3 Keys to Building a Healthy Organisational Culture

Recently, my wife and I received a scam call that nearly cost us a significant sum of money. Trusting the caller's apparent authenticity, I followed their instructions without verifying the details. Fortunately, some safeguards we had in place exposed the fraudsters before any money was lost. A follow-up email from the Fraud Department confirmed that we weren’t responsible for the transactions and that all fraudulent charges would be removed from our account.

Phew!

This incident reminded me how important it is to follow the usual precautions we already have in place. The outcome could have been much worse!

The Importance of Checks and Balances

Reflecting on the scam, I thought about other situations in life where things seemed genuine at first but led to unintended consequences:

• The time I broke my leg while trying a risky ice-skating manoeuvre as a teenager.

• When I tried to save time by speeding, only to be caught by a speed camera.

• The growth phase our church is experiencing, where there’s no fraud, thankfully, but where there’s a risk of losing focus during rapid expansion.

These experiences reinforced the importance of having checks and balances in place to avoid being led astray, whether it’s in personal decisions or organisational growth.

One critical aspect of these checks and balances in any organisation is being intentional about defining and developing its culture. I often tell clients, "Values are what you put in, and culture is what you get out." So, what values should we instil, and how can we recognise when the desired culture has emerged?

What People Really Care About

Marcus Buckingham, in his book 9 Lies About Work, states that people don’t care about an organisation's culture—quite a startling claim. He explains that employees care about the overall culture only up until they join. After that, they are more concerned with the culture of their immediate team and leaders. This means our values must be embodied at every level to cultivate the right culture. So, how does this translate into practice.

In our church we identified three key areas to focus on to remain true to our foundational purpose during growth:

1. The Culture of the Organisation: The church’s initial vision and values were clearly defined by its founders and outlined as four ‘Foundations’. To ensure everyone recognises and embraces these principles, we displayed them prominently in the building and regularly reinforced them in all areas and activities of the organisation.

2. The Culture of the People: Inspired by Buckingham’s insights, we focused on fostering a healthy culture among both members and leaders. We aimed to cultivate a community that lives out our values daily.  

3. The Culture of Leadership: It was crucial to make sure our leaders not only understood but also embodied these values. By embedding them in everything we do, we could honestly say, “If this culture resonates with you, then you’re really going to enjoy it here.” Conversely, if the culture doesn’t resonate, it might not be the right fit, as Patrick Lencioni notes in The Ideal Team Player.

I've delved deeper into exploring healthy organisational culture.

Here is further research for you to explore:

Creating a Collaborative Culture

How to Stop Micromanaging Your Team

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‍Roger Fairhead

Leadership Specialist

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