Diversity Done Right

7Be Like Us: Adapting to Organizational Culture

The Dominance of Organizational Culture

There is a commonly used adage in business that “culture eats strategy for lunch.” It speaks to the fact that an organization can put together vision statements and strategies with detailed action plans and accountability, but if these actions bump up against the culture, they are doomed to be short-lived. The overarching culture of an organization can either enhance or deter efforts to create diverse, inclusive, and equitable environments.

We can all think of examples of organizations that have strong cultures. When I was growing up, I often heard references to the strong cultures of enterprises like IBM, Ford, General Electric, and Motown. The military has a strong dominant culture. Healthcare organizations often have very dominant cultures. These examples remind us that a dominant culture will be reflected in different ways. Today we have many of the tech giants like Google and Microsoft mentioned for their strong and influential cultures. You can walk into a Google or Zappos office and see that it personifies informality and creativity. Contrast that with walking inside Goldman Sachs or other financial institution on Wall Street and you will clearly note a difference. The walls breathe hierarchy, structure, and formality. You can see culture in action. The culture differences may or may not have a different impact on creating a sense of inclusion and belonging; but understanding the ...