Cultural fit...say what?!?

I was walking to work this morning thinking about whether a leader can be truly successful if they don't fit in with an organization's culture.  And how important it is to take culture into account when you accept a new job offer.  It felt like serendipity when this article showed up in my inbox: When leaders are hired for talent but fired for not fitting in. Which got me thinking about pieces of an organization's culture that matter most to me. Here are some in no particular order:

1. Respect for diversity: Diversity can be in many forms.  Gender, race, age, sexual orientation are obvious.  Not so obvious are things like diversity in thought - will leadership encourage different opinions or does the HiPPO always win?  Do promotions feel like they always skew towards a particular profile?  Does the company just accept diversity or seek it?

2. Respect for people: This does not mean everyone always gets along.  This means in general, conflict is healthy and the work environment is congenial.  Respect for people also means you trust everyone to do the right thing and give a fair amount of autonomy and decision making power to everyone.  Respect for people is essential to (calculated) risk-taking and failing fast which should be the basic tenets of any company that is trying to transform itself in the digital age.

3. Respect for innovation: The jobs I have been happiest in have been at organizations with an appetite for innovation.  Innovation maturity can be measured a spectrum.  I have worked in companies which are far along in their innovation journey and some that are in the nascent stages.  Maintaining status quo is something that shouldn't feel good - even when the business itself is doing really well - and ultimately is a surefire way to get your business disrupted.

4. Respect for learning: Does the organization invest in continuous learning?  Are retrospectives encouraged?  Are teams given training budgets?  Are people encouraged to become thought leaders in their field through publishing platforms and speaking opportunities?  Do leaders take the time to mentor others inside and outside the organization? I'll end this one with one of my favorite Dr. Seuss quotes: "The more that you read, the more things you will know.  The more that you learn, the more places you will go."

I would encourage all of you to think about your organization's cultural values.  Are they congruent with yours?  If not, what levers do you have to bring about change?  If you have never defined your org's cultural values, start with reading this fabulous deck on Netflix's culture before you start formulating yours.

Also, I love the quote 'Culture eats strategy for breakfast' but PSA, I have yet to find a credible source that attributes this to Peter Drucker.  So, use the quote by all means but proceed with caution when citing the source :)