Ask a person in agriculture what they grow or raise, and they’ll answer right away. We’re used to identifying ourselves in agriculture by sharing where we are from and what we do.
But bring up culture in our business and you might get some funny looks or even a few cold stares. Yet, culture plays a role in agriculture and is intrinsically woven into our fabric. In fact, I was actually referencing some ag culture when I said we are typically comfortable talking about what we grow or where we are from. You didn’t even realize that, did you?
Culture exists absolutely everywhere, including in your own family business. The definition is simple: Culture is a set of norms, habits and social behaviors that are expected. At issue is whether some social behaviors should be accepted or not. Sometimes they are — in a positive, productive culture — and sometimes they are not — in a toxic or negative culture.
Whatever the culture is, you can literally feel it. People recognize it, and they make conscious and unconscious decisions because of it. Think of culture like an umbrella where lots of behaviors and habits exist underneath it.
We see culture in behavior patterns in families, in communities and in society in general. Culture also includes things such as belief systems, laws, customs and our habits.
Culture: Created or Allowed?
Every business has a culture, as does every family. While it’s hard to define, culture exists, and it is felt by everyone even though it’s not physically seen. What’s most interesting about culture is that it is either created or it’s simply tolerated. Though it might seem impossible at times, changing culture can and does happen and you can impact it, particularly when a shift occurs that opens a window for natural cultural change, like one of the following:
- Culture shifts when new leaders take the helm and when new employees join the team at work.
- Culture shifts when someone passes away and the next generation takes over.
- Culture shifts when our attitudes change, even if the same individuals are present.
Working on culture in your farming operation can seem like a major effort that is really uncomfortable. Yet, if your relationships could use a tune up or if you’re experiencing or plan to experience one of the shifts mentioned above, taking the lead to improve your culture could have lasting benefits, including:
- Balancing and aligning individual leadership styles to be more effective.
- Creating a ‘group speak’ that is comfortable and acceptable to all involved.
- Improving or creating norms that make communication more effective.
Culture can be changed intentionally with a conscious effort, and it often needs an adjustment when there is damage that needs repair in relationships or when fissures appear in how a business is run. In our next installment, I’ll identify some culture types so you can see where your operation fits in.
