Written by Ivan Capdevila | General Director of AMFIVIA
When I hear somebody from my working environment saying “This is very Amfivia-like”, a little smile of satisfaction is drawn on my face. In any case, no matter if positive or negative, that person has recognized a working pattern in a concrete situation. If such patterns are recognized in a clear and sustained period of time, it would mean that we, Amfivia are communicating, without intention, a corporative culture.
Organizations’ goals, mission and values are with no exception defined by the management. These are cardinal, have intention and are transmitted from top to bottom. Corporative culture is essentially sovereign. Corporative culture goes normally close related with organizations’ personality and defines the patterns of the people engaged in it, independently from hierarchy. Sometimes, they are defined as unwritten rules accepted or acceptable by everyone involved. Therefore, every profile of the same team, his/her positioning and their relation with the company stakeholders are potentially more defining when configurating the organizational culture than the unidirectional guidelines issued from the ones on top. It might be relatively easy to define the principles of the corporative culture of an organization because these normally agree with the view of the directors. However, not so easy it is to implement it in a transversal, persistent and sustained way.
From Amfivia we think that the success of an organization’s cultural transformation is proportional to the trust and understanding of all members with the leadership style of the CEOs. We understand leadership as something inclusive, competent, congruent, honest and transparent. Something compromised with the will of the workers to be part of a team, doing a significant job; being responsible for the results, authorized and recognized; it should be crystal clear which positionings are encouraged and which ones are penalized. Therefore, the construction, implementation or transformation of the corporative culture is a work to do, leave and enjoy as a team. It needs an action plan and a systemic approximation from top to bottom, bottom to top, horizontal and transversal. It is important to make sure that in each level of the organization, team members have the chance to feel themselves part of it, identified and compromised with it. From their individual professional activity, they should also be willing to lead it. The organization has to lead through example, being coherent with what he or she thinks, says and does.
Company values and purpose tend to be statics, the corporative culture should be dynamic: able to be adapted to new challenges and opportunities, and strong enough to overcome any trouble or barriers that will for sure come along the way. Depending on the feeling of belonging, attitudes and behavior of the organization, teams and individuals, the organizational culture will have a more or less effective implementation and update. This relates very close to productivity and competitiveness. Internally, enjoying a healthy and consented corporative culture becomes a strategic element for the company, as well as the development of the people involved and its teams. Externally, a positive corporative culture consolidates reputation, seduces the market and the rest of the stakeholders. Furthermore, it attracts and retains the client.
We are living in a hyperconnected and hyperdigital era, and corporative culture becomes key in the positioning of any company. Very soon, it will become its most valuable feature.
