“The only thing of real importance that leaders do is to create and manage culture. If you do not manage culture, it manages you, and you may not even be aware of the extent to which this is happening.”
— Edgar H. Schein
Why is it important to intentionally develop culture?
- Culture develops spontaneously, as a result of patterns that are established over time, creating a collective identity. This identity is forged by the leaders‘ behavior but is continually influenced by all the people who are part of the organization.
- The culture that develops randomly usually becomes distant from the one represented by the declared values. The patterns of behaviour established over time can reveal different values, depending on what is encouraged or prioritized in day-to-day decisions. These divergences between what is said and what is done almost always contribute to toxic environments.
- On the other hand, when culture is intentionally developed, through the constant cultivation of desired values, it can become a huge competitive advantage. After all, culture is the key to a successful strategy!
- When organizational culture is developed intentionally, it helps attract people who identify with the values and purpose of the organization. This identification fosters commitment, integration and collaboration.
- Alignment between culture and strategy boosts the organization’s financial results.
Who is it for?
- Organizations of any size that realize that culture is the strongest link between people and the organization, and its greatest competitive advantage.
- Organizations that aim to foster a culture aligned with their strategic objectives.
- Organizations open to hearing their employees’ needs and their perceptions about the organizational values actually in practice (even if they differ from those stated).
How do we intentionally develop culture?
Intentionally developing culture, in line with strategy, requires in-depth reflection on the values that need to be cultivated in order to create the most favorable conditions for achieving the desired results.
Once the values of the aspirational culture have been defined, it’s no use just publicizing them: it’s necessary to ensure that these values are perceived in the leaders’ behavior and in the other elements that reveal the culture of the business: communication, layout, norms and policies, processes, rituals, and the dynamics of people interaction.
The journey of culture development or transformation involves several stages. In his book The Values-Driven Organization, Richard Barrett illustrates the process of cultural change from a systemic perspective, based on Ken Wilber’s four-quadrant model.
In this model, the transformation of culture requires individual and collective alignment, in the interior and exterior dimensions. In other words:
- Personal alignment between what one thinks (values) and what one does (behavior)
- Structural alignment between declared values and the reality of the organization (structure, policies, processes, incentives, etc.)
- Alignment of personal and organizational values
- Mission alignment between employees’ sense of purpose and their role in the organization
I particularly like the TCS – Systemic Cultural Transformation® method by the Spanish company Transform Action, which has the Barrett Model® at its genesis and involves a comprehensive and detailed transformation cycle.
What are the expected benefits?
From an in-depth dialogue about individual and collective values, how they manifest themselves in the leaders’ behavior and in organizational policies, what impact they have on people and how much they favor or prevent the achievement of strategic objectives, the expected results are:
- Expansion of individual and collective awareness of their values (identity)
- Effective behavioral changes (anchored in the expansion of awareness)
- Gradual and consistent transformation (due to alignment and continuous reinforcement)
- Alignment with strategic objectives, creating the most favorable context for achieving them
Contracting
Culture development projects are designed according to the size of the organization, the scope and extent of the project, as well as the team of consultants involved (to be constituted given the other elements).
I am available to listen and understand the client’s needs, and to provide a quote for the proposed services. Please contact me to discuss the possibilities.