One of the often-overlooked aspects of project management is its role in creating a productive cultural environment. The ability of the project manager to influence cultural norms is increasingly seen as valuable in conducting operations and meeting project goals (Brown et al., 1997).
Generally, any project that seeks to redefine processes without first altering the values, shared opinions, and beliefs that supported the old processes is likely doomed to failure. Most projects do not occur in a vacuum. Instead, they can also significantly impact the way people perform their jobs and interact with others. In other words, values direct the actions and the attitudes that can shape the business (Brown et al., 1997).
If those shared team values or cultures are toxic, it can hurt productivity and lead to sub-optimal outcomes. To change this downward trajectory, project leaders should offer positive incentives and treat team members as stakeholders in the project or product lifecycle. This way, team members will be more invested in working towards more productive and successful outcomes (Brown et al., 1997).
Can you think of a company or organization in dire need of a cultural upgrade? If so, please identify and suggest one way to create a positive cultural change?
I will start.
The former Ellen DeGeneres show had a reputation for toxicity. I specifically remember when the studio production shut down during the pandemic how many of her employees began voicing fears over how they would pay their bills during the shut-down, which is odd considering the net-worth of the show’s namesake. Of course, Ellen had no legal responsibility to support her crew financially when the production shifted to her home; however, given the means and resources at her disposal, she could have easily developed a plan to support her employees rather than just abandoning them to fend for themselves during a national crisis.
In contrast, look at how Tyler Perry reacted to the pandemic. His studios enacted stringent COVID-19 protocols, and though he scaled back production, he ensured that his employees did not have to worry about not receiving a paycheck. Tyler also ensured that his production team and even community members received food and other necessities. This sort of support fosters a culture of individuals who are willing to go above and beyond for their employer, as opposed to the adverse reaction of Ellen’s employees who took to social media to highlight examples of toxic work culture and lack of support, which I believe at least in some small part led to the untimely ending of her show.
References
Brown, P., Grove, S., Kelly, R., & Rana, S. (1997). Is cultural change important in your project? Project Management Institute. https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/cultural-change-important-project-3629
A company that I have heard of being difficult on its employees is Stryker and after reading @dani post I figured that I might as well look into this claim myself. After doing extensive research on multiple job sites such as glassdoor and indeed I overall found that Stryker had quite a high rating for working there. Many employees felt that they were compensated well and had access to a great amount of benefits for being an employee for the company. However, one statement that I kept coming across when reading reviews was that Stryker does not seem to care about the individual employee and have no problems in making one work overtime and they may or may not get compensated for it since many employees are salaried. Stryker seems to foster an extremely cutthroat and hardworking environment that does not settle for anything less than perfection and if the employee has any problems with how the company is run they would be terminated immediately. From someone who has never worked in the industry I think that Stryker prides itself on the quality of the work they produce and so they will not accept anything less than extraordinary in terms of the work and in terms of the people they hire. Some work environments will be more intense than others based upon the culture that has been curated in the office. This is an aspect that people should be cognizant about when applying to jobs so that when they actually join, it is not a shock as to how they are being treated. At the end of the day I do not think Stryker is doing anything wrong, as its just a more cutthroat company than others is what it seems to be.
I think there are multiple levels to the culture that an employee will experience in a company. On the smallest level there is the peer-peer relationship. Then there is the manager-direct report relationship. Then there is the project manager-team relationship. Upper management-project manager relationship. And finally the C-suite-upper management relationship. There may be several other relationships in the middle, but for the sake of simplification I'll keep it at that. And while it is true the the fish rots from the head down, as the old German proverb goes, the culture created by C-suite and upper management does not have to determine how members of a team feel in a project. The project manager sets the tone for how an employee will feel at work on a day-to-day basis. This is key because a project manager has the opportunity to really motivate their team, and this positive culture can cascade down to the people managers and other colleagues. So even if a company like Stryker, as @ag2265 suggested, has a generally more cutthroat company culture, the individual project teams may not operate at that level if the project manager chooses to introduce a different team culture that is also just as effective.
I agree with the previous poster in that project team work culture may differ greatly with the general company work culture. I interned briefly at Stryker and my team was quite supportive and cooperative in terms of collaboration and helping each other out when necessary. Of course, I was an intern so I cannot speak for full-time employees, but hours were standard with the exception that if the team was in some sort of crisis.
