Stop the Sterile Talk About “Culture” and “Organisation”

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I must have said this in front of our team here before but I’m non-neurotypical so conceptual clarity is paramount to me so keeping that in mind we need to talk about “culture”.

There is such a hateful lot about what is “culture” out there that I can’t even dream of touching its definition in the hopes of truly elucidating it. When it comes to the topic, my personal trick as an antidote to the potential despair caused by the many non-actionable conversations is to remember the extreme silver lining of how, irrespective of possible confusion, dis-ingenuity, or lack of good intentions, the fact that we talk about it is undeniable progress and good news for everyone.

The mere notion that we are to discuss it means “we see people and their interactions” which, let’s face it, is a lot more than could be said till not so long ago. So long may it continue. The talk. Academic, sterile and navel-gazing as it may turn out to be for the vast majority.

At the risk of trodding on some toes, it is that. The amount of diagrams and word trees that litter LinkedIn naming components of “good culture” is staggering. The proportion of them that contain what I call “fillers” be they synonyms or unimportant examples for the sake of enumeration, is equally shocking. Many of these pieces of content are less concerned about accuracy, as they are about keywords. At times they are truly unexamined. Unclarified. With no regard for redundancy. Born out of a sheer need to fill in a power-point and sound "proprietary" and "expensive" and worth the contract. It can easily make your blood boil if you let it.