Cat, dog and poultry shows, equestrian events, book, bridge and sporting clubs, political parties, chess and Rubik’s Cube enthusiasts or dance schools all have their own ways of operating - setting them apart from others.

Whether it be the way cats are displayed in diorama-style cages highlighting the feline’s heritage, showing livestock by trotting alongside dressed to the nines or book clubs who choose to deliberate over a pint, we find ourselves enmeshed in different ways of working at different stages of our lives.

For those of us stumbling upon these procedures, and often looking on with amazement, we simply don’t fully comprehend the culture. 

By example, I have always enjoyed learning about and working with chickens. 

Rhode Island Reds, Sussexs and Isa Browns have all graced our Taj Mahal of a coup. 

The hens are engaged in conversation by their dutiful owners, fed expensive food and given names such as Princess Layer, Debbie Reynolds and Barbara Streisand, resulting in high-quality eggs that could be sourced far cheaper from the local supermarket. 

But that’s not the point.

Via taunting with jest, family and friends refer to me as a fancier, although seeing the funny side of their labelling remains uncomfortable. 

Talking to farmers, breeders or fellow chicken fanciers is effortless as common language that promotes connections often eventuates due to a commonality and shared understanding.

To elaborate, organisational culture can be defined as: “the way we do things around here”. 

It is a topic that has generated far more strategic focus in recent years; the result of research across thousands of businesses.  

Culture defines a workplace, school or group and can be positive, uncertain or toxic, along with many stops in between. 

A poor culture leads to significant organisational stress, which has a detrimental impact on relationships and outcomes.

Conversely, a positive culture allows people to disagree agreeably and most importantly, be very clear about common goals and a common understanding that they are moving in the same direction. 

For workplaces across the world, a focus on culture is of paramount importance, ultimately, because it leads to improved financial outcomes.

New people to workplaces can be quickly saturated by the culture, often not noticing quirkiness as they dutifully embrace ways of working, and if it is not open to respectful challenge or question, they just become members of staff. 

However, if you can find your feet through asking questions and engaging in forthright discussions, then you have far more chance of becoming a part of a productive and profitable team.

Values, routines, structures and traditions are extremely important to people because we tend to feel secure and comfortable when we know how to behave.

How and when to use the coffee machine or the photocopier, how to access stationery or stack the dishwasher, when to speak and when to listen or which cups are communal are all ways of doings things that may appear trivial on the surface, but the way we learn these rules tells us a lot about culture.

Modern workplaces, sporting clubs and organisations still require rules, but they also require processes to give permission, facilitate the ability to raise a dissenting view or to suggest new ways of doing things and for making decisions when things go wrong. 

My professional and volunteer life has been focussed on building positive cultures with varying amounts of success. When it can be achieved, it is extremely rewarding with the feeling of the leaders giving away their power through empowering others leading to extraordinary outcomes. 

From my experience, a diversity of views and personalities is paramount; don’t just hire yourself repeatedly, recruit or appoint courageously and teach standard operating procedures. 

Look for difference; harness its positivity and acknowledge its success.

Culture is apparent in all organisations. Sometimes it is obvious, while at other times you need to take your time and gain an understanding through peeling back the layers.

And whether you are a cat person, a dog person or a chicken fancier, much can be observed and learned from the way we interact in a variety of environments. I dare you to enter.