Good day,
I have long been interested in bringing together the topics of culture, communication and new work.
Over the past 15+ years, I have come into contact with many views on corporate culture that initially sounded understandable. The more I have studied the subject, the more I have had to disagree with many of them. Finally, I have come to the conclusion that the only reason many assumptions are generally accepted is because "many other people" simply agree with them.
So, in this newsletter, I'd like to share some alternative views on the topic of corporate culture, having dived further into the topic over several projects in recent weeks:
1. keeping culture up to date requires exchange across company boundaries.
I'm not saying that every company doesn't rightly have its own unique story.
However, I am of the opinion that corporate culture can only be thought further into the future in a trusting dialog. This is due to the fact that managers currently have to keep an eye on too many changes at the same time, which are determined from the outside: Supply chains, currency and demand fluctuations, staff shortages, to name just a few.
A few days ago we founded the One-X association in Vaduz, which moderates a cultural dialogue between companies: On the one hand, locally for companies in Liechtenstein and in the Rhine Valley, in order to work out the regionally connecting elements. On the other hand also internationally and online to strengthen the ecosystem as a whole. To get started, we invite you to a series of cultural cafes, to which you are cordially invited. Click here for free registration!
2. corporate culture cannot and must not please everyone
Contrary to popular belief, the statement "Culture eats strategy for breakfast" often remains wishful thinking. In many cases, we go too far in trying to please all stakeholders (e.g., employees, customers, activists). Yes, corporate culture today must be adaptable so as not to stand in the way of change. But it must also have a clear focus in order to actively support change - this was the tenor of workshops we held with SMEs in preparation for the Culture Cafes:
Culture fails when it sweeps tensions in companies under the table and difficult conversations don't even take place.
Culture also fails when it wants to resolve all issues by "consensus" and does not demand "consensus."
Culture fails if it does not prioritize organizational effectiveness.
Digitization and innovation projects in particular often suffer from the fact that they are tackled with verve but then not implemented consistently.
Not living cultural rules consistently is often the quickest way to let potential changes get out of hand.
3. culture can be shaped.
Many executives observe culture only because most peers say culture can't be shaped.
In 99% of the cases, this is a missed opportunity. Because culture can be shaped - whether at team or company level. However, this requires that we ourselves know our inner drive and really want to change the culture.
This brings me to "Meet Your Purpose", our startup, which we in the circle of six founders:inside have brought a few days ago into the legal form of a Liechtenstein Venture Cooperative. I had already reported on the project to develop a software application for personal purpose reflection. From the feedback on the first prototype as well as a business constellation on our project, we conclude that people today are strongly addressing the question of purpose, especially the young professionals of Generation Z. They are looking for ways to not only reflect on their personal purpose, but also to implement it in their daily work.
Meaningful work becomes a skill that can be used to shape corporate culture. In the app, we've summarized a total of 14 culture-shaping skills and backed them with interventions and coaching that are easy for leaders and employees to implement. Feel free to sign up for a short conversation in my calendar to learn more.
With this look at corporate culture, I wish you an inspired vacation season!
All the best and warm greetings,
