Carly Fiorina's Way

Carly Fiorina has created a unique culture in the new Hewlett-Packard / Compaq blending of cultures. Rather than blend cultures ( as expected), she has identified the resources strong in each culture and allowed them to prevail in the new company. Pardon the personal insight, but in my marriage, my husband and I often co-select items such as dishes. This results in some interesting selections.

When no one picks what they really like, you are generally left with the lowest common denominator. Everyone is okay with the selections, but, rarely ecstatic. At HP, Carly seems to have driven the changes deep into the organization, and many feel the new culture is needed for the future.

Others are not so sure. 16,000 people have been downsized. Where employees were nurtured in the past, they must now meet performance goals. (I do think these two approaches, nurturing and meeting goals, are capable of existing in the same organization, by the way.)

In the new HP, rank and position matter and decisions are often made at the top - quickly. Sales and customers are the focus of the organization and risk taking is encouraged. In many ways, this is a great culture, as long as you don't forget about the people.

Read more in this excellent article from Workforce Management: Don't Mess With Carly.