You can’ t measure culture.
Managers like to avoid the topic of culture. It is seen as a soft factor. “Culture has long been out,” say some consultants. The discomfort stems from the myth that culture is difficult to express in numbers.
Yet, successful numbers always rely on acceptance of a company’s culture by customers and employees.
Business success is essentially built on the resonance that stories find in the market.
Just one example of many: Business models are essentially stories that explain how companies work.
A good business model answers Peter Drucker’s well-known questions: Who is our customer? And what does the customer value? How do we make money in our business? And what is the underlying logic that explains how we can provide added value to customers at a reasonable cost?
Business models look more like inspiring scripts than dry balance sheets.
Start to write your own success story!
I recommend to start with some simple story sourcing in your own team.
As is so often the case these days, it is primarily an exercise in listening. Stories connect members of organizations with stakeholders (customers, investors) already now — at any point in time. Rather than assessing people interviews, I suggest to start with cafe type formats — online or on site.
This can work in the following way:
Tip #1: Group discussions. Invite the to sharing concrete situations and experiences and put them together in casual groups of up to four of five.
Tip #2: Appreciate what is. To start, focus on positive emotions: “What did employees recently accomplish that they hadn’t dreamed possible?”
Tip #3: Share in the audience. Harvest the stories and try to detect patterns. No matter how large your organization is, you will see them in a short period of time.
If you think culture can’t be measured, you’re missing the chance to write these stories into the future!
Listening to culture is always the better way.
