We go through our schooling and learn academic subjects. We leave school and study - whether academic or trade related, but essentially with a view to some form of career or job.What happens when we start that job? Have we acquired the social skills to survive in the workplace? My son (13 years old), made the statement that he felt schools should teach social studies. When I pressed the idea, he suggested that schools need to equip students with the social skills they require when going into the workplace. Skills such as the ability to “be nice to people” and interact well. This got me to think about the broader context of education. What are the skills that the next generation needs to be equipped with? As parents and educators are we doing enough teaching of social skills to ensure that the next generation is “nice to people” and “nice to work with”?

Social norms

One of the key challenges is that there is no single environmental framework. Each organisation is culturally and morally different. The challenge then becomes how do you prepare students for societal norms where the norms keep changing.For example, a colleague of mine used to run a competitor business. The culture he created there was one of strict formality, including wearing ties and jackets for all staff and specified times for smoking and tea breaks. I contrasted that with my own corporate culture of open neck shirts and polo shirts in summer, along with a fairly laissez-faire approach to management. The social studies challenge is how to prepare the same student for potentially working in both environments.This leads onto the logical question of corporate culture, and whether there is a ‘right culture’. The obvious answer is that it is impossible to define a single ‘right culture’, even within a specific industry. The organisational culture stems from a few key factors.

Uber culture

On the 13th June 2017, UBER management released a report to employees on an extensive investigation into its corporate culture. There are lengthy sections on specific management and leadership roles and corporate governance. However, there was one specific recommendation on corporate culture that said that Uber must “Reformulate Uber’s 14 Cultural Values” .  The report continued, “Uber should reformulate its written cultural values because it is vital that they reflect more inclusive and positive behaviors”. The section concluded that the change should “encourage senior leaders to exhibit the values on a daily basis and to model a more collaborative and inclusive Uber culture. Leaders who embody these values should be part of the process of redefining Uber’s values and should be role models for other leaders within the company. All of Uber’s senior leaders should be responsible for embracing and communicating the reformulated values to employees. “The bulk of the report dealt with the suggested changes in management structure to reflect this cultural change.Uber, in my opinion, has just experienced the classic signs of having to go through a crisis to emerge stronger and better on the other side. Only time will tell how effective the company is in changing the culture to better reflect the recommended cultural norms.

Stay ahead of the curve

Organisations do not have to be on the steep growing curve, or have a global presence like Uber, to face these challenges. Cultural change should become a part of each organisation as society dynamics change and the cultural shift moves with the times.I am passionate about corporate culture that works, and believe that the correct culture can add immensely to the corporate success. Cultural change is a cornerstone of Rael Bricker – Give your business the EDGE. I work with medium size enterprise to develop a sustainable scalable unique culture that allows for controlled growth without the need for extensive crisis management.Until next time.

Every blog I write ends with the question "why am I writing this?"

The answer is BECAUSE –

•       Because I want to share the ideas, stories, anecdotes and business tips and traps.
•       Because I want to pay it forward.
•       Because I want to help people grow their businesses.
•       Because I want managers to become better managers.
•       Because I believe that I can “Give your business the EDGE”