Your Organization's Culture- Part I- Communication

What is the culture of your organization? How do you describe it? Does it need to change? How do you change it? What do you do when you don't think your personal style fits your organization's culture? Which one of the 10 million books on corporate culture should I read?

Just the simple concept of understanding what a culture is can be ovewhelming, and every individual tends to (naturally) interpret work culture as the way that the workplace helps or hinders their effectiveness, and how work processes, people, and incidents make them "feel."

For purposes of our discussion,  we will define workplace culture as: The way you work and the way you communicate. This is narrow enough for discussion purposes, but broad enough to encompass the critical aspects for both the organization and the individual.

Point #1: Your culture is perfectly designed to give your organization the results it is currently getting. 99% of cultures are NOT broken or flawed, they simply are what they are. The way that the people in your organization communicate, the systems in place for driving and monitoring work, and the work-social patterns in the workplace are simply the ways that results are driven.

First of all, to understand your organization, think about the way that you communicate. Do you follow every single link in the chain of command, or do you have a very flat communication culture? Within the smller communication groups (work teams, lunch groups, bowling teams) what is the difference in their internal communications vs. the communication between groups? Is knowledge hoarded or freely share? Is the success of another group truly appreciated and celebrated, or is there friendly/unfriendly competition, making the other group's success your group's failure?

Does your organization communicate mostly through email, instant messages, written notes, group meetings or face to face individual conversations? Does this tendency make you feel more effective or less effective? Are there differences in how you communicate with customers, or with levels in the organization higher or lower than your level?

Every organization has its own language. Having its own language helps an organization be more specific and communicate more rapidly, and can also help foster a sense of belonging for its members. Does your organization teach others and show forgiveness for not understanding or using the incorrect words or phrases? If it does, you certainly need to learn the language, and if you can find a safe mentor/guide to help you understand, that is a great approach. Also, when you do use the wrong word or don't understand, be very respectful in asking for clarification or accepting correction.

In short, understanding the way your organization communicates can greatly increase your comfort, understanding, and effectiveness of your world of work.

If any of you have any questions or would like to discuss a confidential culture issue, feel free to reach out to me via email.

Until next time, have an awesome week!

Clark