How to Refresh Post-Covid Organizational Culture

WHAT IS ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE?

The COVID-19 pandemic has unquestionably had an impact on organizational culture and changed assumptions about how people interact and get things done at work. To fully understand the impact on organizational culture, we must first define what we mean by organizational culture and identify its component elements.

Organizational culture can be a difficult term to define. Its importance changes based on the company and the elements it encompasses can have different criticalities. But how do we shape such a broad concept to better adapt to post-COVID realities, and refresh it in a way that will bring about future success for the organization? Before we can discover how to modify and refresh organizational culture, we need to clearly understand what it is.

Organizational culture is a concept that has no clear or widely accepted definition. A variety of experts have provided different models of organizational culture in the literature. Ravasi and Schultz (2006) wrote that organizational culture is a set of shared assumptions that guide what happens in organizations by defining appropriate behavior for various situations. It is also the pattern of such collective behaviors and assumptions that are taught to new organizational members as a way of perceiving and, even, thinking and feeling. Thus, organizational culture affects the way people and groups interact with each other, with clients, and with stakeholders.

Other researchers have focused on identifying different types of organizational culture and their defining characteristics. While different models exist, they all agree that organizational culture is a multi-dimensional construct comprised of a variety of elements.

THE SIX CORE ELEMENTS OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

For our purposes, we would like to propose a simple model of organizational culture that consists of six core elements.

  1. History/Folklore – The early years of a company have an enduring effect on culture. The early leaders of a company leave a legacy through stories and legends that are passed on through the years. The tone and message of these stories helps underscore what is valued in the organization.
  2. Communications/Symbols – Communications are both formal (e.g., employee newsletter) and informal (what is discussed in the break room). Symbols are communication short cuts that are usually visual (e.g., placing ample visitor parking next to the main entrance is a visual symbol of the importance of customers and partners)
  3. Metrics/Rewards/Recognition – What is measured is what matters in an organization. Likewise, what individuals are recognized and reward for is also a clear indication of what is important in the organization.
  4. Behavioral Rules/Norms – Behavioral rules evolve over time. These rules define how individuals are expected to interact with each other and how work should be approached in the organization.
  5. Valued Skills – What skills are most evident in senior leaders and managers? What skills are most important for promotions? These are the skills that are most valued.
  6. Valued Traits – Similarly, what traits are most evident in senior leaders and managers? What traits are most important for promotions? These are the traits that are most valued.

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE ELEMENTS – AN EXAMPLE

Suppose, pre-COVID, you worked in a culture that was described as agile, innovative, and dynamic.  What would the components of culture likely include?

Valued traits would have likely included constructs like openness, energy, initiative, and risk-taking. Valued skills would have likely included competencies like adaptability, creativity, and strategic thinking.

History and folklore likely showcased a long string of successes based on seeing opportunities before competitors and executing with amazing speed.

The rules of behavior would likely include behavioral norms like “allowing and encouraging individuals to pursue intrapreneurial activities” and “not punishing failures but considering them as learning opportunities”.

Annual awards would have existed for individuals with the greatest innovations or game changing achievements. Internal communications likely highlighted speed in execution and innovation and past awards and photos of key players might have been displayed as symbols of success in the hallways and walls.

IMPORTANCE OF TALENT MANAGEMENT IN SHAPING CULTURE

How would we reboot the culture post-COVID?  One of the ways to help reboot a culture and improve it is through refocused talent management practices. Talent management practices include recruitment/selection, performance management, development, promotion, and succession. Aligning and modifying Talent Management practices is a way to breathe new life and further develop the culture of an organization.

It all starts with competency models which form the integrative glue for talent management. Existing competency models should be reviewed and refined to define desired behaviors, traits, and skills consistent with the new desired target culture.  These revised models are then integrated into all aspects of talent management to ensure individuals possess skills, values, traits, and behaviors that are aligned with the desired culture and consistent with the new realities.

Let’s take one example of post-COVID cultural challenges. One of the biggest revelations for employers and employees alike, post-COVID, is they have found that much work not only can be accomplished remotely, it is also preferred by many employees. Talent management approaches must take this into account and adjust to overcome any loss in connectedness, social needs, or recognition.

We would likely want to add additional competencies to our employee competency models based on these realities. If we look at competency models for remote workers, we would likely add “Self-directed Learner Competence”. This competency is required to optimize self-directed learning for remote workers.  Self-directed learner competence is defined as “the ability to pursue self-directed learning with success and efficiency: to proficiently direct one’s own learning means and objectives in order to meet definable personal goals” (Morris, 2019b, p. 302). SDL competence may afford a person a number of advantages, including “enabling a proactive process of remaining up-to-date with knowledge and skills throughout one’s life” (Dunlap and Grabinger, 2003; Morrison and Premkumar, 2014).   This is a critical competency for the future which should be included in both talent selection and development processes.

LEVERAGING CULTURE COMPONENTS

In addition to shifts in talent management practices, we should take actions in each of the culture component areas to refresh the elements of the old culture we want to keep in a largely remote workforce. Here are some examples of possible actions:

  1. History/Folklore – Individual and organizational successes post-COVID could be celebrated as yet another example of how the organization has taken actions before competitors and moved fast to adjust and take advantage of post-COVID market opportunities.
  2. Communications/Symbols – We could introduce cultural elements into everyday remote communications by leveraging remote video conferencing technologies. Cultural symbols could be inserted in the interface and special forums/groups could be introduced for generating internal dialogue to respond with agility and innovation to post-COVID challenges.
  3. Metrics/Rewards/Recognition – We could create new vehicles to recognize leaders/workers who have thrived in the new environment, particularly remote workers and showcase how they have done it.
  4. Behavioral Rules/Norms – We could further stress key behavioral norms like, “Involving others in decision-making”, “Providing frequent feedback and metrics on key activities and results”, and “Encouraging others to freely communicate ideas, challenge the status quo, and embrace change”.
  5. Valued Skills – Leaders and employees alike could place even higher value on skills like Teamwork, Communication, Ensuring Accountability, and Fostering Engagement.
  6. Valued Traits – The demonstration of traits like Adaptability, Cooperation, and Innovation could be recognized and valued to a greater extent at every opportunity.

SUMMARY

Organizational culture has been clearly impacted by the COVID pandemic. A proposed model of organizational gas been presented as a framework for guiding actions to restore cultural components. Talent management practices have been highlighted as a key component of the cultural adaptation and rejuvenation strategy.

REFERENCES

Dunlap, Joanna C.; Grabinger, Scott (2003). Preparing Students for Lifelong Learning: A Review of Instructional Features and Teaching Methodologies. Performance Improvement Quarterly, v16 n2 p6-25.

Morris, T.H. (2019b). An analysis of Rolf Arnold’s systemic-constructivist perspective on self-directed learning. In Rohs, M., Schiefner-Rohs, I., Schüßler, I. and Müller, H.-J. (Eds), Educational Perspectives on Transformations and Change Processes, pp. 302. WBV Verlag: Germany.

Morrison, D., & Premkumar, K. (2014). Practical strategies to promote self-directed learning in the medical curriculum. International Journal of Self-Directed Learning, 11(1), 1–12.

Ravasi, D., & Schultz, M. (2006). Responding to organizational identity threats: Exploring the role of organizational culture. Academy of Management Journal, 49(3), 433–458.

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