Where do people encounter culture?
What does “urgent” mean in your organisation? When is a decision considered final? What happens when somebody asks for help, raises a concern or offers an idea that does not fit the current plan?
These ordinary moments give people information about how work happens. Values statements may describe an aspiration, while daily experiences show how that aspiration is being interpreted. Looking at both helps a leadership team discuss culture in concrete terms.
What should we pay attention to?
Schein’s account of organisational culture distinguishes visible artefacts, espoused values and underlying assumptions. It invites us to look beyond a single statement or event and consider the beliefs and expectations that give repeated behaviour its meaning.
Language is one source of evidence. So are decisions, incentives, resources and the way responsibilities are shared. A phrase such as “take ownership” might mean being trusted to decide in one team and being expected to seek approval in another. Ask for examples before assuming a shared understanding.
How do you explore differences within an organisation?
A leadership team, a sales team and a support function may face different demands. Their routines can differ for sensible reasons. The question is where those differences serve the work and where people need clearer agreements between teams.
Consider a recent handover. What did each group expect? What information did they receive? Who could decide what happened next? A discussion grounded in one actual example often reveals more than a debate about whether the organisation is “collaborative”.
What can cultureMAP contribute?
cultureMAP brings together work-preference information so people can explore patterns and variation across participating groups. It can prompt questions about how people approach planning, decisions and delivery, and how those approaches relate to the organisation’s intentions.
Those patterns need to be considered alongside people’s accounts, observed working practices and the systems shaping their choices. A distribution of preferences is one perspective on the organisation. It does not establish, on its own, what people actually do or why they do it.
How does the discussion lead to action?
Choose a business concern and describe what you would like people to experience differently. If a decision takes too long, examine the approvals and information involved. If teams need to collaborate more closely, identify the shared work and the authority to resolve disagreements.
Agree a change to a routine, responsibility or management practice. Review its effects with the people involved. Culture work becomes practical when people can connect an intention to what happens in their working day.
Sources and further reading
What would you like to explore?
If this relates to work in your organisation, we can begin with a conversation about your situation and what you want to achieve.
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