How can you ensure consistent company culture across borders?

Culture ultimately comes from the top. It’s established and built by leadership teams who agree on how people are treated, how they are valued, and how they are respected. But to keep culture consistent, those same behaviors and practices must trickle down to every single manager and supervisor in the company. You cannot have a great culture strategy, and have line managers deviate from those practices. I believe that culture is always an arm’s length away. If your company touts great culture but your own direct boss is awful, that’s YOUR culture experience.

Consistency in culture can only mean one thing: upholding and championing company values. Company values (when done right) unite everyone under a singular mission and hold us to an agreed upon set of accountabilities. Localism and micro cultures are what make us human, they are how we forge bonds, how we appreciate our differences, and how we hold space for everyone as a contributor with their world view. Culture should respect and adapt but still find a central anchor under what we believe (mission, vision, values) matters, and how we believe we should treat each other and hold each other accountable. Culture is not expecting everything to be the same wherever you go, but to appreciate what unites and what sets us apart.

Company culture is a mix of shared values, beliefs, and practices that define an organization. In my opinion, 1. Ensuring that the CORE VALUES of the company are universally applicable and resonate with diverse cultural backgrounds would be helpful to ensure consistent company culture across borders. 2. Global collaboration should be encouraged and promoted (maybe through some upskilling projects) fostering a sense of interconnectedness.

Achieving a consistent company culture across borders involves finding the right balance between global standardization and local adaptation. The process is dynamic and requires continuous effort, feedback, and adjustment to align with the organization's financial and leadership maturity level. It's about creating a "crossvergent and hybrid" culture that reflects the global nature of the organization while respecting the unique attributes of each region.

It is paramount to define the desired culture and idiot proof the communication around it. In one of my previous organisations, Dilemma workshops were run across the length and breadth to help employees know what set of value behaviours one needs to demonstrate. A key aspect of the workshops was to throw light on what is expected from them in a situation where they need to choose between two conflicting values and make a decision. To some the right response would come naturally but it was a learning to see how some struggled with it. Reinforcing this with leadership endorsement is critical for its penetration and sustenance.

In my experience it is also crucial to understand employee opinions and suggestions while crafting culture in the organisation. Also this should be ok lower by understanding organisations which have been considered as epitome of good or great culture this will also help understand how peers are progressing, results of both activities can then be used to not just to design for your organisation but also ways to communicate, execute, employees alignment on same.

In my opinion Consistent and Standardized are the key aspects, if the same message is reiterated across borders consistently, it builds awareness and common goals. -Clearly articulate your company's core values and ensure that they are communicated consistently to all employees, regardless of their location. This provides a foundation for a shared organizational culture. -Develop standardized onboarding programs that introduce new employees to the company's values, mission, and culture. Ensure that these programs are consistent across all locations. -Encourage the formation of ERGs or similar groups that connect employees across borders. These groups can facilitate cultural exchange and help in maintaining a sense of community.

Culture is like Oxygen for any Organization, culture statement for any organization is the propellant which will help any organization drive its organizational values, mission and vision statements I would like to drive a culture, which is based on equality, trust, mutual respect, drives performance, promotes comradeship, innovation and happiness This is ideal state, however one thing is clear one of the reasons we talk of great organization is because of the culture it promotes internally

As a People leader, it is my goal to create consistency and fairness across our many offices around the world so that when one of our employees is asked what it’s like to work for us, that answer is consistently positive no matter what the person’s position, level, title, pay, office location, etc. It’s often said that people leave managers, not companies. My goal is ensure that our enterprise-wide People Strategy clearly articulates to all people-leaders how they are expected to engage and lead people so that everyone has as universal an experience as possible. Switching bosses can be a game-changing experience. We need to ensure that employees’ commitment and dedication is as strong toward the company as it is toward their manager.

What I've done in the past was infusing company culture into every policy and practice. It's like setting the tone for a symphony that resonates across borders. Consistency in embedding our values and expected behaviors ensures everyone perceives, lives, and experiences our culture uniformly. By repeating this approach, from HR guidelines to everyday actions, we've created a harmonious and cohesive culture, uniting our global team under a shared experience and a sense of belonging. Of course, allowing space for local adjustement as relevant is also important.

Formulation of policies is important part but without continues implement not possible to adhere the desired culture. Also assessment of the same is equally important

It can also be incorporated into the performance mgt system. This is to ensure we assess not only what people do but also how it is done, do they exemplify the expected behaviour at different levels/cadres in the organisation.

Review and adapt your policies and practices to reflect and support the desired culture. Ensure that HR policies, communication strategies, and performance management systems are consistent across all locations. Account for any legal or cultural differences in various regions while maintaining alignment with your core values.

T?o importante quanto definir e garantir que a cultura seja aplicada na prática. As pessoas devem perceber e vivenciar os valores e práticas em todas as suas a??es. Devem ser recompensados e incentivados pelos processos formais e informais, para que a cultura desejada perpetue. Vejo que também é importante garantir espa?o para ajustes locais, quando a atua??o da empresa abranger mais de um estado ou país.

Totally agree! Empowering local leaders is a valuable approach, allowing them to make decisions on the ground and take accountability for the outcomes. Additionally, revisiting discussions with them about challenges and actively addressing them promotes improved coordination and implementation.

In my role as an HRBP, I've encountered this dynamic firsthand, and I'd love to share a few anecdotes: The Global Coffee Break Ritual: We encouraged teams from different regions to take a virtual coffee break together, sharing anecdotes about their work, cultural nuances, and even favorite local snacks. 2. Global Recognition Programs: Recognition is a universal language. We revamped our employee recognition programs to be more inclusive of regional contributions. 3. Virtual Town Halls with a Twist: We spiced things up by incorporating local flavors. Each session had a segment where employees from different locations showcased aspects of their culture, i.e traditional dances, local cuisines, or even virtual tours of their hometowns.

