff (modified slightly from the original).
After a change in the company’s ownership, the new owners wanted the company to enter into a more competitive field of selling the goods to manufacturers, retailers and other profit-oriented organizations. The first step was to nominate a new CEO. His profile was DI. After redesigning the organizational chart, he selected a new senior management team with the right experience and attitude. Compared to the previous function-based organization chart, the new chart was based on customer types so that the whole process from procurement to after sales service was handled by the same team. Next he profiled the other managerial positions using Extended DISC® Job Analysis.
Based on the Name Map he selected potential candidates for interview and review. The selected managers were told how many employees they would be allocated and given a free hand to select the people from the existing staff (with the CEO making the final decision). The people not selected were not offered new employment contracts. The next step in the process was to make the teams as self-managing as possible. To support this process the Extended DISC® Team Analysis report was printed for each team.
Each team also participated in a team training program in which one part was learning to understand the team’s strengths and style. The process was supported by Extended DISC® Team Assessment 360 tool and the related training program. The senior and lower management participated in every session where people below them in the organizational chart were involved!
In addition to the team training sessions, a special sales training program was organized where each participant was introduced to his/her natural sales style and also required to do a personal development plan to become as effective in sales or customer support as possible. The physical layout of the building was fully redesigned so that walls between the one-person offices were removed and new, larger team rooms were built. It was soon noticed that not everyone in the old organization could adjust to the new culture.
 During the three years of the project, some of them found a new position in an organization with a culture closer to what they had been used to. To replace the empty vacancies the team Name Maps were used to find out what types of traits the team would need the most. As a result of the process, the company now employs 100 people, has tripled its revenues, and is profitable. The new Shotgun Map of the whole organization looks like as shown (left).
The way of working in the company compared to what it was three years earlier is now much more active, communicative and participating. Most of the people working today for the organization also worked there three years ago, but also a number of new people have been brought in. In addition to that the old traditions that stagnated the organization have been broken, the concept of self-managing teams has been introduced to the organization and many other small changes have taken place that all caused the organizational culture to change successfully to the desired direction.
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