Have you heard of the term “Shadow Culture”? Or am I just slow to the party?
I heard the term for the first time just recently so I did a quick search on Google and LinkedIn hashtags. It turns out that the term isn’t widely used, so I am turning up to that party now … in my best party dress.
Shadow Culture is the behaviour in communities and organisations that is tolerated even if it contradicts explicitly stated values. It is the implicit culture, the unpublished but deeply understood operating manual that includes any shady stuff.
Take for instance the PwC tax leaks scandal. According to the Switkowski report, bad behaviour was tolerated at the firm because of the shadow culture of “growth at all costs”.
Another example is the AFL Club that secretly drug tests players and asks them to fake an injury if they test positive. While listing trust and respect as core values, the club’s Shadow Culture is clearly mistrust and disrespect (and illicit drugs).
In my field I’ve observed negotiations where ethics and probity are agreed as the rules of engagement but, in practice, ethics and probity are swiftly discarded. When working through conflict with leadership teams, I’ve seen huge discrepancies between what leaders say they value and what behaviours they tolerate. I have worked with many organisations that claim to value collaboration, but often leaders want the veneer of collaboration without having to explore opposing views from within their ranks.
The values we demonstrate will always speak louder than the values we espouse – this is Shadow Culture.
Not all Shadow Cultures are negative, but when they are, it is a failure of leadership to let them take root.
Leaders should:
- Walk the Talk: Leaders need to exemplify the behaviours they want to see. They need to demonstrate ethical conduct (in negotiations and conflict resolution and, you know, always!) and set the standards for others to follow.
- Promote transparency: Leaders need to encourage open dialogue about norms and values. Conflict shouldn’t be hidden; it should be explored without fear of reprisal.
- Reward the right behaviours: Leaders should regularly evaluate the alignment between stated values and actual behaviours and reward values-aligned behaviour in negotiations and conflict situations.
I call this a Positive Conflict Culture. It’s a culture where leaders invest in building capability in negotiation skills, where they develop the ability of managers to identify and mediate conflict, and where they deploy a conflict-friendly culture that encourages constructive dissent so that the shadow cultures are exposed to the harsh light of day.
I’d love to help you explore how you can move your organisation away from an unhealthy Shadow Culture to a healthy Positive Conflict Culture.