{"id":1905,"date":"2019-02-06T21:05:21","date_gmt":"2019-02-07T05:05:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/b-spoke.net\/?p=1905"},"modified":"2026-06-29T22:00:29","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T22:00:29","slug":"own-your-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thirdactmedia.com\/b-spoke\/2019\/02\/06\/own-your-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"Own Your Culture: Fake It til You Make It"},"content":{"rendered":"
Three Minutes<\/h6>\n

\u201cI want to change my culture. You can do that for me, right?\u201d<\/h3>\n

Probably the number one request consultants get is to \u201cchange\u201d a client\u2019s \u201cculture\u201d.<\/p>\n

Most clients can\u2019t even define what they mean by \u201cculture\u201d, let alone accurately describe what their culture is (or what they specifically don\u2019t like about it).<\/p>\n

\"people\"<\/a>One of life\u2019s great ironies is that clients frequently engage consultants to assess their culture, using one objective model or another \u2013 and then deny the findings. Or cherry-pick what they like and explain away the rest.<\/p>\n

Regardless, any consultant who says (s)he can change a client culture is lying: \u201cCultures\u201d are the shared beliefs of an organization \u2013 and the actions taken that demonstrate those beliefs.<\/p>\n

Because culture is based on beliefs and values \u2013 the internal workings of its employees\u2019 hive mind \u2013 leaders can never truly see it, and outsiders can\u2019t change it. It\u2019s like an organization\u2019s shadow \u2013 you can see it, you can almost describe it, but you can\u2019t touch it.<\/p>\n

\u201cCulture\u201d is a result<\/u>, not an input<\/u>.<\/p>\n

So What?<\/h4>\n

If it\u2019s so hard to define, and impossible to dictate, why is it so important? Getting wrapped up in people\u2019s beliefs and thoughts sounds hokey, like so much other touchy-feely claptrap. Why do we care?<\/p>\n

Culture manifests in shared behavior. Unguided actions and undirected conversations. The operating system by which employees conduct themselves. How they navigate their performance system. And, in the short term, it\u2019s completely out of anyone\u2019s control.<\/p>\n

When culture is aligned with strategy, great things happen. That\u2019s<\/em> why it\u2019s important. \u00a0Visions are achieved with relatively little fuss. For that to occur, collective espoused values must agree with personal internal values \u2013 and what behaviors and actions are encouraged.<\/p>\n

If \u201cbad\u201d \u2013 or at least, unwanted \u2013 behavior is tolerated, it becomes the norm. Leaders stop noticing. Acceptance is tacit consent. At the extreme, this is known as \u201cthe normalization of deviance<\/a>\u201d: once habits form, peoples\u2019 beliefs actually change \u2013 as they accept the new norm, they rationalize it.<\/p>\n

So how do you change a culture?<\/h4>\n

First, define the culture you want. (As simple an endeavor as Steve Martin\u2019s \u201cHow to Be a Millionaire \u2013 and Never Pay Taxes\u201d).<\/p>\n

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