The Interplay Between Cultures and Values
My Baba and Dadi Ji - Bhagat Singh and Charnan Kaur Janda (paternal grandparents). Photo taken in village Piala, Hoshiarpur District (c. 1993).
I am a first-generation Indo-Canadian with family roots from Punjab, India. I was born into the Indian culture. It influences my way of being, most significantly through values that I have seen in action since childhood.
Most of us are not born into an organization's culture. Unlike cultures that have existed for centuries, most organizational cultures are like a "start-up", being built from scratch. So if you have a blank slate, where do you begin? What components make up an organization’s culture? What does it take for an organization’s culture to endure? The foundational starting question, is what are your intentions and what is influencing these intentions when it comes to creating your organizational culture?
Definition
Let's start by looking at some definitions. Two of the definitions in the Oxford Canadian Dictionary include, "the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievements regarded collectively"; and, "the behaviour, and achievements of a particular time, people, or group." My trusty Google search builds on the definition by including, "customs, arts, way of life, traditions, habits, and values." Continual research on the definition brought me to one definition that I quite like:
"Culture is an integrated system of learned behavior patterns that are characteristic of the members of any given society. Culture is the total way of life of particular groups of people. It includes everything that a group of people thinks, says, does and makes — its systems, attitudes, and feelings. Culture is learned and transmitted from generation to generation." (L. Robert Khols)
Wow, now that's what I call a comprehensive definition of culture! I love this definition for a whole slew of reasons, however, there are two things I like in particular. First, by describing culture as "an integrated system", there's an acknowledgment of its' complexity. Second, culture includes feelings that are not as tangible as saying or doing, but equally important. Maya Angelou said, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” In organizations that are known to have great cultures, we hear about the cool things they are doing, such as rooftop meetings (Twitter), discretion to go the "extra mile" for customers (Southwest Airlines), and where there are few layers of management (Squarespace). When you consider these examples, imagine for a moment, the feelings that might come about for the employees. Maybe, feeling rejuvenated, trusted, and empowered? The point is culture ignites feelings, it’s a fact that cannot be ignored.
Building Culture
The only thing missing from the definition above is something that connects all of the intricate parts of culture. The Google definition included it. The “something” is values, which in my opinion are the foundation to a solid organizational culture. Values are the glue that solidify, unite, and ignite humans and workplaces.
Values, like glue are a binding agent. In order for them to stick they have to not just be seen but also demonstrated. Espoused values are the ones we see, the explicitly stated ones seen on websites, newsletters, or other organizational materials. Enacted values, are what I consider the “real-deal” and “walk-the-walk” ones because they are exhibited and demonstrated via behaviours and tangible things like artifacts. Espoused values are the sticky glue before it dries, that is you can see them because they are written and talked about. The enacted values are the actual doing, like glue that sticks stuff together. For values to be real and effective, like glue, there has to be follow through. If this doesn’t happen, your organizational values are useless, really they are “lip-service”.
In order to take your espoused values to enacted ones means embedding them into every aspect of your organization and employee experience. This includes things like:
Recruiting on cultural fit or complement. Ask questions that lead to what a candidate values and look for alignment with yours.
Orient and on-board in ways that explain your values but also shows them. If one of your organization’s values is “getting shit done” then you’d better make sure new employees have their gadgets (phone, computer ect…) right off the bat.
Recognize employees (in ways they want to be) who are enacting values.
Consider your team structures and how decisions are made. If your organization values team work, what does that look like in terms of your organizational charts?
Cultural Endurance
As an organization grows and adapts to its’ environment, revisiting the saying, doing, systems and seeing how employees feel, is what will help the culture to endure. I believe a strong factor in cultural endurance, "transmitting it", is in stories, rituals, and artifacts. The picture I've shared in this blog post is of my late grandparents, Bhagat Singh and Charnan Kaur Janda. My grandfather is wearing a watch that I now wear nearly every day. It’s been twenty years since his passing, and I asked my Dad if I could have it over a year ago. I am sentimental, and my Dad, well he’s very generous but also persistent, telling me that he wanted to gift me a new watch. I insisted that my Grandfather’s watch was “all the new” I needed. I had it refurbished, and when I placed it on my wrist, I was overwhelmed with emotion. My heart and mind took me back to the early mornings in the village my father was born, to the smell of chai being made, and hearing prayer hymns. To me, my grandfather’s watch is an artifact and a symbol of his values. If you want your organizational culture to endure, consider:
What stories will your employees share with prospective new hires?
What artifacts are you using that reinforce your organizations values?
What does your organization’s logo mean or what do you want it to represent?
We are all put on earth to do something and hopefully do it in a way that feeds your soul while benefiting humanity. In organizations, when values resonate with employees, a bond as strong as Gorilla Glue is created. In turn, this bond results in feeling a sense of community and belonging. So if organizations want to build and have cultures that endure, look at the values, state them, make them visible, let them be felt, and live them.
