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Culture Shaping

An organization’s culture is the sum of the behaviors its people demonstrate every day. Culture shaping is the leadership activity of shaping those behaviors intentionally. There are many ways to influence culture, but at every level, leaders are expected to lead by example. At more senior levels, they’re also expected to define and communicate cultural norms - often through values, principles, or stories.

While few leaders have direct control over culture, every leader has the opportunity and responsibility to shape it through what they do, what they reward, and what they tolerate. Culture should never be defined in isolation. Effective leaders work with their teams to co-create shared expectations, then codify them through team charters, value statements, or operating principles.

But the story doesn’t end with a slide deck. Values must be visible in how work happens: in decisions, rituals, and interactions. The gap between stated values and lived experience is often due to a lack of operationalization - the failure to translate abstract ideas into everyday behaviors.

Ultimately, everyone contributes to culture. But as a leader, you are accountable for role modeling it and reinforcing it through praise, recognition, and consequences when needed.

Recommended Resources

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Cultivating Hospitality: Kevin Yien shares a super brief intro to culture and how to be welcoming. It doesn’t matter if you would never make inside jokes with your newcomers, I promise you that someone will. What would you need to do to make sure every single new joiner in your organization feels welcome? (2 min read)

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Team Canvas: If you’re stretched for time and are looking to collaboratively define a team’s culture, use the Team Canvas. This site offers one basic and one advanced template you can use to facilitate a 1-2 hour session with your team. The site offers guidance on clarifying and documenting purpose, goals, roles, values, and more. (15 min read)

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Agenda for Group Sessions to Build a Design Team Charter: Peter Merholz is a design leadership coach and former executive who has published his detailed agenda Google doc with the world. He specifically targets design teams, but his approach can be adapted to any team with minimal time. The actual workshops will take at least two full business days, and will solidify a strong foundation for your organization’s culture. (20 min read)

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What a Healthy Team Looks Like: Hà Phan shares insights from her experience at Pluralsight, highlighting the characteristics of a healthy team. She discusses the importance of designing team norms collaboratively, fostering a culture of continuous learning, and ensuring that all team members feel ownership over their work and environment. Hà essentially shares what it was like to define cultural norms with her team - what worked, what didn’t, and what stuck. (7 min read)

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Types of Silence: This article delves into the different forms of silence that can exist within teams, such as acquiescent, defensive, and prosocial silence. Understanding these types helps leaders recognize unspoken dynamics and address barriers to open communication, thereby enhancing psychological safety. You can also use this resource with people who believe “silence is acceptance” to encourage them considering a different perspective. (5 min read)

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Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace: In this HBR IdeaCast episode, Amy Edmondson discusses the concept of psychological safety and its critical role in team performance. She is the author of “The Fearless Organization” and explains how fostering an environment where team members feel safe to speak up leads to better learning, innovation, and overall effectiveness. (27 min listen)

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Writing Culture Challenges: John Cutler picks up specific culture examples such as Amazon’s which is known for starting meetings with silently reading documents. He shares stories when people pushed back on establishing a writing culture, and ends with a number of tactical options anyone can experiment with. Take these as inspiration for any other culture you’re looking to establish. (5 min read)

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The Power of Celebration: Roger Martin advocates for the strategic use of celebrations within organizations. He argues that recognizing achievements and milestones not only boosts morale but also reinforces a sense of community and shared purpose among team members. When was the last time your boss has appreciated your work and contributions? If your direct reports are surprised or even shocked after you recognize their efforts, you ought to consider just how often they consider leaving your org. (7 min read)

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Culture Viruses: The unnamed authors identify common "culture viruses" that can undermine organizational health, such as lack of accountability and perpetual burnout narratives. It provides insights into recognizing and addressing these detrimental patterns to maintain a resilient and positive workplace culture. I found the metaphor of a spreading virus extremely helpful in understanding how good and bad behavior can spread rapidly in a complex organization. (6 min read)