Hi Stephen, thanks for the post and opportunity to share some thoughts on company culture.
First, if I may, the expression you note as
"effective communication in the workplace" needs a critical edit.
The better and more complete expression is "Effective and Efficient"communication.
These two words are the foundation of "Productivity."One means doing the right thing, and the other, doing it right.
e.g., one could do the right thing, but unfortunately, do it wrong.
And then, there is the statement
"It can be negative and positive."
Such descriptors are most usually used by a person who is either strongly 'for' or 'against' an issue.
Perhaps more neutral descriptors might be 'conformance' and 'nonconformance' with reference to a stated behavior.
Now, as to your question
"How would you define company culture?," I favor the common, quite visible definition:
"Its the way we do thing around here."
Now, this tosses aside the memos from 'Executive Row,' the posters on the walls asserting
"Our People Are Our Most Important Assets,"and the like.
Our people, in order to explain or define their company culture simply read and listen to the executives proclamations about it,
and then observe the behaviors of the same group of senior and executive managers when confronted with
"People/Process Issues."And as even very young children learn, behaviors trump memos, posters, and speeches every time!
As Dr. W. Edwards Deming taught,
"It's the system, not the people."
And only executives have the power to change the system without first asking permission.
But of course, I may be wrong.
Cheers,
Bill
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William M. Hayden Jr., Ph.D., P.E., CMQ/OE, F.ASCE
Buffalo, N.Y.
"It is never too late to be what you might have been." -- George Eliot 1819 - 1880
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-28-2020 14:52
From: Stephen Odom
Subject: Emphasis on Culture
There was a great discussion post earlier this week on effective communication in the workplace. Another buzz word used frequently is culture. Building positive company culture is an effective tool for supporting your fellow coworkers. Company culture has different faces. I can be negative and positive. It can impact employee retention and morale.
How do you contribute to your company's culture? In what way's does your company support it in a positive way? If these questions are too specific, how would you define company culture?
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Stephen Odom S.M.ASCE
North Carolina State University
Durham, NC
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