Culture Talk

I was sitting in a room with another colleague- both new starters, listening to a talk on the importance of organisation culture. After the talk I'm not sure I remember what exactly the company's culture is but I remember clearly that culture is so important that it eats strategy for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

Needless to say, I left that room hungry, not just for food but for the deep desire to understand organisation culture. Also to be an intense ambassador of the company's culture, which I'm still trying to understand by the way.  

I was stuck with the concept of organizational culture for life. 

Today, it's a must to start every meeting with a talk on safety. I was introduced to this mindset from the very first day if joining the company, I now work with. It's been a few months now and it's still not stuck to me. See me, an avowed  card carrying member of the inexistent cultural ambassadors. 

I have loved culture many years now, I've been with my current company many months now, I'm still yet to catch up with one. Just one- the most important one culture that the company never stops talking about. 

I left a work a bit earlier and decided to join the one 83 minutes train ride, so I can continue working on the train. Instead of the shorter route that involves two train trips and more packed that the desire to work will remain unfulfilled. 

So while on the train, a colleague reached out to me for a quick call. No, I responded, I can only chat as I'm on the train. He quickly resolved that we'd have the call tomorrow. And ended the chat with travel safe. Almost an hours later- yes! I'm still on the train- he reached out again this time an urgent query, we spent a few minutes chatting till the clear next steps was decided. He ended the chat again with travel safe. 

Twice within an hour, a personal talk on safety was given to me with just two words each time. 

I alighted from the train, an embarked on my short 4 minutes walk home, as I stood about to cross the road, vehicles were waiting at the crossroad but the signal for pedestrians was red. Why? Because it was now opened for other vehicles going across the road. 

My normal self, I'd have crossed in a hurry but haven't heard travel safe twice just a while ago, I stood there 'wasting' almost 5 minutes waiting for the pedestrian symbol to go green (after I pressed the button of course). 

I just sacrificed speed for safety. Event though it was my personal walk home not in anyway a work trip. Or maybe it is since I'm just coming from the office. 

I think I get it now. Culture talk must be continuous. Whatever your company culture is, find a way to keep talking about it always, until in permeates even the social conversation of colleagues. And then it won't just be in people' head but it will be heartily lives out everyday and always. 

What's your culture? And are you taking about it to your employees and colleagues?