Culture: Who Are We?

Culture is about much more than the occasional international festival or an ethnic dish set out in the break room. Culture is about group life in an organization. How do people function together? What is their experience of shared work life? This "culture" we speak of is as crucial to success as a business plan or marketing strategy. Why? Because the organization's very culture shapes how they plan, strategize, and execute.

To put it simply, culture is "how we do things around here". There are cultures all around us: in our home, the mall, our place of worship, and our place of work. Everywhere we go, there is a created culture - purposeful or not - and we react to it.

Within organizations, the workforce make-up, physical environment, organizational rules (written and unwritten), and diversity of ideas coalesce to determine the organization's culture. This cultural environment greatly impacts whether the individuals within the organization, and the organization itself functions at the highest level of productivity, effectiveness, and success.

Organizations that do not understand the forces of culture fall victim to them. In our rapidly changing modern business world, we often need to change directions and make adjustments. Culture, managed correctly, can help drive change. But, when ignored or unmanaged, can destroy all efforts to adjust the ever-changing business environment.