Culture adapts to external circumstance and distributes what is learned for internal cohesion. In other words, culture is externally adaptive and internally integrative. Culture is what has enabled your organisation to thrive. If you are going to change culture, remember its original positive intent. Consider: What was the positive intent for the culture you have? Continuously created Many think that culture change is a finite program – like any other project with a start and a finish. Some expect their culture to be different when the culture change project is done. Culture though, is never complete. People in an organisation or group are continuously experiencing what happens, influencing each other, having conversations, and shaping the meaning they give to what happens. This happens continuously. These projects and events are part of what happens in the workplace. The way in which people experience those projects and events is a separate thing entirely.
conversation. It is our communication and use of language that influences the experience that reflects, directs and shapes the culture we create together. Consider: Is your communication sending the message you want received? Summary: • WHY. Culture matters because it is the engine of your productivity and engagement strategy. • WHAT. Culture is the sum total of the continuous influence of what people do and don’t do. • HOW. Language reflects and directs culture. Philip Oude-Vrielink Philip is presenting a workshop at 10:30am on CEO’s Day (Friday)
As a product of meaning-making, based on how work and the workplace is continuously experienced, culture is created continuously. Consider: What message is what you do and don’t do continually sending? Sum total influence Leadership is influence. Everything you do and don’t do is experienced by others – often in ways you do not intend. Everyone else’s actions are experienced by everyone else. The more power in you and your role, the more what you do and don’t do influences others.
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Continuously being influenced and additive, culture is always becoming more of something. What matters is whether that something optimally supports your strategy. Effective change projects are important. Workplace events that engage are important. However, neither of them are an adequate substitute for successful culture change – which happened and happens continuously. Since culture is being continuously created, influenced and recreated – so culture change must be and is continuous. Consider: What is the overall message of your example? How do you shape culture? Culture is all about influencing experience and collective meaning – usually through language. Language reflects and directs We perceive our workplace environment and collectively interpret and confirm meaning accordingly. When we do this as a group – influencing, confirming, refuting and shaping meaning – we create shared assumptions and culture. Collectively, we confirm meaning with each other through
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Better Boards Conference 2014
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