Write Down the Unwritten Rules of your Organization's Culture

Write Down the Unwritten Rules of your Organization's Culture

According to Jocelyn Goldfein, "Culture is the behavior you reward and punish". In other words, behavior will shape culture. Behavior that is based on unwritten rules will often determine the course of the organization or the real culture of organization. Therefore, these unwritten rules can be equally powerful as the existing written rules or organizational mission statements.
To update our existing organization culture, we need to assess these unwritten rules from time to time and see whether they are still in line with what is desired.
Karen Niovitich Davis, 2019 HBR shows how to assess unwritten rules:
1. Write out the unwritten rules, whether what is in people's minds is still in accordance with what the organization wants.
2. Challenge your accepted norms. The organization's leader must periodically evaluate whether the unwritten rules still reflect what the leader has set.
3. Overcommunicate when the goal posts move. With the development of business it will require changes in behavior from people. People need to be notified of the change.
Sources:
Razetti, G. "Are You Letting Unwritten Rules Shape Your Culture?", TLNT
Davis K.N. 2019. "Why You Should Write Down Your Company's Unwritten Rules". Harvard Business Review. October 2019.