Sara Tate on Why Understanding Culture is the Key to Success
Masterclass
August 16, 2024
Sara Tate is the European Partner, Transformation Practice for TwentyFirstCenturyBrand, a purposeful growth brand consultancy that delivers premium strategic services blending commercial creativity, inspirational narrative and actionable application.

Under her leadership,the Transformation Practice accelerates organizational change to drive growth, by focusing on people, not just processes, to unlock behavior change at a fundamentally human level. Working with global organizations like PepsiCo and Mars she has inspired change with a purposeful vision for marketing.

"If you observe and investigate carefully, you'll get actually a lot of the answers and a lot of guidance of what you really need to do in your role... if you want to go in and you want to hit the ground and you want to be able to operate in the successful way you've operated before, you need to understand that culture and you need to learn how to leverage it."​

Sara  provided a framework to help individuals assess and leverage culture in their workplaces. Understanding cultural nuances can help integrate new employees and ensure smoother transitions in leadership. She encouraged people to think about the following.

Creating a Cultural Assessment Framework: This involves analyzing the four main areas of culture—Artifacts, Language and Legends, Rituals and Routines, and Power and People. By breaking down these components, leaders can better understand the existing culture and how it influences the workplace.

Standardize Cultural Mapping: Leaders can create a "cultural map" that visually represents the key cultural elements within the organization. This helps identify areas of alignment and misalignment with business objectives, guiding more effective decision-making.

Engage in Listening and Observation: Actively listening to employees and observing day-to-day interactions can provide insights into the unspoken aspects of the culture. This includes understanding the informal networks and power dynamics that may not be immediately apparent.

Develop Adaptation Strategies: Once the culture is understood, leaders can develop strategies to adapt their approaches to fit within the cultural context. This might involve adjusting communication styles, decision-making processes, or management practices to better align with the culture.

Develop A Cultural Integration Plan: For new leaders or employees, creating a cultural integration plan is essential. This plan should outline steps for learning about the culture, building relationships, and gradually introducing changes that align with both the culture and business goals.
These tools are designed to help individuals navigate the complexities of organizational culture, enabling them to lead more effectively and drive business success.

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