Strategically, fitness for culture can work well … if you have a clearly defined organisational culture. One where employees understand what is expected of them and share and celebrate those norms with colleagues. Where the most junior employee knows ‘how we do things around here’. In the 1960’s my father was one of the first British employees of the American computer giant IBM. He was quickly inducted into their ways of problem solving, selling and relationship building. He espoused their one word mantra ‘THINK’. He bought into the way they dressed and ate, and the cars they drove.
Fitness for team works well on a tactical level. In the short term, reducing the time it takes to onboard a new employee and get them fully productive. In the medium term reducing the risk of personality conflict impacting the performance of the team.
And, if you believe, as I do, that your company culture is your brand, then these kinds of behavioural alignment are essential. After all, brands are promised by advertising, but delivered by people. The first people to notice the gap between the two will be your customers.
But there is one caveat we should apply when it comes to surrounding ourselves with the right people. What happens when we hire too many of the same kind of people? Specifically, people who think and talk in the same way. Who hold the same worldview. Who nod in meetings where the company view of customers is rehashed. Who dislike competitors and celebrate when they stumble. Who celebrate the status quo in the systems they have helped to build.
What happens is something called Groupthink. A psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony results in irrational decision-making. Over time you can see how that might impair business operations or impact customer satisfaction! But Groupthink also prevents innovation (the most popular value word on corporate websites). This is because people who think the same way can’t use the power of different perspectives to solve problems.
So, while there’s comfort in surrounding yourself with like-minded people, don’t let it blunt your edge. Hire some disruptors to balance your conformists.
Chris Harrison leads The Brand Inside
www.thebrandinsideafrica.com
