What you've been told about culture is wrong - PART 2: Culture Redefined

“What the heck is culture?” ‘Jonathan’ (not his real name) asked as we stood at the whiteboard in his office that overlooked city towers to the shimmering bay beyond. Jonathan was an old friend from my days as a management consultant and I’d been helping him to create a more innovative culture at the consulting firm.

“Company culture is the patterns of relating that determine how the organisation operates. It impacts every aspect of the business, including how you develop solutions, sell your products or deliver your services. Culture is not the 'soft stuff' that sits on the sidelines but is how people take up their roles everyday at work” I explained, as I began to draw The Culture MAPP below (with its four elements of workplace culture) on the whiteboard:

Mental Maps: What people think and feel

I explained, “The first component of workplace culture is the Mental Maps and the meaning that people are giving to the events (often based on past experiences) – including thoughts, feelings, assumptions, values, beliefs and needs. The Mental Maps may not always be visible to you but they influence how people see and take up their role at work. You must understand and shift these Mental Maps if you are going to successfully transform the culture.”

Jonathan dabbed his marker on the whiteboard, “You know I reckon my team members hold a set of assumptions that if they keep their heads down, all this talk about change will pass and they will be able to go back to the old ways of doing things” he said with a tap, tap, tap of the pen.

"Mental maps are like the GPS in your car" I explained. "They work fine, but sooner or later they can become outdated. You may need to download the latest information about the roles you expect people to play to ensure that they don’t get lost during times of upheaval. Never forget that culture change is a big upheaval.”

Actions: What people do

I moved to the "A" in The Culture MAPP, “The next component of workplace culture is the Actions people take at work - the behaviours, decisions, stories, symbols, rites and rituals that drive the delivery of your results. These everyday actions may be at odds with your desire to create a more innovative culture at the firm.”

Jonathan began to pace the floor “We are being outmanoeuvred by the competitors Siobhan and we’ve lost the last four big proposals in a row. I’m under pressure to hit my revenue targets and I’m hearing that some Partners are questioning my recent promotion.” His brow furrowed as he described how clients were looking for more innovation and how the firm had responded by publishing new Values, designing an open-plan office space and sending Consultants on Innovation Training. Despite this investment, very little change was happening and the culture was still stuck in the old ways of doing things.

“Ok I get that our actions are not congruent with our desired culture Siobhan, so what’s next on The Culture MAPP?” Jonathan enquired as he marched back to the whiteboard.

Processes: Reinforcing mechanisms

I moved to the first "P" in The Culture MAPP, “The Processes control the work and help reinforce the culture – they include the policies, procedures, systems, structures, goals, rewards and even the physical environment. These processes and systems can keep you locked into the old ways, despite your best intentions to change.

Jonathan frowned as he told me, “I can see that many of the processes at the firm run counter to our aim to create a more innovative culture. We even promote people who stick to the old ways of doing things for goodness sake!”

“This is where many leaders go astray on the culture journey” I added. “If your processes and systems are not aligned with your desired culture, they will act like a brake on the progress of your change.”

“Right, I get it! We have some work to do to align our processes and systems with our aspiration to be a more innovative organisation. So what’s the last P in The Culture MAPP Siobhan?” Jonathan asked.

Patterns: The unwritten rules

I moved to the middle of the diagram and wrote:

Patterns are at the heart of workplace culture

“Aren’t Patterns just reoccurring or repeating behaviours?” Jonathan asked.

“The Patterns are the ways of relating that sit at the collective level in the organisation. They are the invisible dynamics that capture people almost as soon as they enter the workplace. People can come and go from your organisation but the patterns tend to remain the same.”

“The pattern of ‘lack of innovation’ is co-created and seems to be showing up (not just in your area) but in the collective rules of relating between the firm's Partners and Consultants. For instance, the leaders hire technical experts, promote traditional thinkers and recognise people who deliver the same old ways of doing things. There is an implicit agreement that the old ways are valued around here” I explained as I sketched the pattern (below) for him.

I explained “The Partners are in role of Maintainers of the current culture and the Consultants are in role of Traditional Thinkers who continue to deliver the same old solutions.”

Jonathan gazed out the window, “Oh I see! So sending the Consultants on Innovation Training deals with the behaviours at the individual level but does not shift the pattern that is held at the collective level!”

I followed his gaze out to the sparkling sea where the sun had started its slow decline over the bay, saying “Exactly! Behaviours are like the threads in a spider's web, but it is the pattern that connects. We must learn to see the pattern, not just the behaviours sitting at the individual level,” I said, as I checked the time on my iPhone.

Jonathan sighed “Thanks for stopping by on your way home Siobhan. I’m just amazed that I've haven’t been taught this stuff before. Heck, how can I change workplace culture if I don’t even know what it is!”

I gathered my jacket and bag “You might consider hiring a change expert to work with you and the Partners on the shift from Maintainers to Innovation Leaders. Keep me posted - I’m going for a walk on St. Kilda promenade before the sun sets!” I called out as I waved goodbye to Jonathan to make my way through the city’s peak hour traffic to the gleaming bay.

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I'd love your feedback on The Culture MAPP - please like, comment or share if you found it useful. Here is the link to PART 1 of Jonathan's story, for those who are interested in reading more about the patterns that lie at the heart of workplace culture.

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