Culture by Design
Cutting Edge,  Leadership,  Organizational Culture

Culture by Design

At the heart of every successful organization is its people, they are the likened to the engine of a ship, imperative to propel it forward. And of course, with her captain (the leaders) at its helm charting the course and steering the ship in the right direction. 

Today, you will find that the World’s most successful companies and the top 10 best workplaces (Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Apple, Netflix etc…) are widely renowned to have the best Organizational Cultures. With this reputation, draws a coveted talent pool of elite employees, who are known to be some of the most passionate, intelligent, creative, loyal and reliable people in their respective industries. They derive deep meaning from the work that they do, in turn contributing efficaciously to the organization.  

While the captain of the ship sets the destination, the ship can only travel as far as its engine can take her to. What I’m driving at is that PEOPLE MATTER! Hence, as a business leader it is crucial to be able to communicate this throughout the organization, and how you can set this premise is by establishing a strong corporate Culture by deliberate Design. 

Allow me to unravel 3 key fundamental questions of “Organizational Culture”:- 

  1. What exactly is Organizational Culture? 
  1. Why should I care 
  1. How should I design my Organizational Culture?   

What is Organizational Culture? 

The Cambridge dictionary defines Organizational Culture as “the shared beliefs and ideas that a company has and the way in which they affect how it does business and how its employees behave.” This culture differs from one organization to the other, but each would be unique to itself. Your organizational culture may be relaxed, casual, and cheeky, while your competitors’ might be the total opposite – and that’s ok! What matters is that it reflects who you are as a company, resonates with your target audience and is consistent throughout the organization.  

Why should I care about my Organization’s culture? 

Organizational culture creates an evident identity that attracts the right talent fit for your organization. This allows the employees to align their goals with the purpose of the organization, drives their work ethic and decision-making in execution of their roles and the way they relate to their colleagues. A two-way compatibility assessment sets_in_between both employee and employer. This is fundamental for every employee to perform their best work, derives job satisfaction and creates trust that enables effectiveness. 

A strong organizational culture is a common denominator amongst the most successful companies, they are not mutually exclusive. – Cultural Transformation directly impacts an Organization’s Success. 

How do I design my Organization Culture? 

Let me start by sharing some personal design principles you may like to consider that have worked very well for my company, though I would caution that culture is shaped over time, it evolves as people grow, and is unique to every organization, hence it is vital to remain adaptable and agile.

  • Why does my organization exist? Define a core mission with deeper purpose & meaning that your employees can relate to
  • What are the tangible and measurable results we want to achieve collectively?
  • Where do I want to see my organization make an impact both internally and externally (For instance: Internally – create an inclusive culture, empathy for family time, place for employee to grow their talents. Externally – could mean social impact, making a difference)
  • Who should own driving and perpetuating culture in my organization?

We spend at least 1/3 of our day working, let us strive to create an environment where our employees feel valued, have space to exhibit their talents, their contributions are acknowledged, finding significance in what they do with their fellow colleagues as they align their personal values to the organization’s value.

I hope this post will trigger your thoughts to find the right blend of ideas suited to your company as you reevaluate and make the necessary adjustments to transform your Organizational Culture!

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