Alignment and Culture

There are rarely purely good or bad organizational cultures (beyond illegal activity, abuse, etc.). Of course, there is research on what creates high performance, but mostly there are good cultures for certain people and bad cultures for certain people. Great culture is mostly about alignment of values.

For those in a position to set culture, ask yourself, “What are the values that are most important for us to thrive?” For those seeking an organization to be a part of, ask specific questions about the values that best demonstrate the organization's culture. For both, be as specific as possible. Also, get clear on what the organization doesn’t value.

Remember, alignment of values is what drives culture. Want to change the culture? Get clear on what values to focus on and who will be able to carry them out.