The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan – 3rd Edition
BRAVE
Culture is hard to define, hard to figure out from the outside, a critical predictor of success; and
poor fit with it is the #1 stated reason for failure. (Though, of course, the stated reason for
failure doesn’t often match the actual reason for failure.)
In the interest of making it easier to assess culture and fit, we propose a BRAVE framework:
Behaviors, Relationships, Attitudes, Values, and Environment. This provides a quick and
effective way to help you get to know your own or someone else’s preferences and values and,
also, to do the same for an organization. Crossing the two gives you a read on cultural fit.
Behave:
Relate:
How people act, make decisions, control the business, etc.
How people communicate with others (including mode, manner and frequency),
engage in intellectual debate, manage conflict, assign credit and blame1, etc.
Attitude:
How people feel about the organization’s purpose, mission, vision, identify with
the subgroup, group, organization as a whole, basis for power, etc.
Values:
Underlying assumptions beliefs, intentions, approach to learning, risk, time, etc.
Environment: The work environment in terms of office space, protocols, décor, etc.
In practice:
1. Assess your own BRAVE preferences. They underlie all your actions and intentions and,
in many ways, define who you are, driving what you say and what you do. Alternately,
use the framework to assess the preferences of people you are interviewing.
2. Assess the culture of the organization you are thinking of joining as part of your due
diligence before you accept a job. Or, use the framework to assess your existing culture.
3. Then cross your own preferences or preferences of people you are interviewing with that
cultural assessment to get a read on the fit between you or the interviewee and the culture.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------George Bradt has a unique perspective on transformational leadership based on his combined senior line
management and consulting experience. He progressed through sales, marketing and general management roles
around the world at companies including Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, and J.D. Power’s Power
Information Network spin off executive onboarding and transition acceleration group he founded in 2002.
George is a graduate of Harvard and Wharton (MBA), author of three books published by John Wiley & Sons: The
New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan, Onboarding, and The Total Onboarding Program, as well as a weekly
column for Forbes, “The New Leader’s Playbook”. [email protected]; +1.203.323.8501;
www.primegenesis.com
1
Ben Dattner, “The Blame Game”, Free Press, 2011
From “The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan” (Bradt et al 3rd edition – Wiley, 2011)
NEW LEADER'S 100-DAY ACTION PLAN
TOOL 2.1
BRAVE PERSONAL ASSESSMENT
Behavioral Preferences
ACTIONS
more individual
……|……|……|……|……|……
more team-based
DECISION MAKING
hierarchical
……|……|……|……|……|……
collaborative
CONTROL POINTS
written/systematic ……|……|……|……|……|……
verbal/face-to-face
OTHERS
_______________________________________________________________
Relationship Preferences
COMMUNICATION
formal
……|……|……|……|……|……
informal
INTELLECTUAL DEBATE
surface-level
……|……|……|……|……|……
in-depth
CONFLICT
avoided/destructive ……|……|……|……|……|…… welcome/constructive
OTHERS
__________________________________________________________________
Attitude
BUY-IN TO PURPOSE
not much
……|……|……|……|……|……
fully committed
IDENTITY
sub-group bias
……|……|……|……|……|……
one-team bias
POWER
controlled
……|……|……|……|……|……
diffused
OTHER OBSERVATIONS
__________________________________________________________________
Values
LEARNING
directive
RISK APPETITE
protect what is
TIME HORIZON
shorter term
……|……|……|……|……|……
……|……|……|……|……|……
collaborative/shared
risk more/gain more
……|……|……|……|……|…...longer-term, multi-year
UNDERLYING BELIEFS
___________________________________________________________________
Environmental Preferences
OFFICE LAYOUT
walled
……|……|……|……|……|……
open
OFFICE DÉCOR/DRESS
formal
……|……|……|……|……|……
casual
OTHER INSIGHTS:
Copyright©PrimeGenesis®LLC. To customize this document, download Tool 2.1 from www.onboardingtools.com.
