Culture, diversity, and values within an organisation
Posted on Mar 19, 2022 | By: Priscilla Hackman-Asamoah | Tags: confidence, motivation, productivity, happiness, personal growth, mindset, culture, teamwork | Comments (2)
From my younger years I have been fascinated about the differences in cultures. I still am.
I have participated in and joined different cultural dance clubs during my primary and secondary school years. At the university, I had a couple of Cuban friends who taught me Salsa dancing and Cha cha. I have since then added to my ‘dance style collection’, copying moves from many traditional dances from different countries. Thanks to the diversity in my dance moves I can proudly say I am a much better dancer than I have ever been, proving myself impressive at parties. In organisations, it works the same way; different cultures bring diversity, and when aligned with individual and organisation values in a perfect balance the organisation always turns out fruitful and successful in its venture.
Culture and diversity within an organisation
Culture, in its crude definition has described the customs, preferences, ideas and social behaviours of particular people groups. There are notable benefits to having a culture system. The individuals within the culture feel a sense of belonging and have an identity. It’s been known to enhance self-esteem and preserve a community’s sense of place. The benefits of culture attract others to participate.
A positive culture within an organisation helps create a cohesion, a community, even though there may be diverse groups of people. This in turn boosts productivity, member happiness and engagement. Achieving a positive culture within an organisation is the work of everyone within the organisation. And it is important that the organisational values align with the personal values of the individuals within it. In situations where there is conflict between the individual’s personal values and that of the organisation where he or she belongs, two things are likely to happen:
- The individual might prioritise their personal values above that of the organisation and the impact might not be in favour of the organisation, or
- The individual might prioritise the organisation’s values above his/her personal values – this means the individual is not being authentic, thus, he/she is unhappy within the organisation.
The key point is that, when our personal values are congruent with the values of the organisations we work in, we are happy. This state of happiness is a natural motivator that propels us to do and be our best, and to go the extra mile. We also see increased creativity among the members and upward growth within the organisation.
A culture system is a powerful tool that organisations can use to their advantage. Whether you are a small, medium, large, local, national, or multi-national organisation, implementing a positive culture system within your organisation could go a long way to help you achieve your objectives in the most effective and efficient way possible.
The importance of values in an organisation
As part of my work with organisations, I support them to carry out a short activity called ‘Organisation Values’, and I show how they mean something different to every organisation, and furthermore how it means something different to every member, customer and stakeholder involved with an organisation. For example, what does the term ‘excellence’ mean to your organisation, and what does it mean to your customer, stakeholder, and member of your organisation? What does a productive company look like for everyone involved in your organisation, and how do they directly benefit from that? What are the organisation’s priorities?
Every company has a vision and mission, and a plan to move forward, however for a company to work effectively and in an efficient and productive manner, benefitting everyone involved with the organisation there must be organisation values set in place which point out the organisation’s priorities. This in turn acts as a meeting point for diversity in an organisation and will prove vital in aspects like decision making and ideas sharing to help an organisation move forward.
In the end, an organisation’s success in terms of its mission and vision is determined by its wealth of ideas which help it achieve its aim. Diversity and cultural differences and experiences from members are a great way to push an organisation forward, benefitting every member thanks to creativity and new perspectives. However, an organisation requires a steady foundation of values which lead a group in the right direction to ensure maximum productivity and excellence is achieved in the desired areas.
To find out how we could support your organisation, get in touch today.
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Comments (2)
Etonam Kwame Asamoah:
Mar 19, 2022 at 02:51 PM
Insightful!
Antony:
Mar 24, 2022 at 05:08 AM
Powerful enjoyed the read and this topic is relevant for organisation and people to be impactful
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