When I sit down with an organisation looking to improve their culture, it’s often because growth—a good thing—has created tension and conflict.

In most cases, the challenges stem from discord and/or friction within a combination of three core areas. Each of these factors impacts organisational performance.

  1. Vision and mission - how clearly everyone understands the organisation’s direction and their own purpose and role with it.
  2. Operational system - how people work together – what are the systems and processes needed in place to deliver a high quality product or service.
  3. People system  - how people relate to one another – how people relate and work together.
Thinking about culture through these three lenses provides a helpfully structured approach to creating a high-performing, resilient environment.

When all three of these core areas are functioning well, the result is a culture that not only supports performance but also adapts smoothly to change and growth.

However, achieving this cohesion requires ongoing attention and commitment—culture doesn’t shift overnight. It takes consistent effort from everyone in the organisation. Here's more detail on the three areas:

1. Vision and Mission Alignment

When people lack clarity on business purpose, they’re more likely to go off-track, or take on tasks beyond scope, creating unnecessary stress. A clear vision, combined with a 12-month mission plan supports alignment and keeps employees focused on what matters, making the entire system run more smoothly. We are now at the point in the year when many people are thinking about what new year will bring. It's an ideal moment for leadership to check in on the business vision and mission, make any adjustments and clearly communicate this to your workforce, in preparation for a successful 2025.

2. Operational Systems  

Even the best team dynamics can falter if your business operations are clunky. Imagine a retail business, for example, where the delivery process isn’t streamlined and tracked, and customers face uncommunicated delays. Trust in your consumer brand may be eroded, and internally this has an impact too. Employees can become frustrated; they are pulling their weight, but the business systems aren’t delivering. It’s all too common for team members to personalise the issue, perhaps scapegoating other team members, or the individual as the problem (rather than recognition that the broken system is the cause). Distrust, frustration and bickering are all key ingredients in creating a toxic culture. Look to ensure your operating systems are well-oiled to deliver on promises efficiently, and reliably, for both external and internal benefits.

3. People System

A positive culture is supported by ‘above the line’ behaviour through building trust, developing healthy and robust communication, establishing accountability, and nurturing constructive feedback, all wrapped up in cultivating individual and self-awareness. Together,  individual and team commitments foster an environment where people feel supported to be creative, to innovate and work together effectively, which is essential for high performance. Setting the intention for 'above the line' thinking and behaviour within your organisation can be very powerful, and would be a valuable addition to any closing-out-the-year discussion. Take a look at an article I published earlier this month for more on this concept.

Interconnection

Each system is impacted by the other, they have a symbiotic relationship, they are interconnected. Trying to fix ‘culture’ by only addressing one of these components is an anaemic approach that won’t deliver results. If you’re serious about making changes that get results then you have to look at the whole picture!

Looking Ahead

The signs are there that we can expect some economic improvements next year. Inflation has softened, business confidence is picking up and we’re hopeful to therefore see enhanced demand for products and services throughout early 2025. As activity increases, your systems and therefore the strength of your culture will be tested. Without clarity and work completed in this space you could end up stalling rather than capitalising on growth.

If it’s been a quieter period for you, now is the time to prepare. Invest in refining your vision, setting a clear 12-month mission, and strengthening both operational and people systems. Remember, hope alone won’t drive success—these areas need regular attention. Set yourself up for sustainable growth, start now.

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As always, we're here to help and support your organisational development and growth. Feel free to call us on +64 9 300 7224 or email hello@thepeopleplace.co.nz.

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