My favourite definition of culture is “It’s how we get things done around here.”
This has clear parallels with office politics – but is not directly related.
Office or workplace politics are behaviours and actions specifically related to competition for status or power.
Culture considers the politics of the social group and, of course, that social group may have competition for status.
But it’s not culture’s core purpose.
Culture is about aligning people to a purpose, together.
When the navigation becomes about power and status, the culture becomes about protectionism, hidden networks and cliques.
It’s purpose becomes opaque and Machiavellian.
Information is hoarded or weaponised.
It excludes those who are not in the clique and who cannot assist in the power dynamics, creating a clear ‘them and us’ through the organisation.
Knowing how to get things done around here is important.
But when the motive is individualistic and in the quest for influence, it excludes.
And an exclusionary culture has no innovation, no challenge and no place in today’s world.
