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The Transperience Actbook: Synchronizing Culture
You immediately spotted them. There was something about them, the way they talked or walked. You could not say what, but instantly knew they were strangers. Which automatically and unconsciously made you more aware and alert. You were ready to defend yourself and your tribe. You became culturally protective.
The gut reaction to cultural differences is not curiosity and interest. It is alarm and withdrawal. Instantly, we prepare to fight or flight. The question of survival comes before anything else. Only when we feel physical and psychological safe are we ready to open our minds and hearts.
When companies merge, onboard new people, or establish new teams, the same old brain regions come alive and control the first reaction to change. Cultural differences can either promote integration and generate new opportunities, or work against the intention and ruin everything.
That is why synchronizing culture in organizations is so important.
Culture is a system of learned and shared beliefs, values and actions that we use to identify ourselves and provide a framework within which to live and work. Culture is reflected in our worldviews, stories, artifacts and actions. It is the collective environment that shapes who we are and what we do.
Any organization has a unique cultural vibe, created by the people who work there. It allows and welcomes some behaviors, and rejects or ignores others. The vibe is not tangible or quantifiable, but definitely perceptible and noticeable. Aligning cultural vibes and creating resonance is key to foster cohesion during times of change. What resonates, integrates.
When merging companies
According to Mckinsey, 95 percent of executives consider cultural fit critical to integration success. Yet 25 percent cite a lack of cultural cohesion and alignment as the main reason why integration efforts fail.
The transperiental approach to synchronizing culture during a merger is to establish a hub of integration. Here, the merging companies can explore the potential and possibilities in a neutral, creative and safe atmosphere. The hub is a kind of common third that can serve as:
- A junction for ideas, projects…
