Culture - The invisible glue that blocks change

Why culture is good and bad at the same time.

Stone Age graffiti

Think of an organization not as a collection of desks and computers, but as something living, a breathing organism. Culture is the shared values, beliefs and norms that shape the way we interact with each other, how we make decisions and how we achieve our goals.

Sounds pretty strong, doesn't it? And it is. Culture is the invisible duct tape that holds us together. It is the invisible network of rules and norms that structures our day-to-day work. It is the invisible foundation on which our organization stands.

But what happens if we want to change this foundation? What happens if we want to redesign the way we work? What happens when we try to change our culture?

Here's the problem: culture is tough. It is resilient. It is rigid. And for good reason. Culture is there to create stability. It is there to give us a common identity, to give us a sense of belonging. It is there to unite us.

But this very strength can also become a weakness. Because when we try to change our culture, we often encounter resistance. We encounter fear. We encounter uncertainty. We encounter the desire to hold on to the familiar.

This does not mean that change is impossible. It just means that we have to face the challenge. It means that we have to come to terms with our culture. It means that we need to understand what makes our culture what it is, why it is the way it is, and how we can change it.

And that is no easy task. It requires courage. It requires patience. It requires empathy. But above all, it requires understanding. Understanding of the power of culture. Understanding of the role it plays in our organization. And an understanding of how we can use it to enable change rather than block it.

Because at the end of the day, culture is not our enemy. It is our ally. It is the tool with which we can shape and mold our organization. It is the medium through which we can bring about change. And it is the key with which we can unlock the future of our organization.