Sometimes it is easy to spot the toxic elements that create an unhealthy culture and therefore it is easier to do something about it. Other times, they are more hidden, and leaders should make a consistent effort to uncover them. Read on and become wiser regarding your culture and how you work with it. This is our article that was published in Væksthus for ledelse 7/4 2022 https://www.lederweb.dk/artikler/3-spoergsmaal-der-afsloerer-en-usund-kultur/
Do you have a culture that prioritises harmony over accountability, or is a ‘cover your ass’ culture dominant in your organisation? It happens completely automatically that the organisation develops a number of markers for how you are together and what attitudes you have. Therefore, you should become aware of your culture and how to work with it.
No one dares to say that Mikael does not deliver what he is supposed to. His colleagues help him and just quietly take over his tasks and at the same time tell their leader that Mikael also has a lot to do at the moment. The manager does not dare to confront Mikael with his lack of performance, because she fears that the team will turn on her if she does, and she therefore chooses a peaceful atmosphere over the need for Mikael to solve his tasks. Harmony is thus weighted higher than conflict.
Everyone agrees that that the culture of the workplace is important. But if you are asked to put your culture into words, it will be difficult. Especially when it comes to the unspoken and unwritten rules that run as an underlying stream in your organisation. Many will explain these with: "This is how it works", "it is best this way" or "we usually…"
It's in our DNA to fit in
The organisational culture binds employees and managers together and is the prism through which they see the organisation's activities - for better or worse.
New employees usually choose to adapt their behaviour to the existing culture in order to become part of the community. It is in our DNA to fit in. A rule of thumb is that a new employee has a chance to look at an organisation's culture without prejudice for the first three to six months of employment. After that, the employee is part of the culture and can no longer see it from the outside.
2 unproductive cultural patterns you should be aware of
In order to identify and change unproductive cultural patterns, the dynamics that drive the organisation must be examined. These are typically patterns that at one time have been productive, but are now unproductive in relation to the development that is required, or are outdated in relation to the outside world.
You can identify cultural patterns by looking at the concrete actions that govern the culture of the organisation. In the following we present you with two patterns that can say something about your culture: The Accusation Pattern and the Harmony Pattern. On the surface, they look very different, but the underlying pattern is an unwillingness to take responsibility:
1. The accusation pattern: Attack-is-the-best-defense
Attack-is-the-best-defense, blame culture or cover your ass culture. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, as the Bard said. When this pattern is present in an organisation, the employees will not be held accountable. Instead mistakes, insecurities and questions are punished with exclusion, ridicule and loss of status. It is a pattern most often seen in organisations where fear is a management tool and where there is no psychological safety. In other words, it is found in organisations that have an unhealthy work climate.
2. The Harmony pattern: Harmony over accountability
Harmony over accountability is a cultural pattern in which the harmonious relationship between the employees in the organisation is judged to be more important than holding each other accountable. Here's an example of what this can lead to:
In the attempt to maintain a good working environment and well-being in his team - and in fear of skilled employees resigning - the leader avoids holding the team accountable and confronting them with lack of performance. It results in delayed, or perhaps even unfinished tasks, and ends in losses and layoffs in the team. The leader has maintained a pattern in which artificial harmony was judged more important than a potential conflict.
How to assess your culture
Culture and behaviour are intertwined. And when behaviour changes, so does culture. This makes working with cultural change easier, even if it is still hard work. Often it is many years of ingrained habits and behaviour in the board of directors, leadership teams and in the various teams of the organisation.
This is why the first step is to uncover the culture as objectively as possible. Edgar Schein, professor emeritus of the MIT Sloan School of Management, is behind the well-known cultural analysis model, which looks at three elements of organisational culture. From the three elements one can identify dysfunctional patterns:
1. Artifacts
Artifacts are the surface of the organisation. These are, for example, logos, structures, processes, clothing, branding, premises and interior design. It is all the visible symbols of the culture that are not only visible and recognisable to the employees but also to external parties. One of the biggest pitfalls when analysing an organisation is just looking at the artifacts and making a quick assumption.
2. Espoused values
Espoused values are about how the organisation thinks the conditions should be, rather than how they are. Here a leader can say, "We need more feedback in our organisation." She thereby brings a value to the fore (“Feedback is good”) and presents it to the organisation, which can now test it. Espoused values are thus the values we are more aware of - the ones we can read on the organisation's website, and the ones the employees, when asked, will immediately refer to.
They can also be expressed in the organisation's mission, vision, strategy and approach to leadership, and are a kind of value statement that has not yet become part of the culture. Questions can still be asked about the espoused values.
3. Basic underlying assumptions
An assumption is a value or behaviour that is taken for granted by the organisation. When a solution to a problem works repeatedly, it becomes a basic assumption. We begin to believe that the world is connected in a certain way, and we stop questioning it. Many of these beliefs are hidden from employees despite the fact that same beliefs are often incredibly controlling of the employee's behaviour. After Corona, for example, there may be an espoused value in many organisations that working from home is a good thing, but the employees may have an underlying assumption that one must be physically present in the workplace to be recognized by the organisation.
Underlying assumptions or presumptions are often about something we are not even aware of, and which we can not immediately account for when asked. Again it is the tribal behaviour and the fear of not fitting in that makes us adapt. Conversely, there are a lot of things we subconsciously have to take for granted in order to interact effectively with other people on a daily basis, because otherwise we would never get anything done.
But it is this key element that you have to adjust if you want to change anything.
How to change the basic assumptions
No two organisations, leaders, or employees are the same, so copying the approach of others rarely works. Basic assumptions, behaviours, and the underlying system of each organisation need to be explored and changed individually. And those changes need to be broken down into small steps and visible behaviours and follow-up.
By looking at the three levels - artifacts, espoused values and basic underlying assumptions - you can form a starting point and hold this up against the desired goal and the desired change.
You can work with both simple questionnaires, interviews and observation days when you do a cultural analysis of your organisation. It can be quite extensive, but you can kickstart a small process by asking the following three questions of the employees:
1. What do you see as a visible proof of our culture?
2. What do you see as a clearly formulated value in our organisation?
3. Do you find that there is an unwritten rule that governs our behaviour?
The answers to these questions can be the first step in getting started talking about culture and behaviour in your organisation.