Monday Morning Motivational Message - How To Pick The Things That Are Important In Your Culture

What does culture mean to you?

In a group setting, culture is the shared values, behaviors, and standards everyone agrees with and tries to live by. Different organizations and teams may value things differently. 

Having the right culture can help attract talented people to the group, keep the members of the group engaged, and set the group up for success with other groups.

Business professors Robert E. Quinn and Kim Cameron detail the four types of cultures:

1. Adhocracy Culture - Also known as the "create culture," this is a highly innovative and fast-moving group.

2. Clan Culture - A highly collaborative group that thrives on teamwork.  

3. Hierarchy Culture - This is a structured group that typically follows established roles and processes.

4. Market Culture - A goal-oriented, high-pressure group that focuses on output and goal attainment. 

According to Ravi Gupta, partner at Sequoia Capital, here are four characteristics to use to choose the things that are important in your culture:

1. Authenticity isn't enough. There should be things you believe with a religious intensity. Things that are immovable no matter how the circumstances change.

2. Accept that a rational person could disagree with your highest cultural value. We come at life from different backgrounds, families, and experiences. Understand that others may not accept your most coveted cultural value.

3. Ask yourself what behaviors you will defend. Are there certain skills or traits that you would defend if a member of the group gets carried away and goes overboard regarding what is expected?      

4. If you are the head of the group (Manager, Director, CEO) ask yourself, "If I had to choose my replacement, what is the one belief they would have to share with me?"

The right culture can make the group members happy, engaged, and successful, while the wrong culture can undermine the most talented, resilient, and energetic people.

Please leave me a comment below regarding your thoughts on what characteristics make for a quality culture and any experiences you have had with an organization that had a good or bad culture.