#davesdailychallenge (38): Culture Series Part 1. In the inaugural post of an ongoing series on culture, and in honor of President’s Day today (see what I did there? Inaugural?), I want to talk about one very tangible way to discuss organizational culture. While most discussions on culture are vague, and often an unfortunate waste of time because people rarely leave the discussion with a feeling of ownership or excitement, a tangible way to understand the culture of any organization is to witness the thoughts and actions of the members when they believe no one is watching. All the well-planned PowerPoint presentations in the world won’t make up for human beings not doing the right thing. It can be even worse, in fact, if your mission statements and values express one thing and your actions clearly state another. Among other things I design and build cultures for a living. If you want to truly build a positive organizational culture for the long term I challenge you to create the environment where your members care enough to take responsibility. They view the success of the whole as their personal responsibility and will actively seek ways to ensure the organization realizes it’s full potential regardless if anyone is watching. If you witness members of your organization shifting blame, or pointing fingers address it tactfully but immediately. Publicly reward those who espouse the ideals your team is striving for and you will create the feedback loop you need to create a powerful and rewarding culture. It’s not easy but it’s worth it.
Part 2 coming soon…