As you've learned, organizational culture refers to the values employees share and an organization's values, mission, history, and more. In other words, corporate culture can be considered a company's personality. A company's organizational culture can help drive its internal and external success. When a company's culture is aligned with its corporate strategy and goals, the level at which it can perform is impressive. When researching a company for a possible new job, understanding its culture can help you decide if it is a good fit for you and your priorities. Also, understanding a company's culture as a project manager can help you make informed choices about when you want your actions and decisions to fit within the culture or when you might intentionally push back against the culture to affect change or create improvements. Let's explore an example of a positive organizational culture and how a project manager fits into that culture.
The Family Java culture
The Family Java coffeehouse has over 2,000 stores worldwide. The Family Java's culture is closely linked to its strategy and capabilities, which it feels sets it apart from other coffee shops. The company has invested in a relationship-driven, employees-first approach. Their culture establishes that the employees are what makes the company unique. This helps foster a warm, comfortable, and calm environment for employees and customers. Because The Family Java's organizational culture has cultivated employees who genuinely care about the company and their jobs, they create the same environment for their customers to enjoy.
The Family Java's mission and values speak to this approach directly:
Mission
- To provide a welcoming environment where our employees become our family and our guests become our friends
Values
- To create a place where everyone is welcome
- We always give our best and hold ourselves accountable for the results
- To treat others with respect and kindness
Family Java has worked hard to create the structure to put its mission and values into practice daily. They practice these values while achieving new sales and growth levels. For example, The Family Java believes in expressing its employees' first value by spending more on employee healthcare than coffee beans! Each employee is crucial to the success of the company and their ability to fulfill their mission and adhere to their values. In turn, the company makes its employees feel valued by offering substantial training, education scholarships, assistance with daycare, and growth.
The Family Java can capitalize on the critical link between culture and strategic goals to achieve optimal performance. When evaluating its organizational culture, the company focuses on its positive attributes, adapts to what works, and has proven beneficial. By perfecting what the company does well, The Family Java has created a culture that drives out negativity, empowers employees to be their best selves, and aligns with their strategic goals.
A project manager's relationship to organizational culture
Learning the company's values
Avi was excited to begin his role as a project manager at The Family Java. During his job interview, He asked questions about the organization's culture and was told about the company's people-first approach. Avi's previous company prioritized profitability over teamwork and mentorship. While his last company was very successful, it was difficult for Avi to engage meaningfully in his work because the culture focused on financial results rather than their employees' job satisfaction. Avi felt like The Family Java's approach better aligned with his values.
Clarifying the company's expectations
Avi's manager at The Family Java said his role would substantially emphasize team building and keeping morale high. When he began, Avi asked his manager to clarify the time investment expected by the company to accomplish team- and morale-building goals. He also asked for suggestions and guidance based on what had been done at the company. Suppose Avi had made incorrect assumptions about the company's culture and tried to manage projects with his previous company's culture in mind. In that case, he might have emphasized speed over collaboration and communication. Avi now knew that he would need to carefully balance expectations related to The Family Java's culture with the project workload to meet project timelines and achieve the desired outcome.
Applying organizational culture to a project
Before beginning his first project, Avi planned a team lunch to get to know everyone at The Family Java. Then, he scheduled one-on-one meetings with his team members to learn more about their working style and professional goals. He also asked how he could help support and remove any barriers for them. One of Avi's team members, Miguel, said that he needed to start his workday early because he picked his children up from school at 3:00. After hearing this, Avi avoided scheduling team meetings in the late afternoon. Another team member, Elisa, told Avi that she preferred face-to-face or phone conversations to email since she communicated better verbally. When Avi needed to discuss something with Elisa, he made sure that he talked with her in person as much as possible. Avi continued checking in with all his team members regularly as the project progressed. He also scheduled weekly "Coffee Chats" with his team since he had learned this was a company traditionAvi's’s efforts to align his project management style to The FamilJava’s organizational culture were noticed by executives and stakeholders, and he was given a lot of support in getting the resources he needed.
Key takeaway
Each organization's culture will be different and can change over time. Like Avi, it is worth your time as a project manager to learn about your company’s culture because it directly relates to your project’s success.