The document can then be opened, edited, and printed using Microsoft Word or other word processing applications.
From “The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan” (Bradt et al 3rd edition – Wiley, 2011)
BRAVE Preferences
Behaviors
ACTIONS: Do you prefer to act more on your own or with a team?
DECISION MAKING: Do you prefer bosses to make decisions and tell subordinates what to do
or more team-based collaborative co-creation and consultation?
CONTROL POINTS: Do you prefer a business that is managed in writing systemically or more
verbally and face-to-face?
OTHER: Note any other behavioral preferences that give you clues as to “The way things you
prefer things to be done around here.”
_______________________________________________________________
Relationships
COMMUNICATION: The scale goes from more formal to less formal modes and manners.
INTELLECTUAL DEBATE: Are you more comfortable with surface-level, polite conversations
or more in-depth probing, discussion and debate?
CONFLICT: Do you prefer to avoid conflict because it is destructive or welcome it as a
constructive way to move ideas forward?
OBSERVATIONS RE USE OF CREDIT & BLAME, ETC. other uses of credit and blame.
__________________________________________________________________
Attitude
BUY-IN TO PURPOSE: How important is purpose to you?
IDENTITY: Are you more comfortable identifying with yourself, a sub-group, a group/division
or the organization as a whole – one-team?
POWER: An organization’s attitude to power is closely related to the way it makes decisions.
Whether power is institutional, personal, or resource-based, figure out how tightly you prefer
it to be controlled or diffused.
OTHER OBSERVATIONS: Note other things about your attitudes.
__________________________________________________________________
Values
LEARNING: Determine if you prefer to be directed around what and how to learn or whether
you prefer learning to be more collaborative and shared.
RISK APPETITE: Determine you’re happier in an organization that cares more about protecting
what it is or gaining what it doesn’t have, but could have – risking more to gain more.
TIME HORIZON: Determine whether you prefer an organization that is more focused on shorter
time-frames or longer time-frames.
UNDERLYING BELIEFS: Note any other core beliefs that are relevant.
___________________________________________________________________
Environment
OFFICE LAYOUT: Do you prefer more formal walled offices vs. more casual open spaces?
OFFICE DÉCOR: Preferences re: formality vs. casualness of dress and work spaces.
OTHER INSIGHTS: Note other environmental preferences.
From “The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan” (Bradt et al 3rd edition – Wiley, 2011)
NEW LEADER'S 100-DAY ACTION PLAN
TOOL 6.2
CULTURE ASSESSMENT SHEET
Behaviors
ACTIONS
more individual
……|……|……|……|……|……
more team-based
DECISION MAKING
hierarchical
……|……|……|……|……|……
collaborative
CONTROL POINTS
written/systematic ……|……|……|……|……|……
verbal/face-to-face
OTHER NOTABLE PRACTICES
_______________________________________________________________
Relationships
COMMUNICATION
formal
INTELLECTUAL DEBATE surface-level
CONFLICT
……|……|……|……|……|……
informal
……|……|……|……|……|……
in-depth
avoided/destructive ……|……|……|……|……|…… welcome/constructive
OBSERVATIONS RE USE OF CREDIT & BLAME, ETC.
__________________________________________________________________
Attitude
BUY-IN TO PURPOSE
not much
……|……|……|……|……|……
fully committed
IDENTITY
individualistic
……|……|……|……|……|……
one-team
POWER
controlled
……|……|……|……|……|……
diffused
OTHER OBSERVATIONS
__________________________________________________________________
Values
LEARNING
directive
……|……|……|……|……|……
collaborative/shared
RISK APPETITE
protect what is
……|……|……|……|……|……
risk more/gain more
TIME HORIZON
shorter term
……|……|……|……|……|…...longer-term, multi-year
UNDERLYING BELIEFS
___________________________________________________________________
Environment
OFFICE LAYOUT
walled
……|……|……|……|……|……
open
OFFICE DECOR
formal
……|……|……|……|……|……
relaxed
HOW PEOPLE DRESS
formal
……|……|……|……|……|……
casual
not ready
……|……|……|……|……|……
ready
OTHER INSIGHTS:
Readiness for change
Copyright©PrimeGenesis®LLC. To customize this document, download Tool 6.2 from www.onboardingtools.com.
