Identifying Your Organization's Culture

Culture is the foundation of any organization  The term "culture" is widely used as a way to describe an organization's internal environment.  I think of culture as the unwritten rules that determine how people act in an organization.  It is the self-sustaining actions, behaviors, and beliefs that determine how things are done.  If you have two organizations with the same product and market, that are of the same size and have the same resources, the difference between them is usually their culture.

As managers and organizational leaders, we must seek "alignment" between our organization's culture and its core values. We must also ensure that the behaviors, actions, and beliefs that comprise our culture also support the goals we have established for the organization.

The answers to the questions listed below can help you identify your organization's culture.  It is important to review your answers collectively and not in isolation.  There is no right or wrong answer to the questions.  What is important is that your answers are honest and true.

1. What typically happens when someone makes a mistake?  Are employees afraid to make mistakes?
2. What happens when a new employee is hired?  Is there a formal orientation?  What are new employees told in the orientation?
3. How are new employees trained?
4. Who makes the decisions in the organization?  Is it individuals or teams?  What type of input and/or feedback is requested?
5. Does the organization celebrate employee birthdays?  If so, how?
6. How do employees find out about the organization's goals and strategies?
7. How does Management communicate with employees? Is Management approachable?  Do they listen to employee ideas and suggestions?  Would you describe managers' behavior as "authentic"?
8. What happens when someone leaves the organization?  Are they just sent packing or are their contributions recognized and appreciated?  Does the organization conduct an exit interview?
9. How would you describe the way employees dress? Formal or informal?
10. What are employees attitudes toward customers?
11. What is your organization like when it comes to spending money? Are they cheap? Do they purchase the best quality? What type of things do they invest in? 
12. How does the organization go about implementing changes?  Do they spend a lot time planning, but then come up short with the implementation?  Do they announce new initiatives that ultimately end up fading away; or are new initiatives implemented, evaluated, and integrated into the organization? 
13. Do organizational departments have a "silo" mentality or do they have a systems-wide or enterprise-wide orientation?
14. What people in the organization have the most influence? What are the characteristics of these people?
15. Does the organization try to anticipate changes and the impact on the organization?  If so, do they plan accordingly and act proactively, or does the organization just react?
16. Are employees promoted from within the organization or hired from the outside?
17. In what ways are employees trained?  Webinars, in-person, mentoring, books or manuals, conferences, trade organizations?  How often?
18. How does the organization talk about employees after they leave?  Are they openly criticized or respected?
19. Do employees keep the work areas neat or organized or don't they care?
20. Is schedule flexibility given to employees for family events?
21. Are all employees treated the same? Are certain employees "untouchable" and are allowed to get away with things that other employees can't?
22. Do meetings start on-time and as scheduled?  Are they formal or laid back?
23. Do employees feel free to discuss their life out of work or is it a business-only environment?
24. Do managers spend most of their time in their offices or do they spend most of their time interacting with employees where the "work" gets done?
25. Is the workplace formal and bureaucratic or casual and laid back?
26. Is serving the customer a core value and the primary purpose of the organization or is it viewed as something the organization must do to make money?
27. Do employees show up at work early, late, or just on time?  How about managers?
28. Do employees leave at the end of their shift or do they stay late?  What about managers?
29. Are certain departments viewed as more important that others?  Or is each department viewed as a critical component of the value stream?
30. Does the organization actively support charity?  Do employees support and participate in the organization's philanthropic efforts?
31. Do managers greet and actively engage with employees or basically ignore them?
32. Do managers actively seek feedback or input from employees?  If so, is it acted upon?
33. Do employees feel comfortable communicating to Management or others when processes aren't being followed properly (e.g. nurse asking a surgeon to wash his/her hands if they didn't)
34. Do employees trust their leaders?  Do they trust each other?
35. How many levels up the organization are required for  hiring decisions?  Do co-workers participate in the interview process? 
36. Does the organization constantly recruit for potential employees or do they only look for an employee when a position is available?  What type of biases are introduced into the hiring decision?
37. Are the organization's facilities and vehicles organized and clean?
38. How does the organization communicate with employees, customers, and other stakeholders?
39. Do managers and other leaders share information on progress toward goals?  How do they celebrate accomplishments?
40. Do employees act differently when senior managers are around?  If so, how?

What other questions do you think we should be asking to identify an organization's culture?  Please share them with me.