Origin
Where we come from shapes how we communicate, what we value and how we read a situation. Good teams start by understanding that context.
Where we come from shapes how we work
Culture is a sometimes intangible word that, in practice, comes down to how people show up. It is defined by where we come from, our family and our background, and by what we value and the behaviour that matches those values. Setting culture is a deliberate act. It has to be reinforced constantly, drip-feeding the values, the expected behaviour and the ways people are meant to communicate into the organisation until they become how things are done.
Where we come from
Where we come from matters because it defines where people come from. Understanding where someone grew up, and what that looked like, becomes especially important when working with people from different ethnic groups and, in particular, from different countries.
A good culture makes people feel that their background is understood. It also takes that background into account when defining what the culture of the organisation looks like, and reinforces it through both deliberate and inferred action.
Trust is the speed of change
A healthy culture engenders trust by listening to its people. That puts one-on-ones and feedback at the centre of company culture, because trust is built person to person, not in town halls.
Value + behaviour = culture
Plenty of companies have their values on the wall, yet far fewer actually live them out. The gap between the stated value and the lived behaviour shows up as inconsistency, confusion and cynicism.
The remedy is to talk openly, across the company and within each team, about what the values mean and which behaviours go with them, and then to choose to live them out. That builds a culture of accountability, where people encourage one another when they live up to the values and call one another out when they fall short.
Clear and kind
Culture is created when we communicate clearly and directly, with kindness and grace. Within any cultural context it is important to understand what clear and kind actually look like, and for a team to agree how its people want others to be direct with them while still showing kindness and grace.
Getting that agreement right creates clear communication, and engenders trust and collaboration between colleagues.
The five lenses on how we are wired
Origin is one of five lenses. Jump straight to any of the others.
Personality
Four lenses on personality: your centre of intelligence (head, heart or gut), your stance, your core instinct, and how you show up in conflict.
Work Gearing
The skills you use to operate in an organisation, and why they are not the same as your personality. It centres on the work you love.
Leadership Style
Leadership style read against the phase an organisation is in, and the real skill of knowing when to step forward and when to step back.
How We Show Up Emotionally
There are 87 human emotions, yet most people can name only three. We explore four ways people tend to show up.
All five lenses
Back to the People overview, with the five lenses and how it all comes together in a team.
Book a conversation
Start with a short call about your people and your teams. We will help you work out where to begin.