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2.4 | How would you define and characterize your organizational culture? What are the gaps between what is and a more values-aligned, resilient, and compassionate culture?
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I work for an organization largely aligns with my values. I would say that where there is a gap is perhaps in open feedback and the resilience that’s needed for that. I would say we could also bring more calm and reflection to intense periods, where mindful awareness might enable better decision-maker and more clarity on priorities.
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There is a tension at our healthcare organization between being efficient and productive and taking the time to care for patients thoroughly. The productivity model incentivizes taking short cuts and causes stress that can greatly affect well being and job satisfaction in mission driven people.
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This is a tough question for me to answer. I run an executive coaching practice and corporate leadership consultancy with my spouse. We’ve both already completed programs and certifications in the same ballpark as the MLT and (I think/hope) index fairly high on the awareness and intentionality scales for being compassionate and values-aligned. That said, in part because of my participation here, we’ve begun to go a layer deeper on what our own individual unique gifts and skills are regarding how we each coach and show up in the world. It’s provided space to explore how we might more often combine efforts.
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My organizational culture has a lot of fear in it, and I believe that’s due to a lack of communication between key people in various leadership positions for multiple reasons, many of which I think are interpersonal relational differences and styles as well as assumptions.
Often in the organization when a concern is brought up by the most vulnerable of our group, those in marginalized positions who are from the very demographics we hope to uplift and empower, those with longer standing histories within the organization have resisted any change or suggestions for a shift in organizational culture as, as I understand it, feel it is an attack on them personally and their ways of thinking.
There’s a severe lack of open spaces for discussions or dialogues within the group and I fear this contributes to the assumptions and feelings of being personally attacked as the only time there is to respond, reflect or offer suggestions/critiques to ideas is when they are brought up publicly in front of the whole organization at the time they are being voted on to be adopted by the org. This leads to a high-pressure, vulnerable meeting that often leaves people bitter and rushing to claim others are “plotting against them.”
There are a few safe spaces within the organization, but these spaces have become accused of being “cliques”. I think this is due to perception differences around the welcoming nature of the org. People who join us come from marginalized backgrounds and find the organizations predominantly White, Male demographic to be overwhelming and difficult to enter into with alternative ways of thinking or being.
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The nature of the work I do requires a good deal of ego-gratification for clients and that, coupled with the organization’s desire to have the same gives me this feeling of always having to walk on eggshells because of the constant state of fragility. Some gaps that come to mind are: intentionally asking and uncovering people’s values rather than having to figure it out on your own. I think following that path would being the process of building resilience and a more compassionate culture.
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Organizational culture: we have a culture that is very goal-directed as we deliver healthcare services to pets for the people that have them. The staff’s culture is safe internally (emotionally and physically), but they are not immune to bullying from clients on social media, nor physical attacks from people, nor triggering from a a sub-contractor who has a loud and aggressive tone. To the extent that all of that can be prevented, I do prevent it (locks/security cameras), but I don’t know how to speak to one doctor about her significant other. To the extent that I have the skill set to intervene, I will intervene. Our culture is to be as supportive as we need to be, but still cover the work that needs to be done, because once we take on a case for care, we have made a commitment. 75% of my staff is very young (18-30). I am 62 and really did grow up with conditioning that is different from theirs. This mean I have had to learn patience; to learn that I DO have to explain my reasoning behind decision.
Values Aligned: everyone who works in a veterinary practice is values aligned toward liking and caring and wanting to see them get well. But that skews toward a population of shy introverts that resonate with animals more than people. As many have explored (S. Santorelli, R.Epstein, and so many more) , people who gravitate to healthcare fields in all its many facets may have a wound within ourselves that calls us to this care. I have, and am, on that journey. But my job is to keep it interesting, keep it safe, and keep it a financially viable career choice for these young people. So aligning with wise intention is part of my every day.
Compassionate: There is internally directed compassion and externally directed compassion. So that I can maintain appropriate boundaries, I leave a lot of the direct interaction with staff about personal needs and issues to my managers. If I allow an end run on this, I become the “mom” and that undercuts the managers who do have my back and the businesses’ needs clearly identified. Regarding externally directed compassion – the staff and I deal with a lot of illness, death, and euthanasia each day. We deal with a lot of people who don’t know how to make those decisions; what is the “right” decision; what will the outcome be if they choose “A” vs “B.” We deal with a lot of people who are not able to handle what is happening to them as a result of the pet’s illness, much less the pet. They act. They react. Learning how to maintain caring boundaries, understanding that the client is unable to act as you expect they would/should, trying to forgive bad behaviors (up to twice—after that, it is just masochism) and to teach the staff (and maintain it myself) not to take bad behaviors and verbal manipulation personally. -
Compassionate candor is something that this training has helped with. I notice the way I speak to people is open and honest (which comes easy for me), but more patient and present now. In the past there were more misunderstandings, and now conversations have slowed down so that intentions and needs can be communicated clearly. Which is wonderful.
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My organization has wonderful values and does their best to communicate and widely share them. Where there is a disconnect is seeing these values all the way through. Sometimes it just feels like a lot of talk and not a lot of action. That being said, the company is filled with many kind and compassionate people. We’re very much in a growing phase and I do think these kinks will work out and we’ll get better at living our values.
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My organization is values-aligned, resilient, and compassionate as a sub-culture for change and transformation. We strive to serve the millions of underserved citizens who happen to be impacted by the criminal/carceral system. The gaps which do exist are hyper-legal, punitive, and outright cruel and widely accepted by our society at large.
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I work as a consultant, so aggregating what I see across many of my clients, the organizational cultures are chaotic, to put it simply. There’s some value alignment, but values are listed and talked about more than practiced for the most part. The gaps are communication, collaboration, clear vision, and lack of care around employee self-care/burnout.
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I’m a member of a large higher education organization with almost 70,000 enrolled students. My department has between 1,500 and 2,500 students enrolled in our classes at any time and about 40 faculty teaching. Each class has it’s own culture, which I only see a snapshot of during observations or conversations. The culture is also different based on faculty type. For example, the full time faculty have job security, different resources and kinds of support. In order for our organization to be more compassion, we need to develop a more equitable culture for contingent faculty. Hopefully, our recent unionization can guide the way.
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In my organization there is a constant push to rush and have things done yesterday- there is an opportunity for more long-term focus that provides better balance for employees.
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A hierarchical culture, that creates a discrepancy between values and actions. The language in the culture is about power and rank, and this can reduce compassionate language toward clients and each other.
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Our organization is highly values-driven and mission-aligned. There is a strong thread of compassion and collaboration, but the urgency of the mission can lead to a risk of self-sacrifice and burnout amongst staff. I have been witnessing the organization’s efforts to promote self care and better resource staff, and would like to encourage us to continue working toward more staff sustainability.
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I work for a very small startup. Though one would imagine that maintaining an idyllic culture at such a small size would be easy, upon deeper reflection, I’m starting to realize how easy it is to let these tenants slide in the day-to-day rush of work. Though we’re definitely resilient in the face of many challenges, we often sidestep opportunities to demonstrate our compassion with the excuse of radical candor.
I’m so glad we carved out the time to think about this. This insight has sparked lots of ideas on how to better rally our team around our values and how we can do a better job of highlighting more realistic examples of when slip-ups are more likely to take place. So we can be better prepared to be even more resilient when these opportunities arise.
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