Author: Byron Darden

Types of Culture

Types of Culture

Posted on by Byron Darden

There are many types of culture.  A company can fall into one area or can be a hybrid. 

  1. Clan culture is where the company is like a family, and management acts as mentors, encouraging participation and caring.  The focus is teamwork and communication.  A simple example is a family-owned business that is expanding.  Management is the owner of the company, and they guide the direction of employees feel cared about and heard.  If the company is sold, that sense of belonging can feel like a betrayal.
  2. Task cultures involve teams working toward collective objectives. In these companies, management drives the overall goals, while marketing, IT, and customer service teams align their work to meet these goals.
  3. Person culture is where the individual employee is seen as more important than the organization.  Certain companies, such as Patagonia, stress the importance of flexible schedules, volunteer activities, and sabbaticals.  Rosenbluth Travel operated this way and wrote a book articulating how it works titled,  The Customer Comes Second by Hal F. Rosenbluth & Diane McFerrin Peters. It became a How To for many companies looking to shift their culture. Other companies demand that employees take their PTO regularly or close the company on the weekends.  
  4. Adhocracy companies are risk-takers, innovators and encourage thinking outside the box.  Leaders create an entrepreneurial spirit and inspire workers to bring their ideas to the table.  During my figure skating coaching career, I took part in a collaborative team of coaches, skaters, and judges who created and promoted “Moves in the Field,” which replaced the traditional compulsory school figures for the United States Figure Skating Association.  This effort allowed the sport to proceed into the future effectively without its historical foundation.
  5. Adaptive cultures create a collaborative environment that allows the company to change over time.  Companies that have been around for decades might fall into this category.  They either produce new goods and services that change with technology or find innovative ways to market their tried-and-true products.
  6. Market-focused companies are in tune with the bottom line.  Employees are expected to produce results in terms of sales, profits, or market penetration. An excellent example of this is a financial trading company.  The company wants to make money for their shareholders, and the employees are expected to do whatever it takes to achieve this.  When they do, they are rewarded handsomely.
  7. Hierarchical cultures are focused on policies and procedures.  There is a chain of command and a specific way of doing things that are mandated to be followed. This can also be called a power culture or role culture.  The best example of this is the military.  There is an expectation that the people within the organization will adhere to precise procedures.

Culture can be a delicate balance.  Both existing and new employees want to fit into the mix.  Management profits from choosing their actions carefully to avoid alienation or playing favorites. 

Culture Defined

Culture Defined

Posted on by Byron Darden

“Your organization’s culture: It’s either an asset or a liability. At this very moment, your culture is helping business performance. Or hurting it.”

― Tanya Mann, Five Frequencies: Leadership Signals that turn Culture into Competitive Advantage

From day one, an organization (or even a team) will start to build elements of culture.  How people think, feel, or believe about their team, position, product, or service, or how the company takes shape.  Some of it is a reaction to their surroundings; management’s guidance drives it more.  Organizational culture is how its character, climate, ideology, and image are cultivated, maintained, and strengthened over time. 

A company can guide culture with incentives such as money, status, recognition, and advancements.  They can also influence it with sanctions.  The background of each individual can also determine culture.  Perspectives can drive how culture evolves.  Culture is not static; it ebbs and flows.  Management can define how they want the company to be perceived and strive to that end, and ultimately culture is a reaction to that guidance.  Culture is not based on one person. Human intellectual achievement is a collaboration of many.  It informs the core of each action, and only then can it endure.

Organizational Culture

Organizational Culture

Posted on by Byron Darden

A shared culture can unite an organization, and one that is divided can cause misdirection and conflict.  Culture evolves over time and impacts how work gets done, how people relate, make choices, and influence others.  Culture affects more than just relationships; it influences how an organization handles problems, structures incentive programs, and nurtures public perception. When executed successfully, culture is second nature.  It reflects values and guides staff toward a common goal.  Yet, culture can be a tricky balance.

