Culture Balances: Mapping
How to plot your current state on a culture scale
Last time I introduced the concept of balances. It’s the framework I use to make sense of, and influence company culture. Or any other complex area for that matter.
I especially like to use this way of thinking when it comes to Culture. Culture is one of those broad-ranging and connected topics, that it is hard to wrap one’s head around it. But the concept of Balances provides me with a universal framework to make sense — and stay objective.
In this article, we will dive deeper into the approach. In particular, the concept of mapping — a way to visualise the current state.
Full disclaimer that this approach to mapping is heavily influenced by a discussion on the Rands Leadership Slack workspace.
Roy Rapoport — who sparked the discussion — has also shared an application of this concept to communication styles.
Mapping Terminology
I will explain the approach with an example that was part of the introduction article: Prioritisation. And because there are a handful of terms and concepts involved, we create our map step by step.
To begin with, we define a scale or spectrum — with two extremes. In this case, we label them task-driven and purpose-driven. (Note that prioritisation contains lots of other aspects as well, e.g. Top-down Vs. Bottoms-up).
Then we identify the points on the scale where we and other relevant groups sit. For example, you can plot this for yourself (Y), your team (T), department (D), and the whole company (C). Or whatever slicing and dicing makes sense in your situation.
Now, to make things a bit more interesting, we introduce widths. Each of those points is not really a point, but a range on the scale. Because in real life, we all have to operate across a range — or we would not be able to adapt or adjust the slightest in different situations. This means there can and will be some overlap between different groups on the spectrum.
This example is — of course — very contrived. But it illustrates a few different scenarios…
Analysing Your Balance
Once you have put together the spectrum, you can dissect and analyse it. Things to look out for:
How much overlap is there between different groups?
- Full Cover. This is when one group covers the range of another group 100%. The result is a culture that is one-way compatible which often minimises conflict. The example in the picture above is with the team (T) which is covered by the department (D).
- Partial Overlap. The good news here is that there is some overlap. But, neither of the ranges fully covers the other. This might be challenging in some situations when the groups operate on opposite ends of their range. This is represented above with yourself (Y) and the department (D).
- No Overlap. The two groups are not aligned on this cultural aspect. There are different views on how to do things and members of the two groups might clash over the approach. An example is the department (D) and company (C) in the illustration.
What is the spread of the ranges?
The different groups could be close together, or a bit further apart. This has an impact on the amount of overlap, with all the benefits and challenges mentioned above.
How narrow or wide are the individual ranges?
Groups with more range might be hard to navigate for the individuals working within. Folks need to be familiar and adaptable to more styles. In contrast, groups that have a limited range might find it harder to work with people from the outside.
What are the opinions of others in the business?
Get a second, third, or even fourth read on this. Ideally without biasing their opinion upfront. Once you have more data, combine the mappings to something that reflects the status quo best.
To be clear: There is no perfect amount of overlap, spread, or width. It all depends on the situation and environment.
For example, more overlap might lead to more harmony. But it can also end up in groupthink and an inability to challenge the status quo. Less overlap might end up in more conflicts but tends to bring challenges into the open for discussion.
Next Steps
Culture mapping is a great tool to visualise your current balance. It allows you to start a dialogue with your leaders on how to change the situation.
But, it does not tell you what is right or wrong. Or whether you should be leaning towards the one extreme or the other. Every company’s (and sub-group’s) ideal balance is different and it is up to you to identify what is best.
Changing company culture will be part of the next article: Plotting your desired balances and making a plan to get there.
If you have missed the first part of this series, you can get some more context on Culture Balances in the intro article.
Update: Part 3 is also published, talking about influencing culture change.
