The DeMarco Culture Model defines culture as the sum of the history, folklore, and values that, taken together, make up the unique identity of a society at a given point in time. To understand culture in a family business context is to understand what distinguishes families and businesses, one from another. This is equally true for both family-first businesses, and business-first families.
The reality is that individuals, families, and businesses are each made up of a variety of unique cultures and subcultures. The uniqueness is not due to the individual elements of the culture. Those elements are usually quite common. Rather, the uniqueness comes from the distinctive blend of elements at particular points in time. While defining that “distinctive blend ” is important, knowing what to do with it is of even greater significance!
Lugen Family Office and Dr. Bill DeMarco have designed a unique Business & Family Culture (BFC) Report based upon numerous interviews and surveys researched by Dr. Bill DeMarco around our proprietary culture model. It is a truly powerful tool that most often acts as a map for a superhighway that gets stakeholders from “here” to “there”, the “there” being a desired future place. It is a very accurate means of communication about the unique elements of the people of a culture by identifying
- who they are
- what they value
- why they behave the way they do
Ultimately, our BFC Report differentiates between the critical, important, and nice-to-have values, and makes recommendations on how to inspire those values in stakeholder behavior. It has been successfully used in:
- twenty-three operating companies of a global “business-first family” organization where common executive & managerial performance standards were sought for their succession planning process
- “family-first business” where common values-based performance standards were sought for preparing the business for acquisition/merger.
Meet our Network Expert:
Dr. Bill DeMarcoLifesBigQuestion.com services are based on the body of work of Dr. Bill DeMarco, a Leadership & Culture Scholar, Executive Coach-Educator, and Business Executive expert in enhancing individual and organizational high performance. He is internationally recognized for his innovative use of culture and leadership technologies that focus on mandates, enhance performance, and improve results.
During the past thirty years, thousands of professionals at all levels have attended leadership programs Bill has authored/co-authored. A small sample of the companies he has served at individual / organizational levels include Apotex, Bank of America, Bank Indonesia, BP, Chemical Bank, CN Rail, Dupont, Equitable, FMC, General Motors, Met Life, Nokia, Panasonic, Royal Bank of Canada, SAP, SIAC (NYSE), Stelco, TD Bank, and Watson Wyatt.
Experience:
- Cultural Historian – Harvard University
- Senior Consultant, Executive Development Programs – Forum Corporation
- Senior Vice-President & Director, U.S. Executive Development Practice – Hay Group
- Senior Vice-President & Managing Director, N.A. & Asia Pacific Organizational Effectiveness Practice – Alexander Consulting Group
- Sessional Professor, DeGroote School of Business (McMaster University)
- Associate Professor – University of Guelph
- Founding Research Director, Centre for Studies in Leadership (CSL) – University of Guelph
- Founding Editor -CSL Leadership Review
- Academic Coordinator, MA-Leadership Program – University of Guelph
- Academic Coordinator, Certificate in Leadership – University of Guelph
- Visiting Fellow, Australian Defence Force Academy – University of New South Wales
A 2010 graduate of his Certificate in Leadership, a hybrid leadership theory & coaching program, described it as a “life changing experience that helped me define who I am as a leader and who I will be.” Life’sBigQuestion.com carries on in the same tradition!
Dr. DeMarco holds Ph.D., MA, M.Ed., and BA degrees
Testimonials
Bill DeMarco is one of the most gifted strategist and organization development professional I have ever encountered. I have worked with Bill at Panasonic North America and at the New York Stock Exchange. My experiences with Bill have set the standard by which I assess other professionals in the field; and, which I must admit has for many proven to be a tough act to follow.
James Mason, New York Stock Exchange
I recently worked with Dr. DeMarco when I served on the Advisory Board of the Centre for Studies in Leadership (CSL) at the University of Guelph. I found Bill to be an outstanding leadership scholar with an enviable research agenda and work product as both CSL Research Director and Founding Editor of the CSL Leadership Review. He is also a great people-person. It was a pleasure working with Bill and I highly recommend his services.
Michel Maisonneuve, Lt.Gen.(retd) Canadian Forces & Former Chief of Staff. NATO HQ
Bill is a great coach, consultant and mentor. He provides exceptional insight along with very pragmatic implementation advice.
Chris Jackson, President-Canadian Operations Belzberg Technologies
Bill’s knowledge of best practices of a wide variety of organizational & HR issues is remarkable. His ability to work with people at all levels is exceptional.
W. Ron Davidson – V P Human Resources Apotex Inc.
I have known Dr. DeMarco for almost thirty years. His ability to thread together research and practical experience is notably singular. He has also made significant contributions to the study of leadership through his writings, vast client work and important international presentations. Bill’s most important skill set is his ability to influence executives, remaining diplomatic in the most challenging settings.
Dr. Michael Maginn, President Singularity Group
Without Bill’s knowledge and expertise we could not have accomplished our ambitious plan in such a short period of time. With Bill’s help, our people felt a strong sense of satisfaction regarding their accomplishments.
Anthony J Lopes – Chief Information Officer Matsushita Information Services
Bill is a quality professional who really understands how to build strategies and, most importantly, inspire people to put them into action.
Bernie Fung – Chairman & CEO Aon Asia Ltd.
Dr. Bill DeMarco is an outstanding professional…highly intelligent, broadly educated and experienced, ethical and passionate. I consider him a “class act” and a quality person in every way.
William F Haupt – Manager of Executive Development General Motors Corporation
Bill is a key advisor and associate on all aspects of management. In fact some of Bill’s programs have migrated to our parent company in Japan.
Stephen J. Lucas – Group General Manager Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Co.
I have worked with Dr. DeMarco for over 25 years. The results on an ongoing basis have been remarkable.
David M Fisher – Senior Vice President & Ombudsman TD Bank
