Guiding Cultural Change
- Andrew Estep, CAE
- Sep 9
- 2 min read
Because my experience with associations has been both wide and deep, my appreciation of organizational culture has grown. In our data-driven world, it can be easy to overlook the impact that culture has on a nonprofit organization and its work. It is almost impossible to measure culture–to set metrics or key performance indicators. This month we are going to examine culture, how to gauge it and align it with the organization’s purpose and goals. For associations, culture is the undercurrent that shapes whether systems and strategies actually work. In my experience, when culture aligns with purpose, everything else—from board decisions to daily operations—runs more smoothly.
Even in volunteer-heavy associations, culture doesn’t just happen—it’s built. As is too often the case, cultural discussions focus on a human resources department. This article by Luke Reynolds offers suggestions on how to change the culture with an organization’s staff team. The good news, though, is that the same advice applies to volunteers for those truly small associations. The gist is that influencing organization culture takes directed attention and effort.
Remote and hybrid teams are here to stay, and ignoring them erodes connection. This article by contributing editor, Mark Athitakis, offers advice specific to virtual and hybrid environments. It can be too easy to discount employees and volunteers who work remotely. The author explains “proximity-bias,” which can leave remote workers feeling disconnected from the rest of the team.
You can’t improve what you can’t see. This last tidbit from the Nonprofit Association of Washington is a nifty tool for clearly assessing an organization’s culture. It is hard to know where to head without knowing where you are. This simple worksheet can be a good first step in changing an organization’s culture.
Culture may be hard to measure, but it’s not beyond reach. Start with awareness, then build deliberately. Next week, we’ll explore a few training opportunities that can help you assess and improve your association’s culture in practical ways.
This article was written with the editorial help of ChatGPT.
