Preface

All of us experience them—those significant opportunities disguised as “what do we do now?” moments. They’re the chance to push the envelope, learn new lessons, and (for those of us who like to talk), gather great stories to tell and retell. This book is about one such moment—IBM’s $3.5 billion acquisition of PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting. But more important, it is about what we learned and how it expanded our capabilities in handling business culture challenges. We call these capabilities, and this book Tangible Culture.

Tangible Culture is written for business people. It is a step forward in demystifying the topic of business culture—making it more workable. It also provides new ways to think about culture and act on it.

We tell you what we did and what happened, and then give you examples and work steps of how to apply this learning to your own situations. Whether you are facing a merger or acquisition—like we were—an alliance, major transformation, or restructuring—or if you just want to know whether you are hiring the right people, making the best strategy decision, or ready to launch your vision or project—you will find some new thinking and new techniques here.

Specifically, you will find an actionable surrogate for the vast topic of culture—one that business people readily identify with, and agree is important and not simply “soft and squishy.” You will also find out how two rights can make a wrong—often the basis for culture clash—and what you can do about it. And you will learn a technique for clarifying expectations in a way that people will really “get” it—and do it. And best of all, each of these insights and techniques can be added to what you are already doing. You do not need to unlearn anything you already know about dealing with culture requirements.

And, because business people have limited time, we have organized the materials so that you will not have to read the entire book to get benefit. There are signposts to help you choose how to read it and gain exactly the help you need.

Tangible Culture is written in three sections. The first details our learning—every step along the way of developing this new approach to culture transformation and integration. The second section shows you how to apply the approach to a series of initiatives where culture is important. Finally, you will see how some have applied the concepts creatively to their own efforts.

All in all, we truly hope that you find new ways to address culture proactively—taking it from a risk to competitive advantage.