Welcome to the Cadence Culture dialogue.
It's a dialogue on how we can be culture builders in our workplaces.
To be culture builders, there are skill sets that we need to strengthen. For example, the ability to communicate what organisational culture is and its value to people and business growth, the ability to create psychological safety, and to have quality conversations.
We invite you on this journey with us.
Organisation Culture
Culture shapes the thoughts, decisions, and actions of everyone in the organisation. Culture determines the rhythm of work and relationships.
Eddie Eng, Co-Founder
Transcript
Calvin: Welcome to the cadence culture dialogue. This is where we talk about how we can be culture builders in our workplaces. The previous dialogue was about the journey that we've had and the power of why. Do check it out if you missed it.
Eddie: Today's dialogue is about organisation culture. Please share with us your perspectives, questions, and comments.
Calvin: Now on to this relevant topic of culture. People may have different ideas of what culture is, so let's begin by sharing what organisation culture is and why it is important.
Eddie: Organisation culture is the way that people work and relate with one another, comprising values and beliefs, assumptions and expectations, practices, and ways of working. Hence, culture shapes the thoughts, decisions, and actions of everyone in the organisation. Culture determines the rhythm of work and relationships.
You know, I’m working on a culture transformation project with a company from the real estate sector, right? And I observed that the culture regards seniority, expertise, and work experience as the key criteria for the organisation's success. Make a guess—who are the people proposing solutions and making decisions?
Calvin: The seniors, those with experience, the leaders.
Eddie: Spot on, bro. Apart from this group of seniors, everyone else takes orders and executes without questioning. The impact of such a culture is top-down, with hardly any bottom-up feedback. Without feedback, leaders aren’t able to anticipate challenges and address them ahead of time. By the time these challenges surface, the company risks not being able to deliver on time or deliver as agreed, impacting both revenue and bottom lines—and people’s morale hits an all-time low.
Calvin: That’s why organisational culture is so critical, because culture enables business. It’s the single most important determinant of an organisation's success. Culture is not an end in itself, nor is it just for the wellbeing of people—even though that’s important—it’s also for the organisation’s achievement of its mission, vision, strategies, and goals.
Eddie: In fact, I see a rise in business leaders investing in their organisational culture. Calvin, share with us your experience on how culture impacts business strategy.
Calvin: In my previous role as the head of business development in a telecom multinational, the organisation had great products, a strong mission, vision, and business strategies. However, we were steadily losing market share to fierce competition, and employee engagement levels were dropping. What was lacking was actually a culture strategy—a way of engaging with both clients and colleagues, internally and externally, so we could work better together. I developed a culture strategy with the senior leadership team to be more people-focused rather than solely product-focused, taking a strong consultative partnering approach. This turnaround improved employee engagement scores and business results.
Eddie: Wow. Culture really can be the strategy to turn a business around. I’m curious, Calvin, about your view on organisations applying the same culture strategy to achieve success. What do you think about that?
Calvin: Well, culture needs to consider the organisation’s business, industry developments, and people. So, a cookie-cutter approach doesn’t work, because every organisation’s culture is unique in achieving its business success. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all culture that can apply to every organisation.
Eddie: I agree, because culture is also dynamic and living, needing to grow and change over time to adapt to the organisation’s evolving goals and strategy.
Calvin: This reminds me of a recent project I did with an organisation that had a bold vision of tripling its output and expanding overseas. They needed to increase their workforce, particularly in areas like AI and analytics, and had to leverage the team’s collaboration and creativity to break through to a new level of effectiveness.
Eddie: I think many organisations want to grow in these areas. So how did you help this organisation build its desired culture?
Calvin: I started by helping them to appreciate their current culture. What had made them successful so far? What aspects were core to their identity and needed to be preserved as they transformed? We celebrated their successes, competencies, and attributes that were essential to who they were. At the same time, we recognised that what got them here wouldn’t necessarily get them to where they wanted to go. With new business and tech strategies, they needed a new culture strategy to support their growth.
We used an instrument called the Organisation Culture Assessment Instrument to map out their current culture and identify the preferred culture for the future. This allowed us to develop a strategic plan to help them transition towards this new culture for greater success.
Eddie: I really like this term—“culture strategy”—it feels like a trending word! Let me summarise what you said into three parts. First, know your current culture and appreciate its strengths. Second, define your preferred or desired culture and agree on what will enable business success. And third, implement the culture strategy. Simple? Perhaps in theory—but in reality, it’s a highly complex process. We’re curious to hear from you! What works for you in building your desired culture? What challenges do you face in building it? Share with us in the comments box.
Calvin: Yes, and do look out for the next Cadence Culture Dialogue. Our next session will cover the important topic of psychological safety.
Eddie: Let’s continue to make a difference in our culture. Thank you for joining us.
Calvin: Goodbye, and see you at the next dialogue.
Culture is not an end in itself, nor is it just for the wellbeing of people—even though that’s important—it’s also for the organisation’s achievement of its mission, vision, strategies, and goals.
Calvin Yeo, Co-Founder
