“Culture is to humans what water is to fish – the environment where we live and move and eat and work and play and, therefore, think is normal. But there’s a big different between us and fish – we create our own environment; fish don’t.” – John Stonestreet and Brett Kunkle
What has your environment been like lately? We have all been in an immense time of change with our environments. We are also in a time of looking at what will become our new normal for our environments.
As I talk with leaders, I am hearing about things they have learned, positive things they want to keep and things that bring them concern. For some it has been a reset that has prompted them to realign back to their core mission. For others it has been a reflection on work-life balance. It has also brought up questions. For example, one leader I spoke to saw the positive side of having employees work remotely but has concerns of how it will impact relationship building in their culture.
None of us have a crystal ball that can answer the right direction to take for a perfect future. But, what we do have in our control is being intentional about forming our environment. I want to encourage you that as you step into a new normal that you reflect on the culture you want to create.
A book was given to my daughter titled, A Student’s Guide to Culture. I liked how they simply explained four categories of culture. These categories could be helpful as you reflect and plan your culture.
Ideas
There are many diverse ideas about the workplace, management, leadership, and just about life. When ideas are presented as the norm, we absorb them. You have the choice of what you create as the norm in your organization. Our ideas stem from our values. What are the core values of your organization? As we step into forming possible new environments, how do we want our values to dictate our behaviors?
I mentioned previously that a leader was concerned about the impact on his workplace relationships if working remotely becomes a norm. How does your core values speak into relationship building? How can those values and ideas be built into remote relationships?
What other values or ideas, do you want to incorporate into your new environment?
Champions
Champions are the people who spread the ideas into a culture. In our world in general, this can include teachers, parents, storytellers, celebrities, artists, etc. In an organization, this tends to be your people of influence. It is the person that others go to with questions or for advice, and when they speak, others listen. They tend to be a hub of relationships. But keep in mind, it is not necessarily the person with the biggest title or position. It is not propelled by authority but by the power of influence.
Who are the people of true influence in your organization? Incorporate them into helping you build the culture of your environment.
Artifacts
These are the tools that you use to communicate your ideas. This can include books, videos, podcasts, social media, songs, etc. Technology has provided us with many options. You may want to step out and try a new invention. Get feedback from staff and others for ideas. What are the tools that you can use to communicate your culture?
Institutions
Institutions maintain culture. In society, this can include the family, government, schools, clubs, etc. Your organization is an institution of people with a shared purpose. The structure and systems that you put into place will guide your culture. Are your systems promoting your values or working against them? For example, if you value teamwork, but only reward individual contributors, how is this influencing your culture?
As you look at forming a new environment, this is a great time to be intentional about your systems and structures. Be careful to not just do what you have done in the past. Our systems of tradition can feel comfortable, so we gravitate towards them. They may also still be effective, and you may want to keep them. The important thing is to choose your systems intentionally and not by default.
As we move into a new normal and form new environments, now is the time to be intentional about your culture. There are so many things you probably have learned as your normal has been disrupted. What will you take away? What steps will you take to be intentional today?