Changing corporate culture is a very difficult task. However, it can be done with time and dedicated energy. Today’s reader raises a good question about where to focus their efforts.
We want to improve our organizational culture. As a human resources professional, we are trying to provide management with some things they can focus on. I want to know the areas to concentrate our efforts.
Organizational culture is defined as the “behavior of humans who are part of an organization and the meanings that people attach to their actions.” But I think culture is about more than just what people do. It also includes what they “say” about themselves. That’s when those disconnects in corporate culture begin. For instance, the company says they value work/life balance but, in practice, they really don’t.
To me, corporate culture is comprised of 3 things:
#1 – Company mission, vision, and values (M-V-V). This is what the company says about itself. It typically addresses quality, service, and community. As a customer or employee, it tells me what to expect about the company, its product or service, and the way they treat people.
#2 – Your actual work practices. This is what actually happens at the company. It may be exactly the same as #1. It may not. In my experience, if #1 and #2 are not in alignment, #2 becomes the reputation of the organization. Doesn’t really matter what #1 says. People quickly figure out the truth.
#3 – People. Not just the employees hired by the company. But the customers who buy goods and services from the company. The vendors that the company purchases things from. The companies and people who are considered strategic partners with the organization. Everyone contributes to the culture.
So, if you’re faced with trying to make change in corporate culture, I’d start with #2. What is the company currently doing? Does it align with the mission, vision, and values of the organization? And if it doesn’t, why aren’t the people associated with the company doing things that support the M-V-V?
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Changing culture involves the company taking a good long look in the mirror. And if changes need to be made in the mission, vision, and values that’s perfectly fine. Companies evolve and change all the time. The current M-V-V isn’t wrong or bad. It suited the company just perfectly at one point in time. But it’s time to change.
Image courtesy of HR Bartender
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J Scott says
agree on the starting point because there comes a time to jump off the cliff so to speak. the greatest leaders create an environment of learning within the organization where everyone feels “a part” of the process – the belonging; as some sports coaches refer to it the identity of the team; and it is ever changing. as new hires come aboard and others depart the identity takes on a new evolution with senior leadership guiding and reinforcing that culture. as you say it best from the HR “stool” the bartender has the ear, the pulse and the cocktail that stirs the cultures future growth…
Sharlyn Lauby says
Thanks for the comment. Love the analogy!
David Miretsky says
Hello.
Thanks for information.
Greg Hawks says
I have found in my work, that one of the hardest elements of getting #2 to align with #1 is the effort that has been made to make #1 prevalent in all aspects of the work environment. Most of the time #1 hasn’t been intentionally designed to filter through all levels of an organization (& it’s people/hiring process) which debilitates it’s ability to have real impact.
Patrick Lencioni’s book “The Advantage” is a great read on the matter and contains practical steps to achieve that alignment.
It takes an enormous amount of work at the top level to commit to the communication, accountability and clarity necessary to make the MVV a real framework for all decisions to be made. Though it is possible.
Thanks for the excellent article…
Sharlyn Lauby says
Thanks for the comments and sharing!
Wilhelm says
I think many firms lack a strong organizational culture even though there are many assessments offered by consulting firms specialised in matters of e.g. EQ which assess a firm’s organizational culture. These assessments can help a firm to identify its current organizational culture and define the future organizational culture that it would like to have.