The Culture Patterns Framework
It’s time for a culture shift.
Mission-driven organizations often struggle with re-orgs, leadership changes, program assessment capacity, internal conflict, and staff morale. They invest heavily in structural solutions, but rarely give the same attention to the role of culture in these issues. This makes sense, since culture work almost always draws from the corporate perspective. We’re here to change that.
Culture Patterns Rooted in Values
We developed The Culture Patterns Framework to give social change organizations an approach to culture that speaks to their values and needs. The Framework is rooted in four value orientations that every social change organization varies on: Connection, Movement, Grounding, and Purpose.
Our Holistic Approach
At it’s core, culture is about people. Our approach offers three key ways to understand people in your organization:
Survey Data: How your people feel and think.
Conversation Data: What your people say.
People Data: What your people do.
The approach, rooted in the science of people, helps us provide a comprehensive understanding of culture to the organizations that matter most.
Change with Purpose
Engagement. Team cohesion. Hiring and retention. Manager strengths. Leadership styles. Simmering tensions.
Our holistic approach to people science offers insights on each of these, while the Culture Patterns Framework offers a succinct, values-driven perspective on what it all means for your organizational culture.
By gauging their focus on each orientation, organizations can see whether what they’re planning (or doing) will draw them closer to the values they want or whether those changes will accelerate their drift away from what matters.
A Tale of Two Organizations
There once was a High Connection and Movement organization. . .
Common during periods of rapid growth, this organization was focused on developing its staff base and opportunities. Strong staff morale and relationships were a key strength for its work, but knowing it was low on Grounding served as a wakeup call to tend to better processes and policies.
There once was a High Grounding and Purpose organization. . .
This organization was laser-focused on tried-and-true areas of influence, well-known in its issue sphere, and committed to reliability. Its pattern granted it enormous credibility, but broader awareness of its low Movement orientation gave leadership the rationale and support needed to be a more vocal supporter of racial justice.
Align Changes to Identity
“Does this change who we are?”
Change occasionally raises questions about whether the path ahead will take organizations away from who they are. However, a change in culture patterns does not necessitate a drift away from an organization’s identity. New and dramatic culture patterns have the potential for transformative shifts in organizational identity. The Framework provides a lens through which to identify these shifts and navigate them with care.
Culture (and people) power change.
Everyone has a hand in crafting culture. While organizational shifts have real impacts on the lives of those doing the work, the Framework also acknowledges their power to affect change. Assessment helps organizations move more thoughtfully through communications, strategy, and implementation towards a participatory model of change.
Dive Deeper into Organizational Culture.
If you’re eager to see how The Project can guide you through your culture journey, view the project services or email hello@culturepatterns.org.