How Healthy Is Your Organization’s Culture?

The following is a guest piece by Marcella Bremer.

A CEO invited a group of people to a meeting who were at two different levels of the corporation. He asked a question and then went around the table in an orderly fashion getting input from the attendees. When he got to one of the lower level attendees, he said: “Sorry, I just want to hear from (the higher level) folks” and moved on.

Is that recognizable? Did you ever encounter such a situation? And what happened? In this case, nothing happened right away. There was an embarrassed silence, and then the meeting went on. The next higher-ranked person in line answered the question, and the moment passed.

The moment passed, but the culture didn’t. Right then and there, their current culture was reinforced. Culture happens everywhere people get together. It is represented and sustained in the actions and interaction patterns of a group. Culture happens where you are: right before your eyes if you know how to see.

In this current culture

The CEO got away with inviting people to listen, but not giving them a voice. The CEO communicated the message that the higher-ranking people were more important to listen to, and probably knew more about the topic.

The CEO communicated that lower-ranking folks should be in respectful listen-only mode. The CEO decided who got the right to speak and had decided who to invite to this topic.

All other people, higher and lower ranked, communicated that that was the normal order of things by not interfering. They accepted the CEO’s rules and proceeded with the meeting.

Before we blame the CEO as a bad, old-fashioned leader, let’s check again: all other people complied. Maybe it was unpleasant for some, but it was normal. Therefore, what happened was the culture.

What this culture valued was hierarchical power and the intrinsic belief that higher leaders know more than lower folks and therefore, the higher ranks lead. They valued compliance, agreeableness, and respect for positions.

The lower-ranked people might have accepted the culture in hopes of getting up on the ladder, someday. Or for fear of losing their jobs. Either way, they complied and sustained this culture.

Lofty or daily?

Could culture really be this concrete? So down-to-earth? Aren’t we supposed to formulate lofty core values, a vision and mission statement? Yes, we could, but if you need to change it is useful to make culture also operational and look at the daily (inter)actions.

Culture has had a bad press. Some companies “magically” have great cultures induced by heroic leaders and, thus, dominate their markets. But the majority of organizations seems to muddle through, now and then halfheartedly embarking on a culture project where they define their core values, vision, and mission statement – and then return to business as usual.

No wonder that culture seems elusive, and not something you can get a grip on. And even though Kotter and Heskett showed that culture could account for a 20-30% better overall performance than similar competitors, many leaders and organizations don’t see how to develop a culture that enhances performance.

But maybe you do now, after attending the meeting described above. Sure, culture is a complex concept that permeates everything in organizational life. The culture entails the identity, the purpose, the values and beliefs, the competencies, the actions and the outcomes of an organization.

It’s not quite as simple as “the way we do things around here,” but you can work on culture through the interactions in a group. Especially in meetings, the public theater stage of culture, interaction patterns are governed by the culture.

When the CEO got to one of the lower level attendees, he said: “Sorry, I just want to hear from (the higher level) folks.”

John was stunned, but he managed to say: “But why was I invited to this meeting if I can’t share my view?”

His heart was pounding. The others looked down on their papers in terror. No one had ever debated the CEO.

The CEO was taken aback for a second, then shouted: “Because you learn more when you listen! You’re a new manager, and you’d better fit in!” and he moved on.

Maybe John got away unscathed with his attempt to change the interaction pattern. But if he tried this a second time, he might not be so lucky. Maybe he’d have to start looking for another position.

In this changing culture

Or imagine this: The CEO shouted at John: “Because you learn more when you listen! You’re a new manager, and you’d better fit in!” and he wanted to move on.

But Mary, a higher-ranked leader, interrupted: “I agree that listening is valuable, but that goes for us as well. I’d be interested in hearing his view. Our middle managers might have interesting observations that could be valuable.”

Mary’s heart was pounding. She prayed that someone else would now back her up – or the CEO would turn on her.

“I think she has a point,” Steve said quickly. “Could we do a quick round and share everyone’s observations?”

Now here’s a group that’s trying to change the interaction pattern in this meeting. Mary and Steve wake from their bystander position and stand up for what they value: all attendees to a meeting have a voice.

They support John so that he won’t be the only culprit. They open the space by sharing their view on what happens, and they ask an open, possibility-oriented question: “Could we do a quick round and share everyone’s observations?”

Can you feel that it is harder now for the CEO to say no? There are two other people requesting to hear more views, meanwhile acknowledging that time may be limited and undermining the objection of “no time” by offering a quick round.

That’s what I call an Interaction Intervention.

Interaction Interventions

An (Inter)action Intervention is what you say, ask or do to make the culture more positive, regardless of your position, without needing permission or resources. You “catch” and influence culture on a daily basis: where and when it happens. Not in abstract values, but in daily interactions. There’s a whole toolkit of Interaction Interventions, but one example is to ask more genuine questions. Or share positive observations.

With Interaction Interventions, you engage others and eventually develop a vibrant workplace where people have a positive mindset, collaborate, learn and take ownership, and are fueled by a shared purpose. Those are the ingredients of a positive culture, and they’re proven to boost productivity.

Of course, one different interaction in one meeting won’t change the culture right away. It doesn’t change what the whole organization values and believes overnight. But consistent Interaction Interventions can inspire more and more others to think and interact differently… and the ball starts rolling. And then, one day, the new has become normal.

“Could we do a quick round and share everyone’s observations?”

“No need to ask! I can’t wait to hear your solutions”, the CEO answered, leaning in.

You could tell he was open and interested. The energy in the room was palpable, as John began to share what he had observed…

My book “Developing a Positive Culture where People and Performance Thrive” focuses on what you can personally do to develop a positive culture. Based on both research and practice, you’ll see how to engage your co-workers with Interaction Interventions or Change Circles.

If you influence one person, one interaction at a time, you contribute to a more positive organization. There’s no need to suffer or just survive at work to pay the bills. We can thrive at work and take that home!

Marcella Bremer MSc, BA is a culture consultant and author of the book “Developing a Positive Culture where People and Performance Thrive“. To learn more about Marcella’s work, visit her website at www.leadershipandchangemagazine.com.

© Marcella Bremer, 2018