The document can then be opened, edited, and printed using Microsoft Word or other word processing applications.
From “The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan” (Bradt et al 3rd edition – Wiley, 2011)
BRAVE Culture Assessment
Behaviors
ACTIONS: Observe whether people have a bias to act more on their own as individuals or as a team.
DECISION MAKING: Observe whether bosses make decisions and tell subordinates what to do or tend
towards more team-based collaborative co-creation and consultation.
CONTROL POINTS: Observe whether the business is managed in writing systemically or more verbally
and face-to-face.
OTHER NOTABLE PRACTICES: Note any other notable practices that give you clues as to “The way
things are done around here.”
_______________________________________________________________
Relationships
COMMUNICATION: The scale here goes from more formal to less formal modes and manners.
INTELLECTUAL DEBATE: Look to the difference between surface-level, polite conversations and
more in-depth probing, discussion and debate.
CONFLICT: Determine if people have a bias to avoid conflict because it is destructive or welcome it as a
constructive way to move ideas forward.
OBSERVATIONS RE USE OF CREDIT & BLAME, ETC. Note other uses of credit and blame.
__________________________________________________________________
Attitude
BUY-IN TO PURPOSE: Dig into the level of commitment to the organization’s purpose.
IDENTITY: Probe where people fall on the scale of identifying with themselves, their sub-group, their
group/division or the organization as a whole – one-team.
POWER: An organization’s attitude to power is closely related to the way it makes decisions. Whether
power is institutional, personal, or resource-based, figure out how tightly it is controlled or diffused.
OTHER OBSERVATIONS: Note other hints about peoples’ attitudes.
__________________________________________________________________
Values
LEARNING: Determine if people are directed around what and how to learn or whether learning tends to
be more collaborative and shared.
RISK APPETITE: Determine if the organization cares more about protecting what it has or gaining what
it doesn’t have, but could have – risking more to gain more.
TIME HORIZON: Determine whether the organization is more focused on shorter time-frames or longer
time-frames.
UNDERLYING BELIEFS: Get at the beliefs and assumptions underlying the organization’s choices.
___________________________________________________________________
From “The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan” (Bradt et al 3rd edition – Wiley, 2011)
Environment
OFFICE LAYOUT: Note the bias to more formal walled offices vs. more casual open spaces.
OFFICE DÉCOR: Note the formality of work spaces.
HOW PEOPLE DRESS: Note the formality vs. casualness of the way people dress.
OTHER INSIGHTS: Note other clues from the environment.
Readiness for change:
This is the main question. Organizations with more dimensions on the right are generally more ready
to change than organizations with more dimensions falling to the left of these scales.
Correlation with Geert Hofstede Cultural Dimensions:
High vs Low Power Distance
Individualism vs Collectivism
Competitive vs Caring
High vs Low Uncertainty Avoidance
Long vs. Short-term Orientation
=> Attitude: Power
=> Attitude: Identity
=> Relationships: Conflict
=> Values: Learning
=> Values: Time Horizon
Correlation with Berlitz Cultural Orientations Model:
Environment
Time
Action
Communication
Space
Power
Individualism
Competitiveness
Structure
Thinking
=> Environment
=> Values: Time Horizon
=> Behaviors
=> Relationships: Communication
=> Environment
=> Attitude: Power
=> Attitude: Identity
=> Relationships: Conflict
=> Attitude: Identity
=> Relationships: Intellectual debate
From “The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan” (Bradt et al 3rd edition – Wiley, 2011)