CULTURE BUILDING

When it comes to culture, it’s about actively building the culture you most desire.

Culture is values in action, “how work gets done around here,” for better or for worse. Our process taps into individual agency to build the culture we desire by naming, measuring, and managing the values that shape what we do and how we do it, from behaviors to practices to systems and structures. Be it a merger acquisition, or an opportunity to invigorate and align, culture-building seeds and strengthens confidence and commitment to the way forward.

Few long to be the target of culture change or transformation; it immediately conjures up the idea that something is wrong or needs to be fixed, which is simply not helpful. However, people do want to be part of building, nurturing, and cultivating their organization based on their personal values, talents, and highest hopes for the future of the organization.

Fundamental to building a thriving culture are three action steps:

(1) Name it: Understand what is valued most about the current culture;

(2) Measure it: Identify and monitor core values that drive behavior and performance, and;

(3) Manage it: Co-create the desired culture – behaviors, practices, systems and structures

Spartina ensures the culture is strongly aligned with desired business outcomes and strategy.

Too often, culture initiatives are housed within HR and are labeled as “nice to have” vs. “essential to business success.” When done right, organizations not only attract and retain the best talent, but they are also industry leaders who deliver results that outpace their competitors.

Organizations require intentional design – the design of processes, structures, and roles, as well as the design of a thriving culture. If you can name and measure it, you can manage it.

A key assessment tool we use to help you measure and manage your culture is the Culture Values Assessment (CVA), developed by the Barrett Values Centre (BVC). The CVA is a simple three-question survey to gauge:

  • Individual values, current and desired cultural values
  • Cultural alignment (or lack thereof), e.g. degree of staff connection/confidence in the company’s direction
  • Entropy, or wasted energy/productivity, as measured by the potentially limited values chosen, revealing the most desired values (antidotes, self-prescribed solutions to any trace of entropy).

Culture Building Articles

Spartina can help you create:

  • A Culture Strategy;
  • Engagement processes for the organization to build and foster YOUR positive culture;
  • Values assessment, baseline measurement, and identification of shared values;
  • Organization structures, systems, processes, roles, and incentives aligned with the desired culture;
  • Training and development to support your positive culture; and
  • Governance and leadership alignment to support a thriving culture.