However, I have heard from other interns that other departments and teams are vastly different from that. Although the overall company culture is the same (same mission statement, same work structure, etc.), the rigor required to be on that team is a lot higher and the standard of overtime is different. It greatly surprised me how different teams can be even though all are under the same company.
Some things are essential to all work cultures. For one, clear communication is so essential that most problems arising in project teams are from some inability to effectively communicate with one another. Another is mutual respect between the project manager and the project team members. The project goes nowhere without both of these roles, so it is critical to understand that everyone has an important function and every problem needs to be taken seriously.
Each project manager has a different management style, but in my opinion, project managers need to positively reinforce project team members, creating a supportive network for the project to move forward. Simple things like acknowledging team members' successes during stand up meetings or allowing for breaks during long meetings may go a long way in ensuring future effective and productive work on the project.
I agree with the notion that culture plays a crucial role in project management and although I am not personally aware of any company or organization that is in dire need of culture upgrade, I can talk about some points that should allow for a good cultural environment in project management. One of the ways that appropriate culture can be incorporated is through different communication styles. Understanding these different styles is imperative for effective communication between the team members and the stakeholders. Another way is through understanding how the cultural norm of an organization affects conflict resolution. This would mean that the project manager would need to find a common ground that respects the cultural preference of conflict resolution. Lastly, it is imperative to have a cultural awareness when building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders. Having this awareness helps project managers navigate the diverse stakeholder expectations, values, and communication preferences.
Culture is going to vary everywhere you go. It really depends on how you fit in. The best recommendation I can make is to see if you are a good fit before you go in. If you are not a good fit. That is totally ok. You will find something better that is a better fit for you. Also, there is going to be a lot of stress and pressure in these environments. Especially, if the projects are not being managed well and there is a really big push from upper management to deliver them on time.
I feel as though culture in any team is often overlooked as a big factor in performance and progress. Even if we look at it in a much further view such as sports, we often see the teams with "culture" performing better than those with good players that have no chemistry. Culture in a workplace starts from the moment you walk in the door, and having an environment that promotes and fosters growth in each individual is crucial to the performance of that company. If you allow people to be themselves and work with others in a learning environment, it only gives people that confidence to work well. This is important in project management because the risk of someone not doing their assigned task is low when the employees are happy with their work. Another thing culture does is set a standard for assignments and how they should be done. This allows for tasks within a project to be streamlined rather than have the transition between different points not be smooth.
I think the culture is very important. There are different ways of managing this dilemma and at the end of the day, it just depends on the company you are in. For me, I would focus on a more continuous improvement culture, but we should definitely strive to do things right the first time. Especially, since the projects are not for like school or college, they are actual business projects.
Personally, I think company culture is a major aspect of any company, but especially a medical device company, to fuel talent retention and attraction. It is important for any company to make their talent feel welcomed, productive, useful, and rewarded for what they're doing. This helps with the retention rate and maintenance of constant flow of new talent to the company.
Although I cannot think of any company that is in a dire need of a cultural upgrade, I can name some important positive company culture pointers. For one, there should be a clear language and communication between all different hierarchal positions in a company. This helps talent lower on the ladder feel just as important as their supervisors, and treated equally and respected. It is also to emphasize work-life balance and being able to have some "compassion" time for employees to be able to take the time needed to be with family or having the flexibility to take off for N days without fear or repercussion.
The influence of cultural norms on project success, as highlighted by Brown et al. (1997), emphasizes the need for project managers to consider the values, shared opinions, and beliefs that underpin project processes. Answering your question about a company or organization in need of a cultural upgrade, the former Ellen DeGeneres show serves as a good example. The toxicity reported within the workplace, particularly during the pandemic, shed light on a need for a positive cultural change. I appreciate your detailed analysis of the contrasting reactions between Ellen DeGeneres and Tyler Perry. In contrast to Ellen's perceived lack of support during the pandemic, Tyler Perry's proactive approach to employee well-being showcases a powerful way to instigate positive cultural change. By enacting stringent COVID-19 protocols, maintaining financial support for employees, and extending aid to both his production team and the wider community, Tyler Perry demonstrated a commitment to fostering a culture of support, empathy, and shared responsibility.
