Leadership and Culture

This week I was reminded on a couple of different occasions about the impact of culture in the workplace. My definition of culture is “an informal combination of behaviors, values, and attitudes that define ‘how we do things’ at work.” Although we may not talk about culture as a group or work team, most of us feel some pressure to act in a certain way with each other. Group culture has an impact on our behavior, attitudes, and satisfaction with our job. Some of us may “feel at home in our culture” while others may feel like a “stranger”. Culture affects how fast work gets processed, how we treat those outside the team, how detail-oriented we are, and how willing we are as a team to take risks.

Group culture comes from a variety of places. It can be strongly influenced by the behavioral or personality styles of the group leader or leaders. Sometime it is the most pronounced behavioral styles within a group that determine its culture, such as a strong need for results or a preference for harmony. The type of work a group does or its goals and mission can also shape its culture. Many not-for-profits will have a culture that stresses caring or empathy over logic and analysis. Even cohesion or tension within the group can create a culture.

What a work team values, deems important, rewards, or criticizes are often by-products of the team’s culture. In a culture where independence, directness, and results are rewarded those persons who prefer a more thoughtful pace or practice a concern for people may be under-appreciated or misunderstood. A culture that rewards enthusiasm, creativity, and passion might be critical of those who prefer caution, introversion, or rules. While none of these cultural influences are wrong they can serve as barriers to anyone whose behavior or preferences differ from the majority.

Leaders can use these cultural understandings to be more effective in managing and leading. If your group culture values high quality output, dependability, and punctuality then be aware that you run the risk of also being less innovative and more inflexible. Customers who value your attention to details may become frustrated by your slow turnaround time or unwillingness to consider new ideas. Without teaching your team to adjust their behavior you run the risk of losing valued clients.

Sometimes leaders need the help of outside resources to uncover the cultures that are often second-nature to us. We could benefit from inviting different behavioral styles to join the team and paying attention to their perspectives on problems and issues. Being open to ideas that aren’t part of our team culture can yield positive results for everyone involved.

Try to imagine your workplace team looking into a mirror. What reflections of themselves and their own behaviors will they be willing to see and acknowledge? How can you, as their leader, model openness to behavioral styles that may not fit the cultural norms? Is your workplace culture preventing the organization from adapting quickly to marketplace changes or creating anxiety because you aren’t focused enough? It’s time to recognize the important role culture plays in our work environments and adapt as needed to ensure long-term success.