After a decade of institutional turmoil, including a succession of four chief executive officers, efforts were undertaken at one educational institution to identify the cultural dynamics at play in the organization and reframe its approach to management. A brief survey was distributed to over 125 people on the college's management council asking respondents to choose one of five statements that best described the college's place along a quality continuum ranging from dysfunctional society to community. The reaction to the survey reflected the fear and mistrust in the organizational climate, with many respondents concerned about the anonymity of responses or the inability to discuss such matters at the college. As a result of the outcomes, a systems thinking group of the managers used a Vision Development Matrix to help achieve alignment among themselves and the other survey participants regarding responses. The matrix, also completed by the college President, indicated that different groups of managers perceived organizational actions according to the mental models that they employed: those who expected to hear bad news at management council meetings, always heard bad news at the meetings, while those who expected the President to act as a "tough guy" perceived him as that. Efforts were therefore undertaken to address the issues of mental models and systems thinking with the entire management council. (BCY)