Un-culture
Workplace culture, whether intentionally shaped or not, is a living entity. It sparks to life the moment a group forms and can take months, even years, to solidify into recognizable behaviours, rituals, symbols, and habits. Every organization craves a positive culture, yet many fall short of consistently taking the actions needed to build and sustain one. The result? An "unintended" culture—not necessarily negative, but often misaligned with the organization's core goals.
Like many Canadians, I've been captivated by the Toronto Blue Jays lately. While typically a casual fan, this season has been different. Their success is compelling, but it's how they're achieving it that truly fascinates me: through their team culture. I've felt the same pull watching the Montreal Canadiens. With both teams, the culture is almost tangible; you can practically feel it when they play. What's their shared secret? A rapid, deliberate culture shift. Their previous cultures weren't inherently bad, but the existing behaviours, habits, rituals, and symbols simply weren't driving them toward the success everyone desired.
Both teams realized they needed to "Un-culture." They embarked on a journey of rebuilding, remodeling, and redefining what it meant to be a part of their team, ultimately making their new culture the "secret sauce" for long-term, sustainable success. I recall reading an article about the Canadiens' leadership, and a quote from Head Coach Marty St. Louis resonated deeply. He described his initial task of building culture as needing to "raise the group emotionally." This week, I want to delve into this concept, exploring how leaders can remake or realign their team's culture to achieve organizational goals.
Throughout my own leadership career, I've frequently faced the challenge of remaking, realigning, or creating workplace cultures that elevate collective success. Whether stepping into an established environment or building a new team from scratch, I instinctively understood that fostering a positive work environment was paramount—the most crucial aspect of my daily work. Ironically, this vital task was rarely explicitly outlined in any job description. Yet, as I reflect on the actions I took to cultivate positive environments, they all perfectly align with St. Louis's idea of "raising the group emotionally."
I vividly remember starting a new job where, within weeks, a program team scheduled a meeting with me. I expected them to brief me on their program and students. I was wrong. They came in and, respectfully but clearly, expressed their exhaustion—their program, their students, and they themselves, were tired of being treated as "lesser than" other programs. It was an emotionally charged exchange, not negative, but profoundly critical for redefining the larger team's culture. They were being vulnerable and expressive, and I knew I had to respond in kind. I needed to acknowledge and embrace their emotions, even encourage more. Together, we began to "raise the group emotionally."
That interaction taught me that direct and honest communication wasn't just convenient; it was an everyday expectation. It also set a benchmark for my interactions with other program teams. The work environment needed to shift from one built on individual program success to one championing collective departmental achievement and success for all. This required a delicate balance of patience for people and urgency for building rapport and relationships. Before we could co-create the norms of a well-aligned culture, we needed a strong foundation of support and safety—support in both success and failure, and the safety to be expressive and vulnerable. These were the essential precursors to a robust work culture that fostered an environment of fun, care, and a paramount belief in collective success.
I carried these lessons into future roles and apply them in my consulting work today. When we witness a positive culture manifest in individual behaviours and group triumphs, we often overlook the immense emotional effort that went into its creation and ongoing sustenance. We don't realize these emotional endeavours began years before the culture fully blossomed. We don't see the emotional discomfort team members had to navigate. And we often miss the profound work of leaders who frequently bear a disproportionate share of the team's emotional stress.
So, as I watched the Blue Jays celebrate last night, my thoughts turned to their culture: a culture of trust, fun, identity, shared responsibility, calculated risk, and ultimate success. I wondered about the emotional journey their organization undertook to "Un-culture" and build a new, more impactful, and successful one. Go Jays Go!
