Peter Drucker famously said, “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” He’s expressing that your company’s culture determines success no matter how effective your strategy may be.
What exactly is organizational culture?
Scientists would say culture refers to all the conditions in an environment that are suitable for growth. This implies culture determines what will grow and what will not.
Imagine a three-legged stool where culture sits upon three major perspectives:
- How your team thinks about the business or the job that they do.
- How team members act out or perform their job.
- How team members interact with one another.
I recently had a conversation with an owner of a higher end restaurant. He surveyed his staff to see how they were doing through all the stress of the pandemic. He was shocked with their answer when he asked, “how do you feel or think about our customers?”. This business owner found out that some of the employees thought that their clientele was arrogant and entitled.
If the staff has this impression about their customers, how do you think it’s going to affect their job performance? This discovery gives great insight on even how staff interact with each other regarding particular customers.
Culture drives behavior. Just throwing any kind of customer service strategy to solve the problem is going to fail. A process of a cultural shift is required for true change.
Who is responsible for your organization’s culture?
As a leader, you feel responsible for many things in your organization. This includes shouldering the responsibility for shaping your organizational culture.
You’ve learned this year just how critical culture can be for your company’s productivity and growth.
In all honesty, it’s not you, as leader, who is solely responsible for the company’s culture. Culture has more to do with how each person thinks, acts, or interacts. Yes, you as the leader are responsible for leading and setting the tone of your culture, but everyone on your team contributes and is responsible for the culture your organization has.
Do a quick culture check. Be observant and ask some good questions to find out how your team members at all levels are thinking, acting, and interacting. Are they reinforcing the culture that you want? If so, then make sure you take the time to let them know they’re doing a great job.
If there’s a disconnect, schedule some one-on-one time with them. You may discover an obstacle that you can move out of their way and help them get back on track. You may find they need reminding of what the expectations of behavior are within your organization.
Identifying culture issues can be challenging when you’re close to the situation. It’s beneficial in many ways to bring in an outside perspective.
People leave people, not organizations.
Did you know that as a leader you are meant to be a gift to those whom you serve?
When you give a gift, chances are, you put some thought to purchasing just the right thing to demonstrate how much you value those important people in your life.
The gift-giving process can be challenging. Do you ever have this weird gut-check moment while checking out and ask yourself if they’re going to like what you’ve selected? I don’t know about you, but I always feel like a winner when I choose the gift for someone that hits the mark. They truly enjoy it rather than returning it or re-gifting it.
How many of your own team members would want to regift or return you?
With all the resignations over this past year, leaders are now realizing that team members are “exchanging” that “gift” of the leaders they follow.
Think of yourself as a gift. What can you do to hit the mark with your team and ensure they don’t want to return or exchange you for someone else?
Processes must reinforce culture.
Like it or not, we have created the “new normal.” Do your current organizational processes reinforce the culture that you want to cultivate?
If your team or organization has changed the way that you do business, like having flexible work schedules, being hybrid, or even switching to a completely remote work environment, then the way you establish and reinforce culture needs to change too.
Many organizations have fallen into the trap of just throwing a camera in front of something, calling it “good enough,” and expecting everything to function as it did before.
But there’s a big difference between watching a movie and watching a recording of a live stage performance. I’ve recorded my fair share of my children’s performances over the years for friends or family members that couldn’t be there in person. Watching a recording of a live performance isn’t the same as being there.
Back when video cameras were first invented, seeing a play at a theater in person was the highlight of social entertainment. The fact that they could actually capture that performance on film and replay it later was amazing.
What they quickly realized was the style of acting and the processes that made going to the theater magical didn’t translate to film. They needed to build all new processes to create the movies that we enjoy today. They didn’t just put a camera on it and call it good. An entirely new industry was born.
It’s time to take action.
If you’re finding it difficult gaining traction with achieving organizational goals, a cultural shift is in order. Your strategy in growing your business and increasing productivity won’t work without first addressing cultural issues.
You must ask yourself these important questions:
- What would you like your culture to be known for?
- Is there a gap between your vision and the current organizational climate?
- Which processes and procedures need to be updated or eliminated?
Here’s how you can help shape your team’s culture:
- Offer one-on-one time with team members who may be struggling to identify issues and help find solutions or support.
- Assess your existing goals and map out a plan that is in alignment with today’s work climate.
- Pull in an outside perspective to get objective feedback of the source of the issues that hold you back from reaching your organizational goals.
If you’re noticing a disconnect with your team, it could be time to see to raise your company’s leadership lid. Schedule a consultation and ask me if scheduling a personalized interactive team culture experience is your next best step.