Founder’s Corner: DEI in a Hybrid Work Space

Founder’s Corner: DEI in a Hybrid Work Space

Posted on by Byron Darden

When you are a manager with a hybrid team, you may have some concerns about creating an environment where you and your employees can flourish.  I have the perfect answer.  My Executive Women – VIP Program is a 90-day program in which you will engage in discussions, activities, learning modules, expert insights, and real-world applications that will make you the DEI champion of your workplace, identify your unique contributions as a leader, and create an environment where you can flourish and so can those around you whom you develop.  Click here for more information https://www.byrondarden.com/services.

Coming in November

Diversity & Inclusion Mini Course November 8 – 12

Hybrid Working Profits as a Personal Choice

Hybrid Working Profits as a Personal Choice

Posted on by Byron Darden

Defining hybrid work solutions where some employees are in a centralized location, some are 100% working remotely, and others are a combination of the two, hybrid work models are used in more than 60% of high-growth companies.  Remote work is not for everyone.  Many younger workers are more likely to want to work in an office as they love the social aspect.  A survey by Stanford University found at least 55% of employees want to spend some time in the office and some time at home.  A hybrid work environment can be the solution for a diverse, inclusive work environment as long as it’s done with forethought.

Due to the many aspects of a hybrid workplace, here are thoughts from two executives:

“I can’t tell you the number of CEOs I talked to who are thinking, ‘I have to solve the diversity challenge in my business, and remote work is one of the key tools… We have to let go of this very office-centric culture and incorporate people who are in a lot of geographies.” –Hayden Brown, CEO of Upwork

“As we’ve moved to virtual work, we haven’t just coped, we’ve actually thrived. We are more focused on the things that have the greatest impact for our customers, associates, and the business. We are making quicker decisions and acting. Meetings are now more inclusive of people regardless of location, level or other differences. We have great momentum and need to figure out how to carry it forward.” – Suresh Kumar, CTO at Walmart

Inclusion in Coaching

Inclusion in Coaching

Posted on by Byron Darden

Inclusion is a powerful concept that, when experienced, is felt by the receiver and the giver. An example of this springs to mind from my 30 years of coaching female figure skaters. Parents often acknowledged their tendency to live vicariously through their children’s success as though it fulfills a shortcoming in their lives. This leads to making the skater feel less important. Left out. It occurred to me that it can be just as easy for coaches to do the same with their students. At that moment, I chose to self-examine whether or not I, too, had fallen prey to living through my students’ success to feed my own unmet desires in the sport.

So I changed my approach by clearly asking what my students’ goals were, providing guidance and insight about what they could expect. Then I crafted a step-by-step structure in service to my students’ transformation in the sport by achieving their goals. Once I changed my mindset, I coached from a place of supporting my students’ goals based on what They wanted. When they fell short of moving through the structure, it was no longer me falling short; it was now my role to bring this to their attention as examples of what was getting in the way of what They wanted. I no longer questioned whether or not I set expectations for my students to meet. My focus was on helping them develop accountability for their expectations of themselves. Their success. Choosing to be a winner belonged to them, empowering both themselves as athletes and me as coach.

Inclusive Meetings

Inclusive Meetings

Posted on by Byron Darden

One of the many ways to demonstrate inclusion is in the way managers conduct meetings.  Some practices are specific to remote sessions, and some are excellent practices for any engagement.

