Why Organizational Culture is a Monster

Organizational culture matters because culture makes the difference between whether we execute good ideas or not. Good ideas abound, but the world sorely lacks in evidence for the increase in the adoption and long-term follow-through on these good ideas. In fact, there are more good ideas today spreading faster than we can learn and apply them. Yet despite information technology accelerators and social networks, we are fundamentally no more prepared to adopt good ideas new or old.

The Same Dish with Different Packaging

There is nothing new of substance within lean startup, six sigma, big data, lean kanban, lean manufacturing, or any of the buzzwords immediately preceding them. In food processing terms, the formulation, packaging, marketing, and distribution of these ideas are new but they are the same dish. This is not to take anything away from the efforts to formulate, package, and market old ideas to suit new audiences. It is important work. As the saying goes, “Every generation thinks they invented OPEX.”

Slow or High Friction Ideas

Surgeon, writer, and public health researcher Atul Gawande recently wrote an interesting article suggesting that there are “slow ideas“. These are simple, superior practices that even intelligent, well-meaning people adopt but slowly. Somehow it is painful to adopt these slow ideas. Even when there is sufficient dissatisfaction with the status quo, motivation, and energy to learn and adopt good ideas, groups of humans do not always help each other out. Organizational culture is group behavior.

The Fear Monster

In a word, the uptake of good ideas is slower and less complete in our organizations than the quality of these ideas would suggest because of fear. Whenever there is a basic assumption widely shared and held deeply within us that change will result in loss, pain, or discomfort, we behave in ways that fulfill this expectation. Although we may not always see, recognize or name it for what it is, our best-laid plans are undermined by a dreadful culture monster.

Organizational Culture as a Monster

The word “monster” originates from the Latin word monstrum meaning “to warn” or “a sign“. We can say that organizational culture is a monster also in that sense. We can expect that organizational cultures characterized by closed-mindedness, infighting, fear of blame for mistakes, and so forth will bring bad things, namely an inability to adapt to changing circumstances in the market and thus worsened performance over time. A monster in this sense is neither good nor bad, but it may cause us dread. Whether we face up to the culture monster or not is our choice.

Challenge the Culture Monster

Dr. Edgar Schein writes in the excellent book The Corporate Culture Survival Guide, …”Try to build on the existing cultural strengths, rather than trying to change those elements that may be weaknesses.” He also writes, “Always think first of the culture as your source of strength. It is the residue of your past successes.” While these are comforting words, we must heed Peter Drucker’s words that “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” We must look at organizational culture as a monster to be respected but challenged in all cases if we are to pursue continuous improvement. Dr. Schein wisely advises not to start with the idea to change culture, but rather to solve a problem or improve performance. Whether by further leveraging cultural strengths or shoring up cultural weaknesses that are at the root of these problems, we ignore organizational culture and its portents at our own peril.

The Role of Organizational Culture in Idea Adoption and Execution

Organizational culture can make or break the adoption and execution of good ideas. While it may be painful to adopt slow or high-friction ideas, it is important to challenge the culture monster and respect its warning signs. Dr. Schein advises building on existing cultural strengths, but we must also recognize that culture.

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