What is Culture?

Culture is what is created from the messages that are received about how people are expected to behave. Cultures develop in any community of people who spend time together and who are bound together through shared goals, beliefs, routines, needs or values. Culture exists in nations, corporations, sporting clubs, schools, families, religious communities and
social groups.

Humans are tribal animals; we are hard-wired to fit in with our tribe. We read the signals about what it takes to fit in, and we adapt our behaviour accordingly. This is a survival strategy. If we cannot do this, we either leave the tribe, or the tribe rejects us. As we adapt to fit in with our new tribe, we in turn reinforce these tribal norms, or accepted behaviours, and thus reinforce the culture.

The process is supported by peer pressure. Existing tribe member’s work together to ensure that the new member does not rock the boat, and thus expose weaknesses in individual members. Behavioural norms evolve over long periods of time, and are influenced by many factors including the values or beliefs which brought the community together in the first place, the nature of the activity carried out by the group, past and present leaders and heroes, historical events, successes and traumas, physical and geographical conditions, the demands and behaviour of external parties customers, owners, enemies and many others.

We have observed cultures which lift people to operate at the highest level of their intellectual and emotional potential, where the group really does exceed the sum of its parts and individuals seem to become ‘better people’, contributing more, whilst simultaneously supporting the success of their colleagues. Such groups deliver extraordinary results from ordinary people. We have seen others which turn fairly normal and well-meaning individuals into selfish, political, backstabbing monsters.

Behavioural norms become subconscious, they remain long after their original purpose disappears, and eventually may not be particularly useful in relation to the goals the community is seeking to achieve. This is often the case in organisations, because established behaviour influences the behaviour of new members, therefore cultures perpetuate themselves. They require extraordinarily strong and focused leadership and/or a co-ordinated effort from a group of influential members to change quickly.

While behavioural norms may be subconscious, amongst existing members, new members notice them most acutely, but if they are to survive, they quickly adapt to the prevailing culture. Where members may be aware of the cultural tendencies, they rarely understand enough about their source, nor have sufficient confidence, power and determination to cause change. Holding ones own behaviour on a course which is at odds with that of one’s community requires great resilience, self-belief and mettle.

In the scheme of things in a work setting, and assuming the required behaviour does not go beyond a certain personal point of integrity, most people adapt to the norm. If you are used to a culture where everyone speaks their mind in meetings, and you arrive in a new organisation where the norm is not to do so, over time you are likely to speak up less frequently, you get tired of being the only one to object. You find colleagues use you and your outspokenness to further their own ends. Your voice becomes less credible, and you build a reputation for negativity. At this point, most people adapt, or leave.

Cultures are maintained through the messages that are sent and received about what behaviour is expected. These come from many sources, and most of these are non-verbal. An early myth to dispel is that an organisation’s culture has very much at all to do with the values statement, which appears in the Annual Report. Unless the organisation has worked very actively on living its values over a period of time, the statement will be one of intent. A very fine intent, and a good thing to have, but it almost certainly dose not describe the culture as it is.

So culture is about messages sent. These messages demonstrate what is valued, what is important, what people do around here to fit in, to be accepted and to be rewarded.

They come from three broad areas:

a. Behaviours – The behaviours of others, especially those who appear to be important
b. Symbols – observable events, artifacts and decisions to which people attribute meaning
c. Systems – mechanisms for managing people and tasks.

Two things to remember from this:

Culture is about messages – culture management is about message management. If you can find, and change, enough of the sources of these messages, you will change the culture.

Culture is about what is really valued – demonstrated through what people do, rather than what they say. When the walk and the talk do not line up, it is the walk that shapes the culture.

Read more on culture and how to approach integrated culture change.