  1. Have a clear plan to keep teams on track and focused.  Have meetings regularly to get status on projects as well as to build rapport.  Even when they are only for 10 minutes, it’s a touch base that replaces running into people in the break room for a quick chat.
  2. Especially in remote situations, it’s essential to have face-to-face interactions.  Just as it is in person, you can react to body language and tone of voice virtually. 
  3. Encourage your team members’ points of view. Specific demographics tend to stay quiet, and others are more vocal.  In meetings, the conversation profits from being as broad as the number of people in them.  Draw out those shyer folks as they may have a fresh idea.  Then, consider the array of ideas equally. 
  4. Team meetings and one-to-one conversations are equally important.  Spend time getting to know direct reports individually to understand their needs and viewpoints.  These meetings are most effective when they are open, timely, transparent, and frequent.  Build an environment of trust and positive intent. 
  5. Share information from upper levels and other departments.  You want honesty and transparency.  Be open about projects that are coming up and give team members equal opportunity to work on different ventures.
  6. Find a way to add fun to meetings and interactions.  Icebreakers and emojis done thoughtfully are inviting and can make the team more cohesive.  In between sessions, encourage impromptu conversations to break up the workday.  Some offices use Slack or Tandem for chat channels to recapture social bonding.

Consider giving your team members autonomy in the way they handle projects.  Trust that the project will be delivered on time and within budget and eliminate the need to micromanage. 

Challenges of Hybrid Work Spaces

Challenges of Hybrid Work Spaces

Posted on by Byron Darden

In addition, a hybrid workforce presents unique challenges:

  1. Dropped calls, down internet connectivity, and an IT department not physically present in the same building when your computer breaks.  Technology is fantastic and surprisingly erratic at times. “Can you hear me now?” Meetings sometimes fail to run smoothly.  Some connections are weak; we can be challenged to find a quiet place to be heard, screen shares can blip, and it’s easy for people to tune out.
  2. Swarms of people meet at Katie’s desk, for example, to enjoy cake and ice cream to celebrate birthdays back in the office.  A hybrid team gets to be more innovative!  Happy hours are scheduled over Zoom, open lines of communication are increased, and employees get to know one another on an individual basis – creating a sense of caring. 
  3. Some are challenged to embrace remote working situations.  Some enjoy the face-to-face comraderies with others.  Keep your eyes and ears open for employees experiencing isolation and encourage participation in meetings and on different projects.  Differentiate those employees who are introverted and love long hours of productivity. A leader will want to develop their intuitive talents to remain abreast of the needs of their teams.
Benefits of a Hybrid Work Space

Benefits of a Hybrid Work Space

Posted on by Byron Darden

Many companies realize the benefits of a hybrid workspace – both financially and via productivity.  Here are a few to consider:

  1. Employers can expand their talent pool to those outside their geographic area.  This brings to light more candidates with different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, which results in new ideas, higher levels of innovation, and greater creativity.
  2. Employees are empowered to determine the ideal way to achieve a goal.
  3. Without the distractions of others stopping by their office or cubicle, many employees enjoy the quiet time and are more productive.
  4. When an employer thrives in a hybrid environment, they can save on commercial building costs.  No longer will each person require a cubicle or office. Those spaces can now be repurposed for additional meeting rooms or work areas when the employee occasionally wants to come into the office.
  5. When there are social distancing guidelines, following them is easy.  If someone is more susceptible to illness, they are more likely to feel safer in their home environment.

Many employees realize that they want to remain in a work-from-home situation without the commute and office politics.  When this option is not afforded to them, they can find other companies that offer these benefits.

Hybrid Work-Space Roles

Hybrid Work-Space Roles

Posted on by Byron Darden

As a hybrid workspace became our new reality, management and employee roles were solidified.  Both positions required some guidelines to ensure that we were on the same page.  The new challenge came when some of us, as employees and managers, chose to return to office space while others remained at home.  We benefited in situations where there was continuity in treating employees in a way that resonates with them individually.  Whether an employee was in front of you in a conference room or on a Zoom call should make little difference in how they are treated. 

Diversity, equity, and inclusion in a hybrid workspace follow the same rules in a shared space.  Each employee has specific needs.  There are guidelines for disabilities, age groups, or cultural differences, but there is a minimal difference based on their location.  For example, when an employee requires a stand-up desk while in the office, they have shared what they need in their home office.  While fulfilling these needs might require more effort by the manager, doing so positively impacts the employees’ perception of being seen and heard.