When I work with organizations, when the topic of corporate culture comes up, it’s often viewed as something external to staff and out of their control. I hear – while what you’re saying makes sense, it doesn’t align with our corporate culture which is very slow to change. Our corporate culture isn’t there yet – so we need to wait.
My response – whose job is it to change corporate culture? Is there a job description where one person is tasked with this role? No.
A corporate culture is a reflection of the thoughts, views and beliefs of the collective. It doesn’t sit in isolation.
So how do you change corporate culture? One department at a time.
Small steps
Okay, let me give you an example. Let’s say your organization talks a lot about mental health but the corporate culture actually penalizes people for prioritizing their mental health. Do you just shrug your shoulders and say – well, our corporate culture isn’t supportive so there’s nothing we can do?
In this case, the organization has stated a priority and it’s up to staff to hold them accountable, making the shifts needed to create a supportive corporate culture. It starts with looking at what changes you can make at your team or department level.
Using the mental health example, do you have open conversations about mental health and encourage people to take mental health days (just as you hopefully encourage them to stay home if they have a fever)? Do you have check-in points to see how people are doing, especially in times of stress or is your approach get the work done and don’t complain?
If you wait for the organization to develop a mental health strategy and create processes, you’ll lose staff.
Look internally
While the corporate culture might not be supportive, look at the role your team or department is playing to reinforce the culture or create your own path.
What is the culture on your team? Is it healthy or are there changes that can and need to be made?
Another example is when organizations say they want to be innovative yet penalize failure. Innovation is a by-product of creativity and part of the creative process is embracing mistakes to learn and grow.
In this example, looking internally, how do you encourage your staff to be creative, knowing if they make an error they won’t be penalized?
Each person, team and department have a role to play in reinforcing or changing corporate culture. I’ve seen it happen – both positively and negatively.
Be intentional
One positive example I’ve seen in shifting the corporate culture to breakdown silos was when I was the media relations manager for a large organization. In previous organizations, when we hosted a press conference, I was responsible for every element – writing the materials, inviting the media, setting up the room, booking the speakers…the list goes on.
But this organization used press conferences as the stepping stone in its mission to break down silos between departments and levels of authority. For press conferences, staff with a variety of talents volunteered to help organize and execute the event.
An administrative assistant who had a Martha Stewart approach decorated the room with plants from the Parks Department. A planner who played in a band was in charge of the AV. A manager who was an avid cyclist arranged for a group of cyclers to attend in cycling gear with their bikes (it was for Bike to Work Week). The list went on.
The result – instead of me being responsible for all elements, a team worked together to put on a way better press conference than I could do on my own. In addition to each person feeling pride in their role, it also created a sense of comradery.
From there, the organization expanded this concept to larger events – with even more staff involved.
The lessons learned by breaking down the silos of an event being the responsibility of one department rolled over into other areas of our work. It wasn’t uncommon for people from different departments to get together to brainstorm a challenge or opportunity, valuing the views of others, despite their job title.
Honour self-care
While I’m a big believer that corporate culture can be changed one department at a time, I’ve also worked in organizations where the corporate culture was so toxic it impacted my mental health.
If this is the case in your organization, you might want to get your parachute on and look for opportunities to jump. While yes, it’s still possible for the organization to change, the question to ask is at what cost.
Sometimes it means waiting for a CEO, CAO or board members to leave. This can take time and create a ripple effect of challenges.
Your priority is you. Know when you can make a positive change and when it’s time to move on.
Remember, changing corporate culture doesn’t happen overnight. It requires commitment, persistence and is a collective effort.
By focusing on small steps, looking internally at your team’s dynamics, being intentional about fostering positive change, and prioritizing self-care, you can contribute to shifting the culture one department at a time.
Ask yourself what steps can I take? How can my team shift our own culture? And how can we share these changes with others, creating a ripple effect?
Your journey to changing corporate culture begins with you.