February
01,
2022
A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Messaging Go Down
Have you had to deliver any hard messages lately? If you lead a team or an organization, the answer is probably “Yes.” Maybe it’s your company’s vaccine mandate, safety protocols, rules about where and how to work, or covering employee shortages. When you have challenging news to share, is there a right way?
There is a right way, for your organization. The right way depends on your culture. In addition to the basics (be direct, transparent, and empathetic) your organizational culture points the way.
Why? Because culture is powerful. It’s the unconscious mechanism that drives decisions and work in your organization. Put another way, it’s your organization’s immune system.
Information and messages that fit the culture are accepted and absorbed, but content that doesn’t fit the culture is rejected.
What is your organization’s culture? Many people know the answer because their company has done some kind of culture assessment. But if you don’t have a definitive answer from a valid assessment instrument, you can often make an educated guess.
When we approach culture, we like to use the work of Carol Pearson. Pearson established culture archetypes – each one describes how the organization operates and presents itself to the world. Do you see your organization in any of the types below?
| CULTURE TYPE |
DESCRIPTION |
| Every person |
Organizations with this archetype have a strong belief in the importance of each individual and tend to single out those who distinguish themselves with their performance and accomplishments. |
| Lover |
This archetype is manifested in the level of respect between the company and its employees. Lover organizations demonstrate direct communication and emotional honesty. They tend to manage by engagement, collaboration, support, and consensus. |
| Jester |
The Jester archetype brings enjoyment and fun to the work environment. It is manifested in “lightness” in the interactions within the company and with its stakeholders. Jester organizations have a good work-life balance and emphasize celebration of holidays and milestones. |
| Hero |
This is the most common archetype in western organizations. Members of Hero organizations believe in working hard to make the world a better place. Hero organizations usually have a cause and are able to enlist employees in working for it. This translates into vitality, competition, discipline, focus and determination. These organizations value and reward exceptional contributions. |
| Revolutionary |
Revolutionaries are troubleshooters and tangential thinkers. They look for the reasons why the glass is half empty. They are change agents looking for continuous improvements. Revolutionary organizations are able to make tough calls in challenging situations, such as dealing with non-performers. |
| Magician |
Magician organizations run on transformative energy. Innovation, high energy, and flexibility are characteristics of the Magician. They are extremely adaptive and respond easily to changing markets and world conditions. Magicians are systems thinkers and natural change agents |
| Innocent |
Organizations of the Innocent archetype typically highly hierarchical with centralized power at the top. Management acts as a guardian and the company is seen as the provider of employees’ wellbeing. Employees trust management and seek guidance in their development. Learning is passive and directed by management. Innocent organizations tend not to depend on innovation to thrive. |
| Explorer |
Explorer organizations promote individuality, exploration, risk taking, and self-discovery. Employees take responsibility for their own development and use it to drive value at work. Explorer organizations tend to be flat and flexible, allowing individuals to work at their own rhythm and time. |
| Sage |
The Sage organization is gathers knowledge and uses it in practical ways, achieving and demonstrating mastery. They establish centers of excellence that have real effect on the success of the organization. They consider learning to be an integral part of the work day. They value action learning and transformative learning practices. |
| Caregiver |
Caregiver organizations exist in great part to provide for the wellbeing of their employees — from compensation and benefits to personal development. Caregiver organizations value cooperation and support for team members. This archetype is also manifested in care of the organization for the community, society, and world. |
| Creator |
The Creator archetype values innovation and the creative process. Management and high-performing employees demonstrate imagination, artistry, and vision. Creator organizations do not value formality, bureaucracy, or the mundane parts of running a business. |
| Ruler |
Ruler organizations are all about maintaining order and creating harmony amidst chaos. They value responsibility and properly balancing resources. The organization and its individual employees run on decisions, authority, process, systems, goals, and strategies. The challenge for this organization is to balance decisiveness and direction unique situations and needs. |
If you know which one best fits the culture of your organization (or the subculture of your division or team), you’ve got a key you can use to effectively deliver information.
So why not get a leg up on those tough communications? Embed these message themes, based on your culture.
| CULTURE TYPE |
MESSAGING THEME |
| Every person |
Each of you is essential to our success. Here’s how you, personally, can play a role in this transition. |
| Lover |
We feel strongly about this, and we know you do too. We will continue to work on this, together, so we don’t lose what’s so special about our organization. |
| Jester |
Let’s get through this with our trademark humor and creativity, and then celebrate when we’re on the other side. |
| Hero |
This change is the right thing to do. It will be hard for all of us, but it will make our organization (…community, world) a better place. Let’s focus on what it takes to get through this and come out stronger on the other side. If anyone can handle this, it’s us. |
| Revolutionary |
If we want big rewards, we have to constantly improve. That’s what this change is about. Not every organization could handle this, but we’re made of stronger stuff. We will come out better if we do the smart thing now. |
| Magician |
We can do anything, and this is no different. We’re nimble and smart. It looks hard, but we have a unique solution that will transform us into an even better organization. |
| Innocent |
This will be a difficult transition, but don’t worry – we have a plan to get us through it. We will provide everything you need to be ok. When we are through this process, we’ll return to business as usual. Please reach out to management if you have any questions or concerns. We’re here for you. |
| Explorer |
We want to go places no other organization goes, so we’re ready to make a big move. It might be a tough journey, but we are made for this. We will learn a lot along the way, which will allow us to plot the course to even bigger heights. |
| Sage |
We have a sound strategy, based on data, and we know it’s the smartest way forward. In your teams, you will be helping plot the course; you will gather information and lessons learned to hone our plans. This will inform our next wave of change, so we’re smarter as we go. |
| Caregiver |
We’re doing this for a better company and community. It will be a tough journey, at times, but we’re in this together. Each of you will have a custom path through the change, so you finish the transition with new skills and a stronger team. |
| Creator |
Get ready to move! We have a vision to share with you, and we think you’re going to be excited to get started. And we need your ideas, so work with your teams to bubble up the best and send them to your point people. |
| Ruler |
We have a strategy and a process for getting to our goal, but we need each of you to play your part. We will share step-by-step instructions so each of you knows exactly what to do during the transition. As we hit each milestone, we will report out and let you know our progress. Please talk to your manager with any questions on your role or the process. |
The right messaging will help your change plans go down easy. People will recognize themselves, and the organization they belong to, in the communications. That’s half the battle.
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