Do you have a “corporate culture”? Of course yes. Perhaps even it is proudly displayed on the website, printed on colored posters in your offices. It’s pretty, it’s serious. But let’s be frank: most of the time, these beautiful values have little to do with the reality on the ground.
And that’s okay. Better still: this is excellent news. Because if your corporate culture is lying to you, it is the sign that it lives, that it transforms, that it is ready to tell you something important. Provided you listen to it.
Corporate culture: a distorting mirror
Corporate culture is not what you write in your charter. This is not what you proclaim during annual seminars. This is what happens when nobody looks at.
It reads in the decisions you make when you are under pressure, the way your managers manage a conflict or the behaviors that are really rewarded … and those who pass under the radar.
In other words: there is official culture (the one we say) and the unofficial culture (the one we live). And between the two, there is often a gap – sometimes light, sometimes abyssal.
When culture “lies” … it reveals the truth
Take an example: your charter stipulates that “Innovation is at the heart of everything”. But the last time that a collaborator proposed a somewhat radical idea, we kindly explained to him that it was necessary first “Go through the process” And “Wait for the validation committee”. Result: the idea is dead before seeing the light of day.
Conclusion: Your culture does not say “We innovate”.
She says: “We deprive compliance. »»
It is not necessarily bad – sometimes, rigor is necessary – but it is a precious signal. If what you proclaim and what you practice diverge, it means that you have work to do to reconcile both.
Leaders are afraid of this gap
Many leaders consider the gap between discourse and reality as a threat. They want to “correct” culture, as if it were a badly adjusted machine.
But the truth is that this discrepancy is a great diagnostic tool. Your corporate culture is lying to you to show you where it gets stuck.
It is the barometer of your dead angles. It reveals the inconsistencies between your displayed values and your real choices and the places where your processes suffocate your ambition. Also it reveals the areas where fear has taken precedence over the audacity.
The beautiful posters are not enough
Let’s be honest: how many charters of values are written in a hurry, with the help of a consultant, then forgotten at the bottom of a PDF?
Employees know very well when speech does not stick with reality. Nothing wraps confidence faster than a promise not held.
- Say “Transparency is our number 1 value” And keep secrets the main strategic arbitrations?
- Say “We encourage well-being” And glorify the heroes who chain the 80 hours of work per week?
- Say “We value diversity” and have a homogeneous executive committee?
Each dissonance strengthens cynicism. And yet … Each dissonance is also an opportunity to realign discourse with action.
The good news: culture is rewritten every day
Contrary to what we believe, corporate culture is not frozen. It evolves with each recruitment, each decision, each managerial gesture.
This means that you can transform it by embodying the behaviors you want to see and by rewarding those who embody values (rather than only those who reach the figures). Do not hesitate to talk about contradictions, rather than hiding them under the carpet.
Each day is an opportunity to rewrite a piece of culture.
What your culture tries to tell you
So the question is not: “Does my corporate culture lie?” »»
The real question is, “What does she tell me?” »»
It can reveal to you:
- That your teams are more cautious than you thought.
- That the fear of failure bridles innovation.
- That the hierarchy crushes the initiative.
- That your values are perceived as communication rather than an engine of action.
Listening to this “voice” requires courage, because she doesn’t always say what you want to hear. But this is where the leading power of the leader resides: looking in front and acting.
How to use this discrepancy to your advantage
Here are some concrete steps to transform this “lie” into a strategic lever:
1/ Diagnose real culture
Make an informal audit: question your teams, listen to the corridor conversations, observe what is happening in a meeting. Not what people say, but what they do.
2/ Identify key inconsistencies
List the values you display and the behaviors that contradict them. Example: “We say that we are innovative, but our processes slow down experiments. »»
3/ Communicate on the offset
Rather than hiding the contradictions, put them on the table. Recognize them in front of your teams. This creates confidence.
4/ Align acts
Remove the incentives that push for behavior contrary to your values. If you say that the personal life balance/personal life counts, stop publicly congratulating those who sacrifice their weekends.
5/ Rewer the story together
Culture does not belong only to the direction. Invite your teams to define what values mean in their daily lives.
