Culture is magic
Culture is like magic. We feel it, yet struggle to nail the ‘How’.
It is a set of shared belief, behaviour, learning and related artefact, deeply entrenched and alive, forming a distinct identity.
It is hard to form and hard to change, so both requires a good reason to happen.
We believe culture is a process that can be thoughtfully created and nurtured over time.
Even magic is a process!
Premise
The premise on which organizations form, survive and grow are many. From a culture perspective we are interested in the three elements, that matters the most.
Strategy is in Choice, as seen through decisions
Brand is in Perception, as seen through experiences
Culture is in Belief, as seen through behaviours
When they reinforce each other we get to see a unique organization unfolding, primarily through her behaviour and artefacts, which is an expression of her belief.
Three Circles
Every organization starts with a viable business model, which is primarily an idea based on assumptions, aspirations, reality checks and a high dose of belief.
We visualize this mental model as three circles with Business, Organization and Culture. Necessarily in that order, as without the first the next circle doesn’t really happen.
We named ourselves ‘Third Circle’ based on this interplay of ‘Business’, ‘Organization’ and ‘Culture’, where the third circle is where our heart and mind is.
We believe that we can make a difference to organizations keen to understand what 'makes Culture' and how to 'align it with Strategy'. An organization is high performing only when their Culture becomes Strategy.
There is more to it...
In the first circle, we see every business idea, the 'Why', as the purpose for its existence. Where and what exactly it must produce and to whom it must sell, comes from her ‘strategy’. This is where the entire product to market cycle happens in the mind of the founders.
For business to happen, there is a need for ‘where’ and in ‘what’ form it must be executed. Which is like a machinery built to precisely execute the many plans, to execute the strategy. This is the so-called structural “Organization”, the second circle.
“Who” rides this machinery and “How” should they behave is determined by the people and behaviour. Thus forming the tangible ‘Culture’ of a functioning organization. The Third Circle.
The nature of the “Product” or 'What' is the outcome, eventually is determined by the “Culture”, although the blueprint was given by “Strategy” and executed by the “Organization”. We see an inseparable bond between these three circles, that perpetually influences and shapes each other.