Everyone has a viewpoint on Culture. Culture Vultures are everywhere. But I don’t blame them. Culture is a universal concept. Experienced by all and defined by all in their own peculiar way. Take a shot, I am certain you have a definition for yourself too.
Sociologists define it as a common set of beliefs, norms which influence group behaviour. This is not very different from the definition of organisation culture. Reflect on your workplace and you are likely to capture the “smell of the place” as the late Professor Sumantra Ghosh put it in this talk.
Over the past few years of studying organisations and then working in one, I have come to appreciate culture and its nuances in detail. This week I touch upon certain elements which make any culture enduring and a potent force for organisational success.
Radical Candor
A concept made popular by Kim Scott which essentially encourages honest and transparent communication between stakeholders. I have put this first because this one you can practise irrespective of the existing cultural nuances. Especially when you take charge as a leader. Kim Scott demonstrates practising caring deeply for the individuals on your team while also not shying away from giving hard feedback. A culture of care and well meaning criticism can create a great workplace.
Autonomy
This one is hard to implement. Risk aversion plagues most companies and by default the salaried employed in those organisations. Thus giving autonomy and expecting great results is unfair. Instead focussing on hiring the right talent and then empowering them seems to work well. Take Netflix for instance, in both the books on Netflix – Powerful and No Rules Rules – the core idea seems to reflect this. In my view, high performing teams outperform themselves each time because they are provided the right mix of risk and cushioning for the risk.
Psychological Safety
Psychological safety simply put is where you can speak your mind without thinking much about the consequences. This promotes cohesion and team bonding and is likely to help teams perform better. Leaders have a big role to play in creating psychologically safe environments. They have the control of calibrating team dynamics and by developing a tough skin, they can solicit honest criticism and ideas for tricky problems. Organisations which encourage bringing your whole self to work tend to have a psychologically safe environment.
Learning
Razor sharp focus on learning and emphasis by leaders indicates a growth mindset. A learning organisation is not only resilient to disruption but it also makes work more meaningful. Back in college I read The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge but I failed to appreciate the nuances in the book. But after working for five years in HR, I am now able to appreciate the value of the lessons taught in that book, especially the Beer Game problem. Leaders who invest in learning of their team members end up creating a lot more value for their firm.
In conclusion, not all organisations can have all the four elements. In all fairness, company cultures are influenced by beliefs of the promoters, business compulsions and of course the environmental pressures. They are also shaped by the people themselves who bring in a bit of their diversity into the workplace. But striving to incorporate these elements is likely to guarantee in better outcomes and a happier workforce.