It's how things are done around here...

Over the last two decades I have been exposed to many moments that have formulated my world-view on company culture. From the depths of leading a cultural remediation following the UK's largest rogue trading incident, through to the privileged position of independently consulting in organisations that are truly people and culture first. The most accessible definition of company culture I have encountered is: 'it's how things are done around here'.

Culture can feel nebulous and intangible, yet if like me, you believe company culture is a leading indicator, then it is something you have to pay constant and intentional attention to. There is a time and place for expert support in this pursuit but if that is not feasible right now, how can you get started?

Observe the top team

Are the top team actually a team or a collection of people somewhat organised together through semi-regular routines? In my corporate career, I never failed to be amazed by the requests from someone senior to help those more junior in the organisation collaborate more, think about the whole firm, or find joined-up solutions. This was often accompanied by limited awareness that the top team simply were not setting that example. In extreme circumstances I've observed the team head self-proclaim how strong and effective the top team are, which is an instant red flag that reeks of 'the lady doth protest too much'.

If you are ready to pay intentional attention to your culture, consider:

• Noticing how frequently you have received unsolicited positive feedback from employees in your organisation about the effectiveness of the top team.
• Take an honest appraisal of who in the top team genuinely likes, trusts and respects their peers.
• Observe the quality of conversations that are taking place within the top team.

Notice the conversations that take place

The quality of conversations at the top table are not just a microcosm of the broader organisational culture but will act as a north star for others to follow. Employees will notice if cliques form, if dominant views always win and if politics are getting in the way of addressing pertinent issues.

If you are ready to pay intentional attention to your culture, consider:

• Are real conversations taking place or is it clear there are things that 'should' and 'should not' be said.
• Do the best ideas win or has a small echo chamber developed?
• Are you being judicious about how much time and attention is being given to topics that support business growth, profitability or delivering on commitments made to stakeholders?

Critique the topics that are focused on

If expensive executive time is dedicated to topics that do not grow the business, increase profitability or deliver on stakeholder commitments, what signal is being sent to others? One of the worst examples of this I have observed can best be described as 'Fridge-gate', where an overly officious communication was circulated to all employees describing the harsh consequences that would follow should there be further 'thefts' from the communal fridge in the employee kitchen. It transpired the new cleaning contractor had actually been doing what they were instructed to do i.e. disposing of any unlabelled food items at the end of the day. Safe to say it was uninspiring and led employees to question what senior leadership were dedicating their time to.

If you are ready to pay intentional attention to your culture, consider:

• Scrutinising the employee-wide communications you send to ensure they set the right cultural tone.
• Notice if 'noisy' topics (the ones where anyone can throw in a random opinion) are taking too much focus away from the big things that are going to lead to transformative shifts for your business.
• Engage employees to help you answer challenging questions on the things that really matter.

Developing and maintaining a positive culture does not have to be complex but it does need to be intentional. If this is a topic you would like to explore further, do not hesitate to get in touch.