Crafting a Winning Culture by Decoding Your Company's DNA
July 31st, 2024Principal Consultant, Tutul Consulting
Venora Noronha Lobo
Associate Partner, Tutul Consulting
Krishnan Vaidyanathan
To truly understand an organization, we must explore the philosophies, values, and beliefs that drive it. By doing this, we can rediscover and help reinvent certain norms that will help it sustain and grow. By immersing ourselves in its culture, like anthropologists studying a community, we seek to understand the values that drive its success.
Uncovering the DNA of an Organization
In the kaleidoscope of modern organizations, the notion of an "ideal culture" is as varied as the businesses themselves. Culture is not a static entity that can be copied or imposed. Rather, it evolves organically from the collective mindset, behaviors, and values shared by the people within an organization. We take a cultural anthropologist's view, immersing ourselves in the organization to uncover its unique practices, rules, and essence.
For example, Ubuntu is a set of value systems that draw upon community and inclusivity. It's been an important part of African philosophy since the mid-19th century. Ubuntu teaches us that we're all connected and that our individual identity is tied to our community. Imagine a classroom where teachers lead with love and care, inspiring students to be kind and compassionate. The Ubuntu proverb says, 'I am because we are; and since we are, therefore I am.' By embracing this mindset, we can create a more caring and supportive community. Ubuntu can help students become better people, no matter what challenges they face. It's a way of living that can bring people together and create a culture of love, care, and mutual support - akin to what some organizations seek as well.
As cultural anthropologists, our focus revolves around these tenets:
Culture is the integrating factor and requires understanding organizational behaviors. We dive deep to uncover what makes certain cultures tick – what drives their innovation, collaboration, and resilience.
Cultures evolve and are dynamic. Our role is to contextualize these changes within the broader context of the marketplace. This allows us to help our clients understand how external forces could shape their internal cultural dynamics over time.
At the heart of our philosophy lies the recognition of diversity not just in demographics, but also in perspectives, ideas, and approaches to problem-solving. We celebrate the eclectic nature of human experiences and weave them into our clients’ cultural tapestry.
At Tutul Consulting, we eschew the one-size-fits-all approach to culture building.
Instead, we believe in the power of understanding each organization's unique identity and aspirations to foster a culture that not only aligns with their values but also propels their growth and success.
Whether it's a tech start-up striving for agility and creativity or a legacy enterprise aiming for stability and tradition, we tailor our strategies to amplify strengths and address challenges unique to each. Central to our methodology is a relationship of unwavering trust – with HR leaders, founders, and teams at all levels. We are determined to be purposefully inclusive so that we capture every voice and seek to uncover the unstated as much as recognize the observable, in the process of cultural evolution.