Observing Organizational Culture: The Advantage Goes to the Middle Leader
“Culture is simply a shared way of doing something with passion. ”
Though we rarely take time to stop and think about it, culture informs everything we do. As Brian Chesky suggests, culture is a shared way of doing things, but it is more than that. Culture is made up of shared beliefs, values and attitudes that affect how we act. As an example, in some cultures in the world it is impolite to wear shoes in the house. This became a part of a cultural expression long before science came along and told us that shoe’s carry bacteria.
The effects of culture on our actions usually go unnoticed that is until we enter another culture. Entering another culture is one of the best ways to learn about another culture. If we pay attention, the learning begins immediately. Returning to the example of the shoes, we can learn by the reaction of our hosts that wearing shoes in the house is acceptable or not acceptable. If we’re not paying close attention, we can miss the cues that inform us that our actions are not culturally acceptable. That’s why observation is such an important tool when trying to learn a culture.
In their book Organizational Behavior, Jeff Harris and Sandra Hartman suggest that, like the cultures of the world, organizations have their own set of values, norms, and attitudes. Organizational culture determines the flow of information, the patterns of behavior and the overall functioning of the organization. Culture is the great unspoken known in every organization.
Because of their central position in the organization, middle leaders can observe the culture better than most in the organization. Remember: a middle leader is both follower and leader and has a responsibility upward and downward in the organization. The middle leader engages with many people! Because they have a unique opportunity to observe, middle leaders are often experts in the organization’s culture, which make middle leaders the natural cultural guides for others.
Let me give you an example. Nurses are classic middle leaders. They have all the hallmarks of a middle leader and are of high value to the organization. Because they are middle leaders, they have become masters of knowing and navigating the organizational culture in which they serve.
Enter the new physician who is well-trained, well-educated, highly skilled and of high value to the organization. It is often the nurses who help the new physicians understand the culture of the organization while working alongside them. In this context, nurses serve as both colleagues, and as cultural guides to the values, norms, and attitudes of the organization. A physician friend once told me that if it weren’t for the nurses, the whole medical system would stop working! Why? Because nurses are highly skilled and educated. Also, nurses serve in a place where they can know the organizational culture better than most, and then pass this knowledge on to others. This vantage point is a rare gift, giving the middle leader the cultural advantage.
If you’re new to middle leadership, or if you’ve been at it for a long time, here are 3 thoughts that will help you keep your cultural advantage.
Every organization has its own unique culture. That culture changes with time and leadership.
When it comes to culture, there’s always something new to learn—even if it’s how NOT to do something.
Their central position in the organizational structure enables middle leaders to know the organizational culture better than most. Consequently, middle leaders make great mediators and transmitters of culture.
So, when it comes to organizational culture the advantage goes to the middle leader.