Xenonex and Organisational Culture

Suzanna Prout - 27th May 2016

The Xenonex team often work with leaders to support them as they develop and embed a coaching culture within an organisation.

These few points, taken from an original article “Your Company Culture Can’t Be Disconnected from Your Customers,” by Dave Ulrich and Wayne Brockbank, and the impact of a coaching culture can have on that of the organisation are worth a quick read.

Organisational culture shapes both employee productivity and business results, but often it is ambiguous and hard to define. To help, think of culture as three layers with increasing levels of importance:

1. Culture is seen through symbols, rituals, stories, and organisational events — the first things we experience when we join an organisation.

2. Culture is reflected in how people in the organisation think, behave, and feel — in other words, it appears in individual values, team norms, and unwritten rules.

3. Culture is the company’s identity as perceived by its best customers, representing an outside-in view. For example, Apple wants to be known for its design and simplicity; Marriott, for exceptional service; Google, for innovation.

By shifting the focus on culture from symbols (#1) and values (#2) to customer expectations and company identity (#3), leaders can better create and define a culture that wins in the marketplace.