The foundation of any organizational culture is based on a complex system of attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviors that shapes its functioning and success. So how do you measure culture change in an organization and interpret the culture metrics?

Before that, it is first important to understand and list five components of organizational culture.

components Of Organizational Culture

Languaging & Communication
Leadership Behaviors & Strong Operating Rhythm
Values and Belief Systems
Physical & Virtual Work Environment
The Trust Factor

Examining The Elements of Workplace Culture

In this section, I will provide an overview of each of the elements of organizational culture with examples of:

Languaging & Communication

Languaging and communication refer to how people express themselves, listen, and interact with each other. It is essential to pay attention to the language used, the tone of voice, and the communication channels to understand how the culture is functioning.

For instance, if there is a lot of negative or aggressive language used in the workplace, this might indicate a culture of blame, fear, or competition.

On the other hand, if the language used is positive, supportive, and inclusive, this might indicate a culture of collaboration, trust, and respect. Communication channels, such as meetings, emails, or messaging apps, can also reveal how information flows through the organization and how decisions are made.

Languaging and Communication can be partially captured in surveys, however, survey questions ask ‘about’ the language used, and they can’t experience the spoken word.

Trained coaches and facilitators are best able to measure the nuances that make a difference in real time interactions within the organization or while conducting interviews and focus-groups.

Leadership Behaviors & Strong operating Rhythm

Leadership behaviors refer to the observable actions, attitudes, and values displayed by leaders in an organization. Leaders play a crucial role in shaping the culture of an organization, and their behaviors greatly influence the behaviors of others.

Leadership behavior and operating rhythm — Establishing a strong operating rhythm creates a structured framework in which the desired leadership behavior can take place effectively. It fosters alignment, collaboration, and accountability within the organization and sets clear goals and expectations.

It defines roles and responsibilities, establishes efficient communication channels, and implements regular check-ins and performance reviews on different, coordinated time horizons (monthly, quarterly, yearly, 3-years, 5-years).

This enables teams to work cohesively, make informed decisions, and achieve desired outcomes in a synchronized manner, driving productivity and organizational success.

Measuring culture change influenced by leadership behaviors is operationalized in most culture surveys that assess the extent to which they can be observed by the respondents. Since especially newly learned behaviors are volatile, repetitive assessment tools are best to help with continuous feedback on behavioral development.

Values and Belief Systems

Values and belief systems are not directly observable, but can be (at least partially) indirectly visible in company culture metrics inferred through the various assessment tools mentioned previously. They refer to the principles, ideals, and convictions that strongly guide the behavior of individuals and groups in an organization.

All tools mentioned assess some form of congruence between the values and beliefs espoused through explicit and implicit statements, and behaviors exhibited by leaders and employees. Such statements are most prominently made through the organization's mission statement, vision, and code of conduct, but also through guidelines and principles.

One of the strongest expressions is established through the company’s above-mentioned operating rhythm, which is an ongoing dance and statement that all employees are bound to follow.

Other examples for value expressions are, if an organization e.g. values diversity, equity, and inclusion, this might be reflected in the hiring practices, training programs, and promotion policies. If an organization values profit, efficiency, and productivity above all else, this might be visible through individualism, competition, and a tendency for short-term thinking.

Physical & Virtual Work Environment

The physical and virtual work environment refers to the physical spaces and digital tools that employees use to perform their tasks and interact with each other. The work environment can influence culture through its impact on employees' mood, motivation, and productivity.

For example, the virtual work environment, such as the company's intranet, social media, or collaboration tools, can influence the way employees communicate, share knowledge, and collaborate.

These influences are captured partially by culture surveys and can be explored in greater detail in face to face assessments.

The Trust Factor

Trust refers to the level of reliability, acceptance, openness and congruence (transparency) that exists between individuals and groups in an organization and is therefore hard to measure directly. Trust is a crucial component of a healthy and effective corporate culture, and it can influence employee engagement, innovation, and collaboration.

