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He reasoned that if culture is an iceberg,
there are some aspects which are visible
and can be seen on the surface. However,
the larger portion is hidden—beneath
the surface.
THE NEXT STEP
Unfortunately, companies most often
only focus on the tip of the iceberg, the
conscious part of culture, or what they can
physically see—like branding, office layout
and dress code, for example. They forget
to pay attention to what is below or at the
surface, the unconscious parts of culture,
like purpose, values, beliefs and motivations.
Here at Atrion, for example, we believe the
unconscious parts of culture are the ideology of our company, the amazing people
we surround ourselves with both internally
and externally, and the “wow” experiences
we hope to leave in our legacy.
“The challenge with culture is that it’s invisible; it’s an invisible asset to your company,”
Hebert says. “You can’t touch it or see it. All
you can do is experience it. Because culture
is an invisible asset, it can be ignored. After
all, it does not appear on your corporate
balance sheet, and on a day-to-day basis,
no one is measuring the impact of culture
or a lack of culture on your business.”
Many companies have invested in developing ideologies but they are still riddled by
weak cultures. Why is that? Well, usually it
results from a lack of communication about
the message, vision, purpose and values
of that ideology and how those pillars play
a critical role in developing culture. Keep
in mind that it has been estimated that an
employee needs to hear a message at least
seven times before he or she believes it.
We understand that finding your culture
is hard work and that figuring out where
to start can be complex.
So what can you do today to get started
driving culture within your organization?
For starters, you can become the individual
who will spearhead cultural changes in your
company. Often we think that for culture to
change it has to come from the top down
but it can very well come from any level.
“Be the AMAZING person who influences
your organization,” encourages Hebert.
“Stand up for something; expand your
comfort zone; become more engaging; and
start paying it forward. It can start with you.”
“You don’t have to wait for everybody
else to change,” he adds. “You can do
something today.”