What is the real outcome of Culture?

What does culture look like for you?

I have asked this and noticed, many leaders struggle to articulate a clear vision of their organization's culture. They share about engagement activities but stumble to explain what culture means to them and what it looks like. ?

While culture is often seen as an intangible asset, it's a powerful force that can shape the success or failure of a team or organization. It's a common misconception that culture is something that is only created or implemented from the top down. In reality, every team and organization already has a culture, whether it's by design or default. The Question is, are leaders aware of the existing culture?

Observing Culture in Action

To me, I observe how people treat and interact with each other. One of the most effective ways to understand an organization's culture is to simply observe how people interact with each other, especially during meetings. Do they collaborate openly or work in silos? Are they supportive and encouraging, or competitive and divisive? What signals do they send thru their body language and choice of words? These behaviors provide valuable insights into the underlying cultural values and norms.

Satya Nadella: Empathy as a Cultural Catalyst

Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, has demonstrated the power of culture to drive strategy and innovation. Nadella has focused on empathy as a core cultural value, believing that it is essential for building strong relationships, fostering collaboration, and driving customer-centricity.

To cultivate a culture of empathy, Nadella has taken two concrete steps:

* Empathetic Leadership: He has modelled empathetic behavior by actively listening to employees, customers, and partners. He has also encouraged his leadership team to do the same.

* Customer-Centricity: He has emphasized the importance of understanding customer needs and delivering products and services that truly meet their expectations.

The Power of Trust

What is the ultimate goal of culture? It is to build trust. When team members trust each other, they are more likely to collaborate effectively, take risks, and achieve their goals. Trust is the foundation upon which high-performing organizations are built.

One framework, we can use to build trust is learning from Patrick Lencioni's model of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Here are three actionable ideas for building trust

* Provide conversational frameworks: To address absence of trust, encourage open and honest communication among team members. Create a safe environment where people feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and concerns without fear of judgment.

* Provide Conflict Scaffoldings : Foster a culture of constructive conflict by encouraging healthy debate and disagreement. Teach team members how to disagree respectfully and productively.

* Create Safety for commitment: Build commitment by involving team members in decision-making processes. Ensure that everyone feels aligned with the organization's goals and understand their role & actions in achieving them.

Supporting Culture from the Top

Leaders play a critical role in shaping and supporting organizational culture. Here are three behaviors that leaders can immediately demonstrate to foster a positive and productive culture:

* Walk the Talk: Leaders must model the behaviors they expect from their team members. If they want employees to be collaborative, they must demonstrate collaboration themselves.

* Provide Clear Expectations: Ensure that everyone on the team understands the organization's values, goals, and expectations. This will help to align everyone around a common purpose.

* Recognize and Reward: Acknowledge and reward employees who exemplify the desired cultural behaviors. This will reinforce positive behaviors and encourage others to follow suit.

As Peter Drucker famously said, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast." Leaders should be deliberate in building cultures. Focus on how people treat each other and interact respectfully. Build a team that support and care for each other. Empower the team to be comfortable to raise issues and do what is right for the team and organisation.

?A strong culture can overcome even the most challenging obstacles, while a weak culture can undermine even the best-laid plans. By understanding the importance of culture and taking proactive steps to build and support it, leaders can create organizations that are both successful and fulfilling.