Culture is a concept, which makes it quite subjective. With more definitions and understanding of the term and there are Rice Krispies in a box of Kellogg’s cereal, it is difficult to ensure that what we say when we talk about culture is really what someone else understands it to mean. And if we don’t know what it means, how do we know how we influence it?
So, for the sake of the words ahead, let’s start with a simple definition, one that I’ve come up with after interviewing hundreds of leaders on the topic.
‘Culture is the subconscious set of rules and norms we follow as a result of people, place, and tools at work.’
Now, I’m not saying this is the only definition of culture. I’m not even saying it is the mostright definition of culture; this is simply my definition and the one we’ll use for the next few minutes.
If there are rules and norms that we follow at work, we must recognize that these rules don’t just live in our team of, say, 4 people, and they don’t just live in the mission, vision, and values of the entire company. Culture lives everywhere, but it doesn’t affect us the same.
Today I’m writing from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. While in Vancouver, I adhere to the local bylaws and rules. But I’m also a British Columbian through and through, which means the rules here are different than, say, our neighbouring province, Alberta. It doesn’t stop there though; I’m also (proudly) Canadian, and federal rules and norms apply to me just as they would to someone in any other province. The rules and norms I follow don’t just live within my city, they live at all three levels.
Workplace culture is much like the rules we follow in our personal lives, too. The company we work for has a set of rules, values, and beliefs, but the accounting department is undoubtedly going to look and feel different than the sales team would. The Los Angeles office will look and feel different than the Des Moines office will, too. And within the departments, each team of 4 will have their norms and differentiators, too. Culture lives everywhere, always.
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And when we’re trying to see where we fit, and how we can influence culture, what we often forget is that in our immediate team, our impact is going to be great. If we’re having a bad day, our little team may know about it, but the department or company likely won’t. That said if it is bad enough to impact the performance of the team, the department will suffer, and the company as a whole may have a bad day as a result.
When we’re looking to influence culture and change the experience of our days, it is important to know that culture always has and always will start with us. If we talk to our team, decide to truly show up for ourselves and them, the experience for all of us starts to improve. If we have the tough conversations and do our best to alleviate any tension, know that these people (especially when working remote) may be the only people we see or speak to from the company any given day.
Culture, like the different levels of government we vote in every few years, lives at numerous levels in the company. To suggest that culture is something that is only coming from the c-suite or senior leadership is not doing justice to the day-to-day life we live with our teams, how they impact our days, and how we impact theirs.
Questions to ponder:
- How does the culture on our team vary from what the company promotes?
- How is it the same?
- What behaviours, habits, or even quirks, are we proud of on our team that are unique to us?
What action can you take today to start to influence change on your team/department/company?