You Might Have a Culture Imbalance…

Cultures should be seen in what I call “4D”—that is, through the lens of the Four Dimensions of Culture. Those include: Complacent, Compliance, Committed, and Courageous.

Three of these Dimensions are positive (Compliance, Committed, and Courageous), while one (Complacent) is negative. And, like anything in business, it is all about balance. 

A healthy mix involves being aware of the over-under effect for each dimension. Over focus on any one of the positive dimensions to the neglect of the others, and an organization will run into trouble. 

Under-emphasize any of them, and the pendulum will swing back and cause just as much damage. And every organization must always remain vigilant to avoid slipping into that ever-present negative dimension of complacency.

How can you tell if you have a Culture Imbalance? Keep your organization in mind while you read through these examples.

So, in the style of Jeff Foxworthy’s “You Might Be a Redneck” jokes…

• If you have recently experienced tremendous success and are just “riding that wave”…
• If it has been a while since you had to navigate a major crisis…
• If confrontation, disagreement, or pushback are discouraged…
• If management offers positive messaging that’s out of line with reality…
• If there is an absence of new initiatives…
• If nobody is paying attention to what the competition is doing…

… you might have a Complacent Culture Imbalance.

Or…

• If you have replaced innovation with duplication of “what works”…
• If you emphasize consistency over creativity…
• If leaders control all decisions and interactions…
• If you assume people will mess up without having rules to follow…
• If you believe success can be systematized through procedures…
• If you expect people to change simply because you’ve made rules…

…you might have a Compliance Culture Imbalance.

Then again…

• If leadership is pushing people without caring for them…
• If everyone emphasizes activity without questioning whether the activity is bringing about the right results… 
• If goals are the center of everything…
• If leadership is constantly demanding more while keeping a tight control over every activity… 
• If employees are expected to keep up a sprint pace indefinitely…

…you might have a Committed Culture Imbalance.

You may be wondering, “What do I do if my organization does have a Culture Imbalance?”

Well, the good news is that recognizing where the imbalance exists can point you in the direction of building a healthy culture. 

When you intentionally design a healthy culture, a lot of good things happen. When you give culture the attention it requires, you can minimize the overwhelm and end up feeling more empowered to position your organization to win.

I encourage you to read my articles highlighting each of the Four Dimensions. From there, you can begin the balancing act of creating a healthy culture.