A culture audit is an important way to assess whether the habitual behaviour of the organisation matches its values and strategy
Organisational culture defines an organisation’s unique identity. It seeks to uncover the values, beliefs, attitudes, norms, and the patterns of behaviour that are shared and adopted by members of the organisation. to cope with internal and external pressure. Understanding an organisation’s culture helps us discover why the organisation does what it does and achieves what it does.
A cultural audit can also help you assess required behaviour for cultural fit that prospective new employees require. A culture audit not only helps organisations learn what keeps employees at the company, it can help potential new employees decide whether your organisation is a good fit. The Audit looks at the Employee Engagement levels and how the behaviour in the organisation impacts them.
“Organisational culture is the sum of values and rituals which serve as ‘glue’ to integrate the members of the organisation.” — Richard Perrin
In order for an organisation to remain competitive it should regularly evaluate its values and practices to ensure they are aligned with their strategy. A culture audit can be used to measure whether the habitual behaviour in the organisation matches its expressed values. The audit information can be used to determine the strategic action, development, organisational changes the organisation needs to make to move in the right direction.
The audit gives you a sense of your current culture, gives employees a voice and a reason to participate in the culture you are aiming for. By examining employees’ perceptions of the organisation’s current practices and the values they consider desirable we get to see where the organisation stands. The audit is not an end in itself, but a beginning. The audit acts as a starting point to assess and address cultural strengths and weaknesses within your organisation. The cultural audit can start the discussion on what needs to be done to facilitate real organisational change.
Run a culture audit today to discover your behaviours and how they align to your organisational values.
Richard Riche
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