Culture by design or culture by default? Why it matters if you want different results

It seems we are entering into another phase of the impact created by the Covid-19 pandemic. As financial results for the first and second quarters of the calendar year are coming in for organizations (and demonstrating that they are either stagnant or declining), we are seeing tough decisions being made (massive layoffs) across the country and in various sectors. I have written a blog post a few months back on how gut-wrenching it is for a leader (if you are in tune with your human side) to let go of its talent to ensure the survival of the organization. The emotional aspect set aside for a moment, I have been noticing a resistance to change and to innovation from many organizational leaders. I "hear" leaders say they want and need to innovate to survive the next months of the pandemic (and the future of their organization), but I am not seeing the actions that demonstrate this willingness. As a self-professed innovator and recent graduate of a world-class program in innovation and design thinking, this observation puzzles me greatly because I think it speaks loudly about the culture of an organization. Shortly put, it tells me that they have a default culture instead of a culture by design.

What is a culture by design?

Not only am I a believer and a proponent of creating and fostering a culture by design, but the subject is quite on my mind at the moment, as I have just hosted a dialogue on the topic with subject-matter experts Janna Hare (Spark Leadership) and Dr. Mario Chiasson (Director of innovation and research at District scolaire francophone sud) earlier this week. Creating a culture by design means being intentional about the behaviours and practices that are put in place in your organization. As leaders, you not only have control over your organizational culture, but you also own it. If you do not pay attention to your culture, then it becomes a culture by default: something intangible that exists and surrounds everyone and that leads to victimization. When you have a culture by default, it means you are tolerating behaviours instead of addressing/correcting them. Are people arriving notoriously late at meetings? Is your organization doing something that goes against its stated values ? (i.e.: having plastic bottles of water at meetings when the environment is supposedly very important). Oh and my personal favourite: "it's just always been or done this way" when prompted about why a certain behaviour or practice is tolerated. One might say that there are more pressing matters at the moment than addressing an organizational culture, but I will tell you that it is so important that it will make the pivotal difference between succeeding and failing.

If you want different results, you need different ways/methods of doing things

Covid-19 took the world by surprise and was quite a punch in the face. Guess what? It is far from being the last punch that we will get in years to come. I am not being pessimistic as I write these words, but merely factual. The world has kept on evolving these last decades and the rapidity of change we are now seeing occurring can be mind-boggling. As these changes take place, we have to adapt to them and start planning and experimenting today if we want to compete - nay- be relevant - in tomorrow's marketplace. So why are organizations trying to do the same things in pretty much the same way (even with less resources) as the world around them is changing? Some great examples of organizations that pivoted and innovated their business model as they paid attention to the "weak signals" around them (first indicators of potential change happening) include Apple, New York Times Digital, and Aravind eye care. These organizations paid attention to the trends happening in their industry (the world really) and planned for them through ideation and prototyping, which led to where they are today: in a leading position in their respective industries.

Earlier in this post, I talked about the resistance to change (and by default towards innovation) that I am feeling and observing at the moment. Innovation to some seems to mean a new app or a new tool...perhaps even a new method. Sure, these are all ways to innovate in a linear fashion something you are already doing. What is required of us as organizational leaders goes beyond that and really mean the following: how do we compete for the future? If you are currently asking yourself how you can transform or pivot your current business model, you are on the right track. That line of thinking will ensure that you survive the pandemic and thrive in the future and it is intrinsically linked to your organizational culture. Beware of the "This will never happen in our industry, we are protected by..." or the "it might be the case in X other country but that will not be the case in Canada" and the "..you do not understand how our organization works". They are all red flags of a culture that exists by default and the leaders of that organization are opting for the status quo instead of being intentional and doing something about it.

As a leader of a social impact organization, I understand all too well the challenges that lie ahead. We have limited resources to pivot and innovate, even when there are such great intentions AND a culture that is (by design) focused on innovation to begin with! What I am finding out (as I too have my moments of discouragement) is that when you set out a (good) intention and have an intentional culture, there are always people who appear on your path to support your efforts and help you. So yes... it matters greatly that you pay attention to your organizational culture as it will enable you to set the pace and get to your destination that much quicker.

#Innovation #Organizationalculture #Culturebydesign #culturebydefault #competingforthefuture