For example, if leaders encourage “no hidden agendas”, “do what I say I do”, risk-taking, experimentation and demonstrate integrity in everything they do, this might create a culture of trust and responsibility. On the other hand, if leaders exhibit micromanagement, favoritism, or lack of vision, this might create a culture of fear, resentment, or disengagement.

There is so far only Culture15’s survey among the cultural assessment surveys which explicitly operationalizes and assesses trust in organizations.

In conclusion, these five key indicators of corporate culture are interconnected and mutually reinforcing.

Leaders can diagnose the current state of their organizational culture, by examining these indicators and understanding how they manifest in an organization.

Measuring Success

Finally the million dollar question on how to measure culture change, and particularly its success. This can be done through the already mentioned assessment tools but also through ongoing feedback mechanisms, such as pulse check surveys and focus groups.

All these tools aim at measuring (with varying focus) the above-mentioned key indicators of corporate culture changing over time.

It is also important to track progress against the milestones and metrics outlined both in the business and in the culture transformation roadmap.

measuring success — Continuously paying vigilance to organizational culture metrics helps organizations identify areas that need further attention and adjust their approach as needed.

High Performance Culture Metrics

It's important to approach this process with care to ensure that the tools yield results that influence high performance over time rather than just erroneous statistics. The process has to be conducted in an effective and ethical manner.

Here are some best practices to consider when conducting a corporate culture assessment that supercharge the transformation.

Ensuring confidentiality

Confidentiality is essential when conducting a corporate culture assessment. Employees need to feel safe and comfortable to share their thoughts and experiences without fear of retaliation or judgment.

It's important to communicate to employees that their responses will be kept anonymous and that their feedback will be used to make relevant changes.

Encouraging employee participation

Encouraging employee participation and communication is vital to conducting a successful corporate culture assessment. Employees should be given the opportunity to participate voluntarily and without coercion.

When employees feel they are heard and their feedback is taken into consideration, they are more likely to participate in future assessments and to be engaged in the process.

Providing feedback to management and employees

Providing feedback to management and employees is an essential part of the corporate culture assessment process. The feedback should be presented in a way that is constructive and actionable, and it should highlight areas of strength as well as areas for improvement.

Employees should be given feedback on their individual contributions to the corporate culture, and management should receive feedback on their leadership behaviors and how they can improve their impact on the culture and performance.

Continuously co-monitoring culture

Why do cultures change and how they impact the business is a question that cannot be answered at a static point, rather, the measurement requires continuous monitoring. This is particularly essential to ensure it aligns with the organization's values and goals and strategies.

This process involves regular check-ins and follow-ups to track progress, identify areas that require attention, and make necessary changes.

Implementing these best practices will help to ensure that the corporate culture assessment process is conducted in a way that promotes openness and participation where employees feel valued, motivated, and engaged.

Measuring Changes In Culture Over Time With Technology

One of the emerging trends in measuring changes in culture is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms. These technologies can analyze large amounts of data and provide insights that would be difficult to obtain manually.

AI and ML can help businesses identify patterns and trends in employee behavior that infer the culture changes over time, which can then be used to inform decision-making and strategy development.

It will be crucially important to co-develop data privacy safeguards along the fast-paced AI developments.

Another trend in corporate culture assessment is the use of gamification. This involves incorporating game-like elements into the assessment process to increase employee engagement and motivation.

Gamification can help create a more fun and interactive experience for employees, making them more likely to participate in the assessment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, measuring culture change, while identifying and analyzing the right culture metrics is crucial for the long-term success of any organization.

As we have seen, a positive corporate culture can lead to a range of benefits, including increased employee engagement, reduced turnover, improved communication and collaboration, enhanced leadership and management practices, and ultimately, better business outcomes.

It is clear that continuous assessment and improvement are imperatives to maintain a positive corporate culture in the face of changing circumstances and challenges. While there are certainly challenges involved in assessment and improvement, the benefits are worth the effort.

Measuring the 5 elements of organizational culture