There are a number of ways to define culture, and choosing a model that works for you is terribly important. You can go in search of other definitions, however this is the one that we’ve found most actionable.
We define culture with two major components:
- What do the people in your company CARE about? In essence, what are the drivers forming you and your team’s actions and choices every day. Frequently this is referred to as core values.
- What is the MOOD of your business? Your team has a mood about them as they work with one another and with your business stakeholders (customers, vendors, partners, investors …). You can describe this mood with a set of adjectives: Creative, Loud, Caring or any set of thousands of others.
There are a number of cultural models out there that also include practices. Because business practices are driven by what we CARE about, in our model practices are left to be used, changed and designed by the team.
For every organization that speaks of core values and team dynamics there is an ever present TWO cultures, the actual culture (the one you have) and the aspirational culture (the one you want).
If you are interested in designing a culture that is within reach and one you feel will get your team high-performing, you can begin by having a conversation with us on what that looks like.
Remember culture is critical for high performing teams – teams that make the most of their time, energy and resources. If you aren’t designing your culture, you have one anyway, but likely not the one you want!