Why Your Culture Will Be Different in the Future

by Kevin Eikenberry

The title implies an important point: Your organizational culture is changing. And by the way, “changing” doesn’t mean going back to the way it was in 2019 (even if you hope so).  I will tell you why your post pandemic culture will be different.  But first let me share a simple definition of organizational (or team) culture.

Culture is the way we do things around here, what leads to success and the stories we tell and have heard.

And every group, team, organization, family and gathering has a culture. If we don’t consciously create one, one will form.  

Now that we have some common language, let me tell you why your post pandemic culture will be different.

• A new world. The world of work is changing – and when context changes, culture will change with it. There are new and lasting worries, and societal shifts that will change your culture, like it or not.
• New experiences and knowledge. In March of 2020 many didn’t think remote work would work.  and others, while they wanted to try it, hadn’t been given the chance. Now if you have experienced it, your work world view is forever changed.  We worked together, bought things and interacted with customers in new ways.  All of these experiences and process changes have changed us forever. To put the genie back in the bottle, to ignore these experiences is both impossible and unwise.
• New expectations. Many people have a new conception of what work is and can be.  People have new expectations about how work fits into their lives, and how people look at work/life balance has, in many cases, changed too.  These new expectations about when, how and where people want to work must(will)  become a part of your culture, regardless of your pronouncements about return to office, hybrid work and the like.

Different doesn’t have to be bad. In fact, we believe that this is a critical time to consciously leverage this unique moment to create post pandemic culture that honors the past, acknowledges the pandemic experience and sets everyone up for greater long-term success.

Yearning for or trying to recapture the past – however effective your culture was then – won’t get you where you want to go.

If you want some further thoughts about your post pandemic culture, check out this short video – Your Next Culture Will be a New Culture. To stay up-to-date with our latest thinking and the latest ideas to help you lead and work in the future, subscribe to our Future of Work Newsletter as our gift to you.