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).
Your actual culture has both limiting and expansive qualities. It is the one that exists right now. If you poled all your employees, would they (without looking at your website or your vision statement) actually all say the same core values? Would they all describe the mood they way you think of it aspirationally?
Ideally the expansive qualities in your actual culture map to what you aspire to. Culture is always in flux and is affected by new leadership, new team members, a change in customer base, a change in vendors.
What is your Actual Culture? We can help you figure that out with a Culture Snapshot. This is an example of a report that can help you figure out whats next for you in your culture journey.
How will you design and achieve your Aspirational Culture?