This year my clients have made enormous gains, some hiring top performers into key positions; others executing demanding strategies; everyone challenging the ordinary. But not everything happened seamlessly. Here’s what my clients taught me this year:

Espoused beliefs reflect those perceptions that an organization’s leaders consider “correct.” Over time, members of an organization learn that certain beliefs work to reduce uncertainty, so these beliefs gradually develop into an articulated set of norms and operational rules of behavior that serve as a guide for dealing with ambiguity or difficult events.  As new members join the organization, others influence them through education about these beliefs.