The question of who is responsible for organisational culture has gained increasing importance in recent years, particularly in the wake of significant global events and shifts in workplace dynamics. Before identifying the key stakeholders in cultivating workplace culture, it is essential to understand some of the recent shocks that have influenced how we perceive and approach culture in the workplace.
The Changing Landscape of Organisational Culture
The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted how leaders interact with employees and how colleagues connect. The necessity for rapid adaptation and flexibility during the pandemic exposed the shortcomings of traditional, top-down leadership approaches. As organisations navigated these unprecedented challenges, the importance of a strong, adaptable culture became increasingly clear.
Today, organisational culture is a strategic priority, recognised for its ability to impact not only employee well-being but also an organisation’s bottom line. The ongoing battle for top talent has further highlighted the importance of culture, as skilled professionals place a high value on working in environments that align with their personal and professional values.
Can Everyone Be Responsible for Organisational Culture?
The answer is a resounding yes. Cultivating a strong workplace culture is a shared responsibility that involves various roles and functions within an organisation. In a modern, inclusive model of culture-building, everyone from the board of directors to frontline employees plays a part in developing and maintaining the desired culture. This company-wide approach reflects how organisations operate today, especially in the post-pandemic world, and ensures clear accountability for cultural outcomes.
Key Roles in Building Organisational Culture
- Board of Directors: The board sets the tone for the importance of culture by linking it to the achievement of strategic objectives. They hold the CEO accountable for both developing and measuring organisational culture, ensuring that culture remains a priority at the highest level.
- CEO and Senior Leadership Team (SLT): The CEO and SLT are responsible for defining the desired culture and cultivating it through their leadership actions. They set objectives, strategies, and key results that prioritise culture-building, and they must consistently demonstrate the organisation’s values and behaviours.
- Human Resources (HR) Department: HR plays a critical role in designing employee experiences that reinforce the desired culture. This includes implementing strategies and programmes that enable other parts of the organisation to fulfil their culture-related responsibilities. Key HR initiatives include employee onboarding, leadership training, culture guidebooks, whistleblower programmes, performance management, and reward and recognition systems.
- Managers: Managers are tasked with delivering employee experiences that align with the desired culture. They lead by example, embodying the organisation’s values and behaviours. Managers must also address instances where employees fail to uphold these values, ensuring that the culture is consistently reinforced.
- Employees: Every employee contributes to organisational culture by living the values and demonstrating the desired behaviours daily. Employees are encouraged to hold their peers accountable and provide regular feedback to management and leadership on the alignment between the desired and actual culture. Their insights are valuable for refining culture-building efforts and suggesting new initiatives.
The Influence of Middle Managers
Middle managers often wield the most significant influence over an individual employee’s day-to-day experience due to their direct interaction with team members. Despite their influence, middle managers are frequently under-empowered compared to higher-level leaders. This lack of empowerment can weaken an organisation’s culture-building efforts. Therefore, it is crucial for CEOs and senior leaders to empower middle managers with the right support, direction, and resources to foster a strong culture within their teams. By doing so, they can ensure that the desired values and behaviours are consistently demonstrated at all levels of the organisation.
Achieving a Unified Culture
To cultivate the desired workplace culture, it is essential for everyone within the organisation to have a clear, consistent, and common understanding of what that culture entails. A coordinated, deliberate effort from all members of the organisation is necessary to cultivate and maintain a positive culture. While specific responsibilities may vary across different roles, the shared accountability for achieving the desired culture lies with everyone.
The Role of Culture Assessment Tools
To support these efforts, culture assessment tools provide a valuable resource for organisations. Such tools enable employees at all levels to offer feedback on the workplace culture, empowering senior leadership teams to make data-driven decisions that can significantly impact culture-building initiatives.