Culture impacts the growth of every organisation. But unfortunately, many leaders today are still unaware of how culture is intricately tied to what they do, who they are, and the results they produce. Or in some cases, they may have an idea of the culture that their organisation needs but they fail (0r don’t know how) to translate it into concrete terms to those that they lead. The truth is building a formidable culture is not a walk in the park. It requires effort, time, and consistency. Culture, or at least a part of it, is also not static but prone to improvement over time. As a leader, the culture you build should never be rigid; instead, it should be one that can be improved upon and helps you stay competitive in the evolving times.
Sadly again, a lot of organisations soon find them being weighed down when competing cultures gain the upper hand in their day to day activities. In this situation, it soon becomes apparent to everyone, both employees and clients, that the espoused values are not being enacted. Soon productivity takes plummet and employees begin to develop a different mindset from that of the company. And with those who are frustrated because of a flawed culture compared to what they perceived when they joined the organisation, the inevitable sets in: the organisation starts to tear apart.
When there is a lack of definition of what your organisational culture is and a strong adherence to it, you end up having people creating and exhibiting different behaviours that are diametrically opposite to what your organisation truly stands for. Don’t fall into this trap. In other times, leaders try to copy the cultures of other organisations without taking into consideration their own corporate DNA. Transferring cultural values without due diligence will always create confusion or what is known as culture clash. When building a culture, you must be clear on what fits into the kind of organisation you want to develop and what doesn’t. When that is done, it behoves on you to enforce the needed culture through and through within your organisation. Without proper enforcement, you send a wrong message to your people that the culture is not essential after all.
Just like I stated earlier, juxtaposing opposing cultures will always lead to tussle. But as a leader, you also need to be aware that people who join your organisation bring with them various cultures wherever they are coming from as individuals. There is also the culture of the society that often rubs off on people (Ellinas et. al., 2017). Therefore, it is your job to ensure that your organisation culture is not at the mercy of whatever culture they are coming with. You are simply the lead culture engineer in your organisation. At best, let your culture become the filtering mechanism that is positioned right at the door, even before anyone joins your organisation.
Culture clash can also happen in the case of corporate merger and acquisition of two or more companies. If there is no serious alignment between these cultures, it will eventually affect corporate performance, impact employee morale, and derail focus. Forward-thinking organisations spend enough time and resources discussing and agreeing on culture differences before choosing to forge partnerships. Because, ultimately, what defines the way people work and the results they produce is their culture. This philosophy has been backed up by studies like Berberoglu (2018) which found that the organisational climate of any organisation is significantly tied to the organisation’s commitment and perceived performance.
Understanding culture is paramount for those in leadership positions throughout any organisation. Culture serves as a guide to every employee, giving them a sense of direction on how things are or should be done. Culture doesn’t only dictate the way employees interact with one another; it also governs how they interact with clients, investors, suppliers, and other stakeholders. A healthy culture is one that promotes innovation, shared commitment, fulfilment, accountability, integrity, and performance among team members.
As a leader, if you realise that your culture is not supporting your organisational growth, it is time to change course. Make a list of what is not working and be flexible enough to improve or try something else. Changing cultural direction can be expensive, some people might even stand against it, but if it is the right thing to do, then it is worth every penny and resilience. Don’t be tempted to stick with the status quo when the situation calls for a change.
The truth is that changing your culture might require you making tough decisions like letting go of certain people, or shutting down certain branches or departments, or pivoting to another business entirely. While this is not as easy as it sounds, it might be the solution you need to turn things around. We have seen organisations we went out of business, not because they had bad products or poor marketing strategies. It was just that they failed in managing their entire culture architecture, leading to people operating at cross-roads within the organisation. Culture engenders focus while also gives direction and meaning to every action taken by the people. Without culture, boundaries cease to exist, an occurrence that is capable bringing any organisation to its knees.
At the core of every organisational growth is the human element. People play a critical role in how far or big your organisation will end up. Without the right people, every other plan comes crashing down. They can also be a huge drag to your progress if the culture that they operate by is contrary to what the organisation needs to get to the next level. Therefore, effective leadership means staying proactive. It is not only about installing the culture that your people need to win but also enforcing it every day both in words and by actions.
As a leader, you must mirror the culture you want to build within your organisation. It was Mahatma Gandhi who said, “Be the change you wish to see.” We have seen many organisations with nice-sounding vision and value statement, only for the leaders to turn around and sabotage them by their actions. It is very hard to install the right culture if you don’t lead from the front. As a leader, you must learn to walk the talk; because any culture that you do not subject yourself to, will never work.
Sobande is a Lawyer and Leadership Consultant. He is a Doctoral Candidate at Regent University, Virginia Beach, USA, for a Ph.D. in Strategic Leadership. He can be reached through Email: [email protected]
