Thoughts on Influence within Organizations
Introduction
This blog post is about my take on how and by whom culture changes. Before we jump into it, let’s briefly cover a tool I will use to share my perspective. That tool is the Overton Window. According to Time Magazine (according to Wikipedia): “The Overton window is the range of policies politically acceptable to the mainstream population at a given time.”
Also worth noting: Good will be outweighed by bad (Negativity Bias)
The Overton Window of Organizational Culture
I see organizational culture through a similar lens: a range of actions and behaviors acceptable to the organization at a given time.
Through that lens, it’s clear that a person or even a group can’t set the culture, as you can’t assign what a group will find acceptable. Instead, culture can only be influenced over time through behaviors and actions, deliberate or not, at the extremes of the window.
Influence and Impact: The Role of Individual Actions
One of the most fascinating aspects of cultural influence within an organization is the relationship between a person’s level of traditional influence and the impact of their actions as it pertains to moving the window. I hypothesize that this relationship is inversely correlated; those with higher levels of traditional influence often struggle to shift the cultural window positively through their actions, as positive behaviors are typically expected of them. Conversely, their negative actions can profoundly and immediately impact the culture for the worse.
Case in Point: The CEO’s Influence
Take, for example, the CEO of a company. As the highest-ranking individual, the CEO’s positive actions are generally considered part of their role and thus do not significantly shift the cultural window. However, if a CEO lied or engaged in unethical behavior, the negative impact would be substantial and immediate, shifting the cultural window negatively.
The Unsung Heroes: Low-Influence Individuals
On the other end of the spectrum, individuals with seemingly low levels of influence, such as junior employees or those without formal authority, can have a significant positive impact through their actions. Positive public behaviors from these individuals are often not seen as generally expected and can inspire and influence others, thus shifting the cultural window positively. Conversely, while still impactful, their negative actions do not move the window nearly as dramatically as those with higher levels of traditional influence.
Visualizing Cultural Influence
To better illustrate this concept, consider this graph with the individual’s stature on the vertical axis and the negative to positive impact on the horizontal axis.
The top-left “High Impact” area represents the CEO’s lie, and the lower-right “High Impact” area represents the new individual contributor’s public praise of another recent hire for helping them learn a new concept.
Conclusion
By recognizing that culture cannot be set but only influenced and appreciating the inverse relationship between influence levels and the impact of actions, we can better navigate and influence the cultural landscape. Whether you are a CEO or a junior employee, your actions matter, and they collectively shape your organization’s culture. Embrace this dynamic and do everything you can to set up an environment that encourages positive cultural behaviors and actions from everyone, especially from people who are seen as having little traditional influence. For a deeper dive into what you can do, with actionable advice, I suggest reading “What You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business Culture” by Ben Horowitz. In the book, he covers codifying, teaching, and enforcing cultures.