Aligning the Dots
About a year ago, I was thinking about how mergers and acquisitions play out in terms of culture and wondered if it’s possible to measure and compare the cultures of two organizations. Culture is often seen as a "soft" element, but I thought there must be a way to evaluate it objectively. Dr. Victoria Grady, our guest expert, has some fascinating insights into this.
Q: Can you really measure culture? How do you approach this?
Victoria Grady: Absolutely, Alice Grey. There are many assessments that claim to measure culture, each with its own focus. We developed a model based on four key pillars that we believe are essential for a sustainable, change-ready culture. We call it the “Culture CURV.”
Q: What is the “Culture CURV,” and what are its pillars?
Victoria Grady: The Culture CURV is based on four pillars we identified as critical to a resilient, adaptable culture. These are:
Commitment - How committed are people to the organization and its performance?
Unity - How cohesive is the team, and how well do they work together through shared values?
Relationships – What do the interpersonal connections look like and how do people communicate and collaborate?
Visibility - How apparent is the culture to outsiders? Are signs of culture within the organization visible across the organization.
These pillars help us evaluate whether a culture is aligned with its goals, especially during times of change.
Q: How does the Culture CURV differ from an engagement survey?
Victoria Grady: Unlike engagement surveys that measure positivity or negativity, the Culture Curve assesses where an organization falls on a cultural spectrum. It’s not about a “good” or “bad” score. This can be incredibly useful in situations like mergers or aligning a company for high performance.
Q: What qualities do high-performing cultures have in common?
Dr. Grady: High-performing organizations consistently communicate well and have a clear mission and values that are understood by everyone. Strong relationships within a culture often translate to strong relationships with clients, vendors, and other external stakeholders. These aspects build a collaborative, high-performing environment.
Q: Can the Culture CURV diagnostic be applied to support scenarios outside of mergers and acquisitions?
Victoria Grady: Absolutely. For example, a change in leadership can also benefit from a cultural assessment. A new leader can better understand the organization's current state and identify areas for improvement. It is also helpful for changes in systems and processes, developing strategies to transform culture and internal motivators.
Q: How can we identify and address underperforming areas in a culture?
Victoria Grady: The Culture CURV provides contextual insights rather than black-and-white answers. Each organization’s culture is unique, so we examine where they fall on the spectrum and what the scores reveal. Just like personality tests such as Myers-Briggs, each culture has its own strengths, and a high-performing formula for one organization might look different for another.
Q: In summary, how does the Culture CURV support sustainable culture?
Victoria Grady: The Culture CURV identifies the threads that weave together to create a sustainable culture. It’s about understanding and aligning these threads, especially in times of change, to foster a unified and resilient organization.
what’s inside counts
Alice Grey Harrison and Victoria Grady, PhD are transforming the world of organizational excellence with their data driven approach to culture. Together, they're not just bringing the alignment atlas™ culture assessment and path to performance to market – they're revolutionizing the way we understand and elevate workplace culture.
Victoria Grady isn't just any thought leader – she's a nationally acclaimed powerhouse in organizational behavior with deep science-based insights into cultural dynamics and change. With her knowledge and behavioral understanding, expect nothing short of groundbreaking strategies that transform organizations from the inside out.