Culture is group behavior.
When people join families, friend groups, book clubs, communities, and companies, a set of norms are established.
These set the foundation of the culture.
At the core, culture is the result of people and how they behave.
When it comes to our workplace, cultures become layered from the company to a team, and even to a specific project.
The sub-organizations can have even stronger cultures than the overall organization.
Sometimes the culture can be “toxic” or “not a right fit” for us.
Because we are part of the culture, we have three options in these moments:
Accept it and move on.
Start to make change.
Or leave.
My Perspective
I believe too many of us accept workplace culture at face value – good or bad.
We see it as something above us, not something we are part of every day we show up at work.
Changing an organization takes time and sometimes a very long time.
However, the change begins with one person…. then a team…then a department…and so on.
Change doesn’t have to come from the top and it doesn’t have to be across all teams.
We can decide the type of team we want to work on.
Partner with the other people on the team.
Work together to create the sub-culture that all members of the team will enjoy.
Your Turn
Have you ever felt stuck in a bad culture?
What were the problems or issues that made the situation bad?
What actions could you have taken to shift the culture within your own team?