Managing culture through growth

Part of the conversation

If culture has a mecca it’s that people get a feel for it without having to think about it. And that what they feel is true to your intention as a business leader.

But how do you do that? How do you make culture a part of the conversation while holding on what’s true to you? 

Caroline agrees: “It’s important that there is an understood culture from every level and there’s alignment on that,” says Caroline. “Alignment not only on what the culture does and how it feels but also to other things: values, how people are recognised for the work they’re doing, and how the work is done.”

“I’ve seen how cultures change over time, from a people, maturity and business point of view. It becomes a part of the conversation.”

The warning signs it’s not working

“Expect conflict and tension,“ says Caroline. “You might be hearing ‘I’m not sure why we’re doing this’ or ‘we’re not doing this the right way’. If people feel the work they’re doing is not valued and aren’t enjoying being a part of the company any more, it’s time to change the culture.” 

Crowdsource your culture

“This is not a top-down piece,” says Caroline. “Ask employees for feedback and when they talk, listen and understand.”

During her time at Paddy Power, Caroline saw this approach first-hand. “Paddy Power is a cutting edge organisation. It’s a growing tech business and very oriented around deadlines and business needs. As that started to mature, the culture became incredibly important.”

Paddy Power took feedback from staff at all levels. “We wanted to retain people, recognise and reward their work and make them proud to work there. We wanted to manage in a way that’s respectful and reflects the tongue-and-cheek part of the brand.”

During her time there Caroline noted that, “when employees gave feedback, it was taken up and understood.” This crowdsourced approach to culture lead to long tenure from staff.

Let Leadership In

Caroline also recommends asking leaders of functions to get actively involved in talking to their teams. “Make skip-level one-on-ones a regular occurrence. Help people have ongoing conversations about what’s working and what could be better.”

Cross-collaborate

“Break down silos by collaborating across the organisation,” Caroline advises. “Set up working groups with people from a mix of levels, backgrounds and departments. Ask them to figure out ways of working around process, rewards and so on.”

Reject perfect

Culture is a process and it’s never going to be perfect. “But businesses need to show up to it again and again and keep working at it,” reminds Caroline. “We all recite that ‘perfection is the enemy of done’ and the organic element of culture is important too. Allow time for a culture to embed itself.”