The Story of Your Workplace Culture
Setting, Storyline, Cast, and Conflicts
Most businesses start with an idea, a passion for something. That passion gets communicated to others and then takes hold and grows. As a business grows so does the culture, or the story of why the business exists and what it provides to others. We say that culture is how things ARE around here. This includes all the ways that people interact and treat one another, how leadership responds to both external and internal demands including threats and opportunities. It’s also where we decide to be: downtown, in the suburbs, by the ocean, in the old part of town or in a trendy new high rise. Culture reveals itself in how we socialize and celebrate including WHAT we choose to celebrate. What some would call intangibles, or soft parts of business, are very much an integral part of the workplace cultural story.
WRITING YOUR STORY
An interesting and memorable way to tell others WHO you are, why you exist, and what you do, is to tell a story. We remember stories. They are a primitive form of communication and if told well, we can recall them, and retell them ourselves. A business plan or set of principles can be almost impossible to recall or repeat. But a story? That you can share.
Think of your workplace culture as a great story that has a plot, a setting, a cast of characters, and conflicts. If you approach your culture thinking of it as a great movie or play, then you will be taking a “directors” role in capturing what is happening, when, where, how, and to whom. Thinking of your culture as a story also lets you be more non-judgmental about aspects of it. Our favorite stories and movies have a LOT of drama. Without drama, there is nothing very exciting to tell. Look at your own cultural story as the drama is the really exciting stuff. And talk about it.
HERE’S THE SCRIPT
Setting: tell your work culture story in terms of your setting. Where are your offices? How many do you have? Where do most of your people work from? How many work from home, or have a hybrid workplace (split between home and office)? Geographic location tells a story: are you in a busy area, or remote somewhere and why? What are your furnishings, décor, and color schemes? Do you have an open concept office, or lots of small rooms with doors that can close? Describe your setting in a lot of detail, like a screenwriter would to show its audience exactly where this place is, and why the movie is set in this location with these kinds of props.
The Storyline or Plot: What are you up to? Why do you exist? What is the story that you tell others about who you are and what you do? When you are meeting someone for the first time, how do you describe your work? All of this forms the foundation for your cultural plot. Talk about where your business is going- where you are expanding (markets, client base, geography, products, etc.).
Cast of Characters: This can be a really fun exercise. Who are your leading characters and why? This is not necessarily your appointed leaders. A leading cast member could be someone in the mailroom. How are you telling your cultural story? From whose perspective? Talk about the different groups you have at your business or firm. Every culture has cliques- describe yours. How do the various groups work together? And how do you they clash? Where they clash leads you to the next story element…
Conflict: Every great story has a conflict, or more than one. What are you coming up against right now? Think of it in terms of both inner and outer conflicts. What challenges do your characters face? Is there something wrong with your plot, or your setting? Has something from the outside caused a disruption or disturbance? Write about it. Tell the story of what is happening and how your characters are dealing with the conflict.
Engaging in your culture by thinking of it as a story is an excellent way to look at your culture in a non-judgmental way. It also helps you to mindfully think about it, and tell a story of how it is today. As the author of the story, you can also paint a picture of where you are headed, or want to head. Remember, the more details you include, the more memorable your story will be. As the writer, you are also telling it from your perspective. I recommend you include others in the story writing to give other points of view. It’s also a lot more fun to write a story with others.
