Team and organisational culture is my business. It is what Neon is all about; helping to create teams and organisations where people and performance flourish. And so I have conversations with clients, current and potential, all the time about culture, what it is, how it is helping or hindering performance, and what needs to change and why. And so often, the same question is asked of me; how can we get the business interested in the behavioural stuff, when they see it as “soft and fluffy” and a waste of time? It is a though there is a divide between the two.
This divide is highlighted again when I am asked to look at the cultural change strategies or programmes that have been put in place or are being considered; blocks of activity that focus on behaviours and values and led by individuals with a strong interest or commitment to this kind of work. It all looks tidy on the project plan but when I ask how it links to the business strategy, there is a puzzled pause.
The truth is that unless culture is intrinsically and explicitly linked to business strategy, those that do not “believe” in it, will always have a reason to dismiss is as “soft and fluffy”, and any culture change programme will never get the traction required to make it happen. Organisational culture is not something that happens separately from your core business; it is the way in which your core business is done.
There is only one way to do it — make culture your business!
To find out more, visit http://www.neonclc.com