The Culture Conundrum

picture: Wix.com

I have been thinking a lot about culture lately as many of my colleagues make the decision to retire. Each time someone leaves and a new person starts there is change. Depending on the level of influence the individual has, the anticipated shift can be large or it can be subtle. It is interesting to me that as every shift happens, I hear from leaders and employees in the company as to their concerns of how the shift will change the culture. They describe it as if the culture is controlled through that person or as if the culture itself is controlling the actions of the organization. In these situations, it is almost a feeling of hopelessness that the culture will shift and there is nothing that can be done.

This got me thinking - What is culture? Who owns the culture? How does culture shift happen? As we hear about the great post-Covid resignation, there are many who are concerned how the changes to flexibility or roles or people in the roles will impact culture. For the blog this month I want to explore culture and challenge you that culture is more than 1 person, it is the individual and group actions taken that determines how a culture is demonstrated and how successful it is in meeting the outcomes, values and vision statements set out to guide it.

What is Culture?

Culture is defined by Oxford Dictionary as "The ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society." or "The attitudes and behaviour characteristic of a particular social group." In organizations it is often described as "how we do things around here". Each organization and department within each branch of an organization tree will have unique aspects of the culture that are not the same as to collective organization. Culture helps people understand what is expected, rewarded and in some cases punished, often through unwritten rules and processes. It is powerful and can shift an individual's behaviour to allow them to fit in or, in toxic cultures, to remain employed.

Culture comes from the Latin root meaning "to cultivate". I really like this foundation as it paints the picture that we can't just put a poster on the wall and expect that everyone will understand how to behave and what to do. I am a gardener and I know that if I just plant seeds and ignore them, they are unlikely to flourish without water, fertilizer and proper light. This is the same with culture. We need to give it the right focus and attention if we are to expect it to stay alive and thrive - especially in the changes that we have seen through COVID and in the changes expected going forward.

The overarching umbrella of the culture is often set at a senior leadership level. How it shows up in each area is determined by what the team and the individual leaders celebrate and what they allow.

picture: learningindustry.com

Who Owns Culture?

Culture is owned by every employee. When you sign on to an organization, you are not just signing on to the tasks to do your job, but you are also signing on to the culture and safety of yourself and your fellow employees. Each individual sets the example of the culture, challenging each other when values or cultural norms are not followed. Leaders need to be ambassadors for the culture, setting the vision and holding teams accountable to the vision. Each employee is equally responsible to hold themselves and others accountable to the culture. It takes the entire village to work together for the culture to thrive.

Coming back to my story of retirement and the fear I heard about how culture may shift as leaders change, I agree with them. Culture will shift.... if you let it.

How does Culture Shift?

Culture can shift if we make a conscious effort to shift some aspect of culture. I recall a number of years ago working with an organization and we made a deliberate decision to shift and strengthen to culture of commitment to the safety program. Without this deliberate and focussed effort that included clear direction, vision, process and tools, this shift would not have been possible. People at all levels of the organization had to shift focus to meet the needs of the new safety commitment and had to change their actions so that every employee could safely complete their job outcomes.

Culture can also shift when we unconsciously allow things to happen and don't speak up to challenge what is counter culture. If we allow people to treat others disrespectful or we don't speak up when decisions or actions are taken that are contrary to our culture, this erodes the culture and sends the message that in spite of what we say our culture is, in reality it is something else. This can happen if we don't manage mistreatment or performance concerns and it can also happen when we back down when someone is aggressive and allow this behaviour to become a pattern. It can also happen when we allow actions that are contrary to how we do things stand in the interests of completing the task at hand. It is a slippery slope and each decision we make either supports or erodes the culture. This shift happens between peers, teams and throughout entire companies, depending on what is being tolerated.

Regardless of the culture shift outcomes, once the action is rolling forward, it is like Newton's first law which basically states that a body moving will keep moving in that path unless acted on by an outside force. This is similar to culture in that once an action is an accepted part of how things are done, it takes deliberate action to shift the path if a new outcome is desired. Who knew culture was going to become a physics lesson?

picture : peiauto.com

Culture is grounded in values. Clear values are the key - like the roots of a tree- they guide us to know what is right and wrong in our culture. In trees the roots extend out underground similar in dimension to the width of the tree above ground. Like organizations, employees at all levels influence the culture regardless of where they sit on the organizational tree.

Our values create our beliefs and from our beliefs comes our behaviours and actions. Even if we have the same core values at heart, our beliefs and behaviours can show up differently because of our life experiences and how our actions are guided through our life. For this reason it is important to have conversations about what values look like in action so that desired behaviours can be clear to all participants within a culture. It is through these discussions where we clarify what the culture should look and feel like that we cultivate the culture that we are trying to create.

Coming back to my story about changes in leadership - the culture will change as new ideas and influences enter an organization. This is expected and good to keep the culture alive and moving forward. Everyone in the organization needs to protect the aspects of the culture that they are collectively committed to. Culture cannot be successful if it is poster on the wall. It needs to be lived out and demonstrated in the actions and conversations of those within the culture on a day to day and conversation to conversation basis. Without this commitment, culture will change in ways that we don't intend or sometimes don't desire.

Culture is everyone's responsibility. If you are not satisfied with the direction of your culture you have three choices:

1. To put up with it and become resentful of the way the culture is

2. To remove yourself from the culture

3. To take action to shift the culture by addressing the concerns you are seeing and negotiating a shift.

As a certified values based culture consultant and coach I work with businesses of all sizes to help teams rally around a collective definition of their culture and values and clarify what success looks like for them. Drucker said that culture eats strategy for breakfast and this is true. A strong cultural foundation can make or break the strategic outcomes - impacting both what and how strategy is accomplished. Being deliberate with culture is a sure way to ground your organization as it move forward in our uncertain times. Connecting to an organization's culture helps engage and motivate employees to spend their discretionary effort towards activities that align with your company's direction. Investing in connecting people and culture is the key to long term and consistent organizational success.

We all own the culture.. What is one thing you can do today to move closer to the culture that you want to be in?

Be all in for culture,

Judy

Connect with me to continue this conversation on connection, culture and commitment. Judy@molnarconsulting.ca.