Culture
Culture permeates the way groups of people do things together. To understand your business culture, you must look at
• assumptions and practices
• decision rules
• values in action
• behavioural norms
• leadership style.
Global businesses like to evolve an overarching culture.
There is a tendency, though, for functional teams and professional groups to develop sub-cultures.
Smaller organisations can also find themselves with sub-cultures.
These can be energising - but there is a risk of the 'sound of silos'. And silos don't co-operate easily.
Cultural differences can both charm and bedevil.
Cultures vary locally and ethnically, affecting attitudes to power, time and space, and feedback: all behaviour is inflected.
It is vital that you take cross-cultural factors into account. Otherwise you risk mistrust and confusion.
Culture is not a separate 'creature'. It is a significant part of a dynamic whole.
When working with leaders and managers on change, we urge a diagnostic understanding of culture and sub-culture, and the part they play.
We have a variety of tools and techniques and we are skilled team facilitators. Cultural work requires us to listen and look beyond what people are claiming so that we can identify the important things that are not being discussed.
Our own research suggests that culture is a significant aspect of governance. We are developing a Governance Culture Toolkit.
