Organisational Culture – What is it?

I often get asked what I am referring to what I talk about Organisational Culture, what is it? There are many definitions, some say Organisational Culture is how you do things (Robbie Katanga). Reality, it is the unwritten rules, expectations, standard behaviours and things that as an organisation are tolerated. But what does that mean?

Here is an example of what I mean when we talk about organisational culture. My son started Karate in 2022, as part of the information pack provided is a list of Dojo Rules (a Dojo is a room or hall you do martial arts). These rules are for the children and the main one is that when entering or exiting the Dojo and training floor you need to bow as a sign of respect. As the new cohort of kids and parents start, you see the new parents observing, watching, and just walking in and out. They remind their kids to bow but do not do it themselves.

As the weeks go on, you start to see more of the new parents bowing, as well as the kids. They have noticed that not only do the kids bow, but the other parents do the same. By the end of the year, kids and parents alike are bowing as they enter and exit from the Dojo. The transition is quicker than you would expect, and not a word is spoken about it – it is purely from observing each other.

This is organisational culture – it is the unspoken, unwritten behaviour and observations that people pick up and take as their own. If you ask any of the parents bowing at the Dojo why they do it, chances are they couldn’t tell you – they just know that they do.

What does this show us?

While as a business owner or even manager of a team, it’s your responsibility to set the culture. It’s your people and team who will bring it to life, who enforce it and help it grow. As a business owner or manager, we need to provide the right frameworks and incentives to help the organisation grow in the right direction, otherwise you could end up with a culture that is not what you wanted.

Do you need help checking in on your organisational culture? Or some advice on how to improve it? Reach out for a confidential conversation today.