Understanding Organizational Culture, Types, and Leadership Strategies
Logic and Culture have nothing to do with one another. Culture doesn’t make sense to anyone from the outside. Culture is common sense to anyone embedded in it. To understand and work with a large organization, let go of trying to make sense of it. Observe it and see what’s there. After that, logic might help find ways to work inside or even change it. Map what it is. Then think about moving it toward what you want.
Cultural and Organizational change only happens when the types of organization are clear to us. To gain Organizational Influence is essential to understand the different types of organizations. There are three major types of organizations. Power Oriented, Rule Oriented, Performance Oriented.
Pathological (power-oriented) organizations are characterized by fear and threat. The idea is that employees will have a greater output through the fear of losing a job. These organizations are standard when the company is significant. Strong feelings of burnout are found in organizations with a pathological, power-oriented culture.
Bureaucratic (rule-oriented) organizations protect departments is the most common type of organization. Rule-oriented organizations tend to push forward by enforcing rules on employees. Often outside of modern development processes. These organizations are often legacy organizations that had some success in the past. Yet, the Culture remained the same towards individual growth and thus ended up creating a strict hierarchy.
Generative (performance-oriented) organizations focus on the mission. The organization’s focus is more on the growth aspect of the whole company rather than the control of individuals. Leaders can create stability through psychological safety. They welcome and try out new suggestions and ideas. They can also do so by using failure as a teachable moment for all, avoiding blame and harvesting lessons about what worked and didn’t. When people see problems, they think, “let me take the lead in solving this issue.” That’s what leadership skills aim to encourage and develop. Collaborate rather than demand. Set up a framework for collaboration.
A good rule of thumb is to “check-in” before you “check on.” First, ask how the person you’ve called is doing and how their family is doing. Only then ask how their work is going and how you can help them cope. Dedicated time in weekly recap meetings for these teachable moments can help get the word out. Besides, it’s more important than ever during disruptive change that leaders take extra time to check on their people.
Break down the project into milestones & provide estimates on these. Define milestones that are easy to communicate to stakeholders. Communicate project status to stakeholders. Manage and call out risks. Help the team ship and delegate (both to the team and upwards).
Ensure the quality and reliability of the shipped product. Define your goals and objectives for yourself and your team. Develop your communication skills, both verbal and written. Be clear and concise in your communication, and make an effort to listen to others. Encourage your team to take ownership of their work and give them the freedom to make decisions and solve problems. This will help them develop their leadership skills and feel more invested in their work.
Practice what you preach and set a positive example for others to follow. This includes being punctual, meeting deadlines, and being respectful and professional. Seek feedback from others, both positive and constructive, and be open to learning and improving. This will help you identify growth and development areas and become a better leader. As a leader, you will often be faced with tough decisions. Practice making decisions, even if they are small, to build your decision-making skills and confidence.
Develop strong relationships with your team, clients, and stakeholders. This will help you to create a positive and productive work environment and build trust and respect.
A project is not about code — it’s about delivering value to the customer. Teams should be the keepers of their process. Completing 100 PRs weekly doesn’t matter if they don’t contribute to helping the business.
A value-driven agile process enables collaboration through open and consistent communication. Software projects are a team effort, and space for trust-building needs to be scheduled. Retros are helpful to make sure the team doesn’t become stagnant. The process is a living thing that requires reflection and many iterations. Use this time to align with stakeholders’ customer insights, metrics, and learnings. Collaboration is essential during this meeting to identify what the goal for the team will be for the next iteration.
