Culture is Memory and Legacy
Culture is like air, you only notice it when it’s bad. Or when you’re running out.
For the unconverted, organisational culture exists whether you want it to or not. And as the pandemic continues to keep us at home, the need to be intentional about it is more important than ever.
Think back to your last job interview - you probably asked the question: “what’s the culture like?
The response was probably “Yeah, it’s great, very social, but we get the work done. Very good team members, not many egos”. And just like a bad haircut, you smiled and nodded and said ‘great, yep’ and moved on with your life.
Not only was that probably the vaguest expression of humanity you’ve heard, it was probably nonsense. That’s because whilst culture can be felt and experienced, it can often be hard to define. Which makes it incredibly hard to value, improve upon and be accountable for.
Culture and cultural-fit score high for both employers and employees for a myriad of decision making - hiring, firing, leaving, staying, stress, happiness - you name it, someone has a stat for it. We all like to be culture-centric.
And for something that is so critical, why is the bad-haircut-of-an-answer acceptable? Especially considering it is our highest motivator for the next step in our careers?
There’s a courage involved in unpacking your company’s culture - it shines a light on not just people and performance, but attitude and acceptability.
However, with careful consideration and reflection - the process can be positive and inspiring. Understanding who and what brings people together to do their best is a
Like water, culture takes the shape of the space around it. But that does not mean it is “self-defined” rather that the weighting, values & particular brand of your culture may be unique.
So what parameters can an organisational culture be defined within? Start with, but do not finish with these:
Purpose, vision and values - what are the beliefs that bring us together?
Leadership and behaviours - how are those beliefs and behaviours communicated and rewarded?
Policy, process and governance - what frameworks are in place to make sure they happen and are supported?
History and story - how does the organisational remember and reinforce the desired culture?
Workplace, environment and design - where does culture happen both in the office and working remotely?
The culture of any organisation exists through the tone, behaviour and actions of leadership and the impact and influence that has on all others.
Culture is memory, aspiration & legacy - it inspires us to do more, do better based on the actions of the past and vision of the future.