The Truth

We often say “We’ve never seen a perfect culture, but we’ve never seen one that’s all bad either,” and that’s the truth. In the best cultures, there’s room to be better. In the worst, there are good people and teams trying to do the right thing. Any context that has humans in it will be somewhere back from perfect, but will also have a dose of good intent and possibility loaded in as well.

Based on that, when we ‘review’ a culture, we always expect good and bad. And from there, at some point, we expect to share both the good and bad news, and we must do it in a way that the whole picture is heard, not just good or bad, but both.

There are plenty of courses on techniques, processes, and constructs to get to the truth. The construct and content validity of data and data collection, the proportionate approach to population sampling, taking a standardised approach to interviewing, the critical safety nets – human-centred and trauma-informed – to ensure safety, and materiality and weighting of outliers – all jargon-laiden but all critically important. Make it real, make it representative, keep people safe, make it balanced and don’t discount loud or quiet voices.

However, there is very little written on what to do once you have the truth in your hand.

How do you highlight truths in a way its heard, understood, and ultimately embraced?

And while we’re asked to “review” a culture, it’s not actually how we think about our work.

By the dictionary, Review is “a formal assessment of something with the intention of instituting change if necessary” or “a critical appraisal”.

We understand the formal arrangement and commitment to a ‘review’.

But we also see our work as ‘understanding culture’ and ‘appreciating culture’.

• Understand means to ‘perceive the intended meaning’  and ‘view (something) in a particular way’.
• Appreciate means ‘ recognize the full worth of’ and ‘understand (a situation) fully; grasp the full implications of’.

Review is the assessment and appraisal, and appreciating and understanding the whole of culture you find your options. Not just ‘what’s wrong’ but ‘what could be done about it’.

So, adding understanding and appreciating to the review, and we get a full picture. The full picture of the ‘Truth’ of the culture.

There are some simple rules around holding the Truth in good shape:

1. Don’t sugarcoat – don’t paint it any colour other than what it is
2. Don’t exaggerate – don’t make it bigger than it actually is
3. Don’t judge – you don’t know everything, so best describe what you do know, and always be happy to get smarter, learn more, know more, and better understand.

When people have a difficult report to deliver – a difficult truth to tell – there are five common mistakes.

• Mistake 1: Only tell the good bits.

It easier to deliver good news, so just say the good news, and leave the bad news out. Tell people what they want to hear.

• Mistake 2: Hide the truth. Edit it out or make it so vague, it hides itself.

Both good and bad news needs to be equally clear and concise. As simple and economical with words as you can be, but include it all.

• Mistake 3: Catastrophise for impact.

There are situations that are deeply serious and require a big response, but never need to be exaggerated or catastrophised. They’re enough just as they are.

• Mistake 4: Escalate: Protect yourself momentarily

It’s surprising how many times people have bad news, and only share it with the CEO or someone similar. The reality in culture work is that it takes everyone to solve problems. The CEO can only do so much on their own. You can start there, but you’ll need to find ways to get the message to everyone.

• Mistake 5: Take on responsibility for Resolution.

Looking at culture does not make you the owner of the culture. You’re an invited guest, with a specific role, but your value is only realised if you can get the organisation to own the problem and solve it. It ain’t about you.

Here’s five things that are always worth considering, as you deliver the toughest truths to any organisation or leader:

1. Open-mindedness

You may have done your work well, and think you know the whole story, but you may not. Be open to additions, reasons, and context you were not aware of, that provides a different perspective.

2. Kindness – no one is perfect

Whatever the circumstance, be kind.

No one is perfect. Most of us are doing our best.

Most of us acknowledge and accept imperfections in self and others. We’re also up for the work it takes to improve.

3. Walk in their shoes

When we have a particularly tough report to deliver, we walk in the shoes of those that will receive it. Sometimes that means a one-on-one heads-up on a topic, so they can reflect before a group setting. Sometimes it’s thoughtful and taking care with words – always fair and respectful. Give people a chance to receive bad news well.

4. Communicate to be understood

Once you know what you have to say, its always about the audience.

What do they need to understand, including opportunities to challenge or ask questions.

5. Support solutions and offer options

Accepting the news is step 1, but doing something about it, is a fast step 2. Be confident about potential solutions, and as many options as you can table. Support, listen, and add.

Accept that there are sometimes people well served by the truth not being known or discussed. Their usual way is to discredit the speaker, discredit the process, blame others, or even lie. Make sure your work is done well, and you’re open to being questioned or challenged, or asked for more detail. Always be optimistic that the vast majority of people ask you for the truth and want to hear it. They want to improve things for the organisation and team. Accept the small minority that are wired differently. That ain’t about you either.

Things improve. That is the only proof point for culture work.

And that’s our sole measure.

Positively impacting whatever we found and making it better.

Sometimes that change is as you sit in the room offering ideas. Sometimes, you read about it 6months later in the media.
We watch leadership changes that were essential, finally take place, or difficult topics leaned into, that had long been in the too hard basket.

We have occasionally heard the criticism “You weren’t tough enough”, but we’re not sure what that means. Does taking thousands of people down from a great height, thinking you’re smarter than everyone in the room, not appreciating that some, if not most, of the ideas and solutions will come from people in the room, team, or organisation long after you’ve left. Insulting people, making harsh critiques, and admiring the problem are all places of delight for some. We just find it all unhelpful in building the relationships and space for the conversations that matter most and get things moving. Trust and truth go hand in glove.

Our proof points are simply:

1. Did they hear us?
2. Did they know what to do?
3. Did they do it?
4. Did it make a difference?
5. Are they doing better than they were?

And if it’s 5 yeses, that’s a good day in the office.

And one last word: Never make yourself famous for someone else’s story.  You may be helping them write the next chapter, but it’s not your story to tell. Lose the ego. Understand and respect the role.