10 Reasons Why Your Culture is Unique
Workplace, organizational, and corporate, it goes by many names. Your culture is always something special. The culture of your workplace is unique. Would you agree?
Your Community
In your workplace you have standards and norms, you have policies and rules, and you have all of the concepts that define who you are and what you are about.
It is your World. It is the place where people who join, and stay, follow the cultural norms. Certainly, there are rule breakers, exceptions, and those who make a choice not to stay. Largely however, it is a space of community. Everyone fits somehow.
Your Culture
Every culture is unique and here are ten reasons why:
- Behaviors. Those that are observable by others. Not opinions but factual observations.
- Standards. The standards of work flow and work process become group norms. They are connected to values.
- Values. What are the published values? What do people feel and see?
- Philosophy. You have a mission. In most cases this is published for everyone to see, including customers and vendors.
- Rules. There are always rules of the game. These apply to everyone.
- Climate. How individuals and groups interact. What is the protocol and the patterns of behavior.
- Competencies. Skill requirements, the unique ways of doing things that no one else may do exactly the same.
- Habits. Inclusive of how the group thinks and acts. Repetitive acts are often habits.
- Meanings. Your language. How you speak. What are the acronyms and other lingo associated with you? You may hear it everyday, yet outsiders don’t know what it means.
- Symbols. Could include everything from your logo, to a statue, or the architecture of your building. Even dress code, or the lack of one could apply.
If you think the company down the street, across the hall, or three floors above you has the same culture, you are probably incorrect.
Culture may change but not until the people do.
-DEG
Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.
