You know your culture. It’s a key element of your organization, and in many ways it sets you apart from your competition. But, if you’re like many leaders and HR professionals, you may have noticed that there are certain elements of your culture that do not fit the growth plans for your business. Similarly, you may have also noticed that you’ve lost out on talent because your culture was not a good “fit.”
The idea of “Culture Addition” has arisen from these problems. In order to build and nourish a growing organization, occasionally small adjustments need to be made to the organization’s culture. These small adjustments, or additions, are not done to change the fabric of the organization. Rather, they are implemented as a way to protect the identity of the organization through key transitions in its lifecycle.
Our Cultural Fitness evaluation is a key benefit for our partners. We aid them in a process of cultural evaluation and help them identify gaps and blind spots in the adoption of their culture at the departmental level. If pockets of poor Cultural Fitness exist in their organization, it provides an opportunity for additional data gathering, adjustment, and in some cases, Culture Addition.
For instance, it is easy to see how a technology organization that was founded on innovation and a vigorous, competitive spirit would need to become more structured and procedural as their customer base grew and the demand for the products and services increased. They would not want to squelch innovation or dampen the competitive spirit of their organization to become more procedural, but the recognized need for more structure and stability demands and adjustment in personnel strategy – and as a result demands that attention be paid to culture. In addition to making recognized tweaks to values statements, competency models, and reward structures (key cultural keystones), they must also make an adjustment to the way they attract and select talent. They must find people who crave innovation and competition and have an exacting mindset. In other words, they need to pay mind to Culture Addition.
MatchFIT data shows that 16 to 25 year old job seekers value Innovation, Stability, and Energy in an Organizational Culture. Conversely, a Collaborative/Supportive work environment is less of a priority as they look for their next organization. As an organizational leader, if you know you have to attract young talent to support and grow your business in its lifecycle, then you would be well-served to ask if your organization is attractive to the young job seeker. Are you championing Profit-Sharing programs as your distinguishing feature? Young job seekers are more interested in stable income than earning potential. Are you recruiting based on the opportunity to build lasting relationships in a team-oriented environment? Young job seekers are more interested in generating ideas than working in collaborative groups.
All organizations go through cycles of self-evaluation, adjustment, and re-evaluation. If you know your organization is in need of a change, consider the benefits of Culture Addition. Let MatchFIT aid you through the process of evaluating your Cultural Fitness.