“When Apple was just the two Steves (Jobs and Wozniak), they knew the culture they wanted to create. They would be the culture that challenged the status quo,” said author Jon Gordon. “Everything they did, including hiring people, running campaigns, and creating products, was influenced by this culture. Even after Steve Job’s death, the culture continues to influence everything they do.”
So where should you start when driving and building a culture? Gordon believes it starts with two questions: 1) What do we stand for? 2) What do we want to be known for? It involves embracing core values such as integrity, respect and accountability and transcends mission statements. As Gordon pointed out, “Driving a positive high-performing culture requires more than words. After all, everyone has a mission statement, but only the great organisations also have people who are on a mission.”
Youth need to be aware that culture is a powerful organisational force that influences the way people think, what they value, how they feel and act. Toxic cultures, according to Pam Robbins and Harvey Alvy, can be characterised by a lack of shared purpose, acceptance of mediocrity, a cultural network of naysayers, and little sense of community. They have “a debilitating influence on old-timers and an intimidating influence on newcomers.” Leaders can combat toxic cultures by searching for positive players who may lurk in the shadows, afraid to confront their “negaholic” colleagues or “keepers of the nightmare”.
Let’s look at encouraging a culture of conversation. Young people should not embrace negative cultures which “tell stories that remind staff of past failures, share pessimistic beliefs about one’s power to make a difference, and convey a sense of hopelessness.” Author Alan Axelrod stated that “business people” have denigrated conversation as small talk, verbiage that takes time away from real business which focuses directly on the bottom line.
Why is it important to encourage an office culture of conversation and small talk? Not only does it strengthen relationships, but Axelrod declared it also “becomes a key source of insight into day-to-day operation of the organisation. It is a monitor on the vital signs of the enterprise—the spirit, attitude, and morale of the place.”
While acknowledging that a culture of conversations benefits organisations, 26-year-old Jahmaal Frederick is of the view that a culture of initiative is also essential. Initiative is a self-management skill which writer Laura-Jane Rawlings described as “the ability to be resourceful and work without always being told what to do.” Organisations do not merely want individuals with academic qualifications and a wealth of experience. They also want young people who can think for themselves and who remain committed to personal and professional development.
Frederick, who’s founder of I Believe in You scholarship, insisted that some youth are not stuck in that zone of dependency, but are using their initiative to establish a path of independence. “We depend on the government for lots of things, especially for employment. However, Frederick said, “a small percentage of our young adults are trying to shift from that culture as we see an increase in entrepreneurship, university enrollment as a form of self-development, home ownership etc.”
Nothing magnified the use of initiative more than the Covid-19 pandemic. As the National Youth Policy highlighted, it slowed down the global economy, but fuelled two types of entrepreneurship — opportunity and necessity. Understanding the value of entrepreneurship and obvious benefits like economic independence and job creation, youth joined the list of individuals who were able to identify and exploit opportunities, and adapt to the changing environment. As many were laid off, made redundant and fired, scores of young people set up shop in their homes, on the streetside, and online.
The policy added that amid the depression and enthusiasm, youth said their drive to entrepreneurial freedom was however plagued with challenges rooted in psychological, educational, and cultural factors. They complained that the climate of this twin island state does not foster innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset. Some youth made reference to the education system, which they claimed does not encourage creativity, but confines students to the traditional realm of standard jobs and shoots down dreams of deviation.
Recognising that cultural change is difficult, Frederick believes that one of the biggest hindrances of positive youth development is our mindset — headwinds in the transformation journey. Development necessitates a rewiring of culture and a repositioning of our young people in the national agenda.
As one official said, we “can decide to intentionally change culture to respond to a dynamic market place or [we] can accept inertia and complacency and fall behind as the world passes [us] by”.