Before we can begin to understand this very important question we must begin with a definition of organizational culture. One good definition states, “Organizational culture is the pattern of values, norms, beliefs, attitudes and assumptions that may not have been articulated but shape the ways in which people in organizations behave and things get done.” Stated less formally, it consists of the well-known, yet unwritten rules of your organization that shape attitudes and behaviors. This is achieved by what is encouraged, discouraged, accepted or rejected. Even more simply stated, author Samuel R. Chand defines it as “this is how we do things here.”
In an excellent article on church culture published on ChurchExecutive.com, Ronald E. Keener emphasizes the impact of culture. https://churchexecutive.com/archives/a-church’s-culture-is-the-atmosphere-in-which-the-church-functions He states, “The strongest force in an organization is not vision or strategy – it is the culture which holds all the other components.”
Obviously, many experts think culture is critical to the success of any organization, including your parish. That being the case, why should culture matter to you as a leader? As we stated earlier, culture does not arise as a result of a document you write. It does, however, arise by the daily attitude and behavior you demonstrate. Your culture is made up of the values you live daily. You must lead by example and expect that your behavior is the same behavior you would like to see practiced throughout the organization. Your behavior will be modeled by the staff of your organization.
We have all had the experience of shopping at a store or going to a restaurant where we were not satisfied with some aspect of that visit. You may write that off as a one-time mistake and give that place another try. If your second visit yields a similar feeling of dissatisfaction you may complain, or you may just choose not to return. This second unpleasant experience confirms that it was not a one-time incident or an off day but probably reflects the culture.
Think about this in relation to your parish. Is your organization modeling the behavior you would like new parishioners to see? Do they feel welcome? An example from an organization I worked with can illustrate how we can miss what others see readily.
New parishioners to the church would often comment on how the church seemed welcoming once you were accepted but it could be cliquish at first. People were “nice” but not friendly. The pastor was concerned but confused by these comments that he consistently heard.
In this particular parish, the pastor was cordial and pleasant to many on his staff. He interacted well with existing staff. He did, however, struggle to connect with new staff members or volunteers. He did not see that pattern in his own behavior. It became obvious upon observing the situation that staff and parishioners were unwittingly modeling his unintended behavior. Once he began to change, things at the church changed. The parish became well known for its warm and inviting environment to new parishioners. We will continue to look at various aspects of culture over our next few posts.