Mais do que representar a empresa, o líder é a empresa. Por isso o processo de escolha do líder deve se basear em características técnicas e também as culturais. Comunicar, engajar, capacitar e recompensar os líderes s?o a??es essenciais no estabelecimento da cultura organizacional desejada.

Cultivate a strong leadership team at each location, ensuring that local leaders understand and embody the desired company culture. Provide training and resources to local leaders to help them effectively promote and reinforce the company culture within their teams. Encourage open communication between headquarters and local offices to address any cultural challenges promptly.

I do see as a must to have the managers involve in the company culture. As HR, you need to have your key contributors that can acctually flip the coin and live the company culture, most of the time the managers are the ones that can do the difference.

Incorporating best practices for embracing workplace diversity involves implementing initiatives like inclusive hiring practices, diversity training, mentorship programs, and establishing a culture that values open communication. Encouraging diverse teams, providing platforms for employee voices, and regularly assessing and refining these practices are crucial steps toward fostering a truly inclusive and dynamic work environment.

Celebrating and leveraging diversity requires a thoughtful and intentional approach to ensure that differences are not only acknowledged but also valued and integrated into the fabric of the organization. Here are practical steps to celebrate and leverage diversity in the workplace: 1. Leadership Commitment 2. Develop D&I strategy 3. Train and educate stakeholders 4. Celebrate culture awareness 5. Foster inclusive communication 6. Diverse hiring practices specially in leadership roles 7. Recognize and reward 8. Walk the Talk by leaders 9. Community Engagement 10. Review and adjust.

Companies with employees based in various regions, particularly those working online, should understand the importance of fostering engagement among their workforce. For example, a simple yet effective way for both the company and employees to embrace diverse cultures is through activities like an "online video random coffee call". This game is commonly practiced in global companies, helping employees feel less isolated and enabling them to get to know other cultures.

Showcase success stories that exemplify the positive impact of diversity within the organization. Share narratives of teams or individuals from various regions collaborating effectively and achieving outstanding results

To achieve this, appreciate your employees' successes both individually and in public. You can give kudos on LinkedIn or use the appreciation button in Teams channels. Recognition is the most crucial factor that makes individuals feel good, motivates them, and sustains success.

I believe it's crucial to keep this process dynamic to sustain and enhance the culture. In today's evolving landscape, where performance evaluation systems are gradually fading and giving way to performance development, gathering feedback from our leaders and stakeholders based on the values that shape our culture is essential in every performance development cycle.

Regularly monitor and measure culture’s impact using tools like engagement surveys, retention rates, and feedback. Adjust strategies as needed, celebrate successes, and learn from challenges to continuously improve your culture.

Monitoring and measuring is so important and yet often skipped. As a program manager, I have found it invaluable to look at programs such as mentorship and engagement in light of the goals established for the program. What is working, what is not, what goals need to be updated/changed are all important questions to ask as you evaluate your culture (and programs).

Measuring company culture can involve various methods, such as employee surveys, focus groups, turnover rates, assessments of core values alignment, and analyzing employee engagement metrics. Regularly monitoring these factors allows you to gauge employee satisfaction, alignment with company values, retention rates, and overall morale, which collectively contribute to understanding and assessing company culture.

Monitoring and measuring the progress is one of the most essential factor - When all the fingers cannot be the same how can we expect people's behavior and culture, we need to understand different diversities and tackle things accordingly. - Ensuring the right atmosphere comes with the freedom of speech and allowing everyone to put their thoughts forward. - Respecting the people, sentiments, and working styles and developing a sync between everyone could help a lot in ensuring the right and consistent culture.

I have seen worse of the culture in one of my previous organisation It’s all driven from top and due to the silliness of a leader who thinks he is the most intelligent person on this earth Some of the common elements which made me call this as Toxic Culture were Micro management, mis trust, objectionable language, no flexibility, employees are monitored like they are prisoners of war, no focus on development or welfare of employees, retrenchment of good employees without any reason And believe me the outcome was disastrous The company is going through losses, good employees are leaving, offered ones are not joining Just pray to god, this state improves soon else it’s will be soon a Titanic Story :)

Having clear and shared values that everyone understands helps keep the company culture the same everywhere. These values act like a compass, guiding how people behave and make decisions. When everyone knows and believes in these values, it brings everyone together, no matter where they work in the world.

Culture is the behaviours that guide us in the absence of rules or as someone said to me years ago, “culture is what you are in the dark”. These behaviours transcend boundaries - the critical question becomes how do we make these behaviours come to life in a cross geographic context taking into account the fact that people think, lead and get things done across geographic cultures very differently (ref: Erin Myers book on the Culture Map)

Culture is a function of behaviours and actions in the firm, which in turn are driven by the goals, practices and the way the leadership conducts themselves. One of the reasons, culture varies by geography is because these precise things - behaviours, actions, goals and most importantly the leadership conduct varies by region. Building consistent culture across locations, requires carefully curating these elements at the organizational level, and ensuring congruency in the leadership's approach across regions.

Culture goes beyond office aesthetics and TGIFs. They’re nice to have, but they don’t define culture or make it consistent. For culture to be consistent, It has to be an active expression that goes beyond what you say. It is if, how, when, and why you do what you say you will do or not do. It has to be palpable - you should feel it when you walk into any environment. It has to be an experience - the sum of all experiences should be similar, lasting memories and stories about your company. So, if your employees, clients, vendors, etc. don’t experience your nicely written culture statement or core values by their daily interactions and official engagements with one another regardless of location, then it’s time for some reflection.