The obvious and easy answer given when you ask people “what is organisational culture”? the way we do things around here.There is a lot of truth in this answer but it is only true when you are looking at the surface.Edgar H Schein in The Corporate Culture Survival Guide identifies three levels of culture.
- The visible first level is ARTIFACTS which he identified as “visible organisational structures and processes”
If we consider that ARTIFACTS are by definition man made then trying to identify them can be quite exciting.I have been trying this and when you walk into an organisation see if you are able to identify some ARTIFACTS.Here are some: How are you greeted when you arrive at reception,is the receptionist busy eating her snack or drinking tea?In my previous organisation we worked with the MD of an organisation that was winning acclaim for excellent customer service.Remember the phrase “Elliot is amazing”.what I learnt from him was that most changes that result in improved customer service actually cost little or nothing.Example when any body in the organisation is expecting a visitor to notify reception of the time and person that will be calling which meant that when this person entered the building he was greeted by name and made to feel really welcome.Is that an ARTIFACT?I think it shows the value that the top executive of the organisation puts on this and the influence in his organisation. We have all read the story of British Rail hiring consultants to introduce a new ad campaign.When the team from Brittish Rail arrived at the advertising agency they were given some real shoddy treatment and eventually decided to leave.At that stage the Consulting company informed them this was arranged for their benefit to bring home the message that they did not need an advertising campaign,they needed to treat their customers better.ARTIFACTS? What about the so called open door policy?Try and phone to speak to one of the top executives.How difficult is it to get past the gate keeper?When the quarterly feedback meeting is held ,which is compulsory for all management in the company.Is the CEO on time and ready to start at the scheduled time? Schein says this level is visible but hard to decipher.
- The second level is ESPOUSED Values.
Companies without fail identify their values through the media,advertising etc.When you walk into reception and there is a 30 meter poster hanging from the second level with a very clear safety message it should be clear that the lives of employers are important.When the company induction programme emphasizes these aspects you can rightfully believe it is important and not just lip service.If the corporate values are identified by themes such as Respect,Responsibility and Determination and these are visible all over the corporate offices how surprised will you be when suppliers are not treated with respect and when you attend a management meeting where theses values are in fact flagrantly ignored. So,if the two very visible aspects of Corporate Culture are not consistent where is the influence coming from. Third level TACIT ASSUMPTIONS TACIT being unwritten and assumptions, being just that.How does it work?These are essentially perceptions that if I/we act in a certain manner then we will achieve the desired result.Danger of this is the fact that in most cases these perceptions/assumptions are not really tested.We do not discuss them or challenge them.As an example think of the change that takes place when on a Friday afternoon you are in the pub with your friends having a good time and the boss walks in.Do things change?Does your behavior change.This behavioral change that takes place is based on a tacit assumption you make that what the boss pays attention to is……..It is no different to the assumptions you make on how to behave at work.How to treat the customer.How to manage a project etc. What then is the right culture for an organisation? It is the one that gives you the desired results.And if you are not getting the desired results culture could be a big factor.Looking again at the three levels how congruent are they.Are the espoused values and the artifacts in line with the tacit assumptions.Are you beginning to see how complex it is?How do we do this?Do a survey?Schein says that no survey can ever give you all the information since the questions you have to ask are so complex and multifaceted that you will not get the participation.So what to do? A topic that is so relevant that Dr John Maxwell wrote a book about it.”Everyone communicates few connect”Engagement is the key.Very simply put you have to talk about it. But it starts with each individual.When airlines give the safety instructions they tell passengers to attend to themselves first when the oxygen mask drops down before trying to help others.This principle applies here as well.You cannot give something you don’t have.So it starts with each individual. Personal Mastery! The rest is on this site where details appear of The Learning Organisation Q E D quite easily done