Identifying Organizational Culture

What makes working for one company so very different from working for another company, even if the products and services are alike?
Culture is what makes the difference. It is the characteristic that influences how a company handles its day-to-day operations, and it determines how an organization communicates with its employees.
Culture affects the policies and procedures that are implemented. And culture is what gives an organization a different feel from other businesses in the same industry.

Types of culture

Every organization has a culture of sorts. In fact, every organization actually has two cultures.
The visible culture is the one that is expressed in the company's charts, policies, and procedure manuals. This is the organization that is apparent to outsiders.
The shadow organization is the informal day-to-day behavior carried on as a result of tradition and habit. It's what people do, rather than what they say.

The shadow organization is often more powerful than the visible organization. It has its own leaders and unwritten rules of operation. This shadow is influenced by the values and habits of accepted actions and activities.
Think of it as a complex mesh of social forces that influence the behavior of each member of the organization. This makes up the norms of the organization.
Norms of operation are often formed by historical events within the organization. It may be representative of past victories, setbacks, rivalries and feuds. Additionally, this informal organization has these characteristics:

• It has its own communication channels
• It has unofficial networks and cliques
• It may determine how an employee feels

The shadow organization is what typically determines the average employee's experience at work. Interestingly enough, the higher individuals are in the organization, the less in-touch they will be with the understanding of what an average workday is like for an average employee.
Management may be sadly unaware of what the organizational culture really is, even though they are the ones most likely to talk about it.

Understanding the shadow culture
Successful leadership requires that you get in touch with the real culture of your organization. This is an integral part of giving meaning to work.
You can gain awareness of your shadow organization by exploring four areas with your employees. The following provides more information about these areas:

• Discuss how employees feel about themselves
• Determine how employees feel about their jobs
• Identify how employees feel about their teammates
• Explore how employees view the organization

When employees like themselves, their jobs, their teams, and their organization, they are more likely to be happy, energetic, involved, and committed employees. They are also more likely to create that same environment for the other people they work with.
Giving purpose, meaning, and direction to work is a fundamental leadership role. The art of molding an organizational culture that enhances meaning requires a leader who is willing to participate with employees rather than simply direct them.
It takes time and energy. However, the payoff is in having the information that allows you to shape a compelling vision around which employees can rally.