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CULTURAL AUDIT

The Cultural Audit is an exercise which allows you to assess the shared practices, values and
assumptions which inform the culture of your business.

Complete the table below to identify the shared patterns of action and thought that make up
your business’s culture. Make notes on each question with regard to what you see in the culture
of your business. You may be able to complete some of the table from your understanding of
your business culture alone. For some questions, you will benefit from being observant within
your business and speaking with colleagues to gather their input.

When you have completed this table, summarize your findings in your Business Growth Plan.

1. YOUR BUSINESS’S PRACTICES NOTES

1. Is your business an extension of your My relationships with employees are more

family and friendships, or are the family and friendship oriented.
relationships with your staff more
impersonal and goal-driven?

2. Is the knowledge of how to do things in The knowledge is in the heads of people

people’s heads, or do you have
documented processes?

3. Do you have a business structure, or Yes there is a structure.

do staff take on any task that needs
picking up, without a specific remit?

4. How are decisions made? What Usually they ask and there is a set process which
happens when you are not there? they follow.

5. Do all your people come to you with Yes all of them come to me with problems.
problems, or only some of them?
Why?

6. What do you celebrate in your The team working in coordination.

business?
7. What are the rituals you might see at I hold weekly meetings.
your business that tell us about your
unique character? For example, does
someone bring in special food on
certain days? Do you hold regular
meetings with your staff?

2. SHARED VALUES NOTES

1. What is the primary reason that the The business exists as people have one focus to
business exists? see it grow.

2. What values does everyone in the The values were

business truly hold in common? Belongingness, task oriented, good
customer service.

3. What are the priorities among these Good Customer service

values? Belongingness
Task focused.

4. When hiring a new person, how do you Assertiveness

know if they are ‘a good fit’? Communicating Authentically.

5. What are the ‘rules’ at your business Unfocused

(probably unspoken, but well Not a keen communicator
understood) that, if they were broken, Non assertive behaviour.
would cause a person to be seen as a Dis alignment with a client.
cultural outsider?

6. What shared values exist in your More cribbing at work , got in the way of
business that are problematic for you? work.
For example, does everyone value
socializing at work more than getting
the work done?
7. What kind of behavior is rewarded in The individual going out of their way to
your business, and therefore reflects getting things done.
your values?

8. What kind of behavior is criticized in Loosing patience with a client, excellent

your business, and therefore reflects customer service.
your values?

3. SHARED ASSUMPTIONS NOTES

1. What kind of stories do the people who

work here tell about the business when That we are quiet focused
you are listening?

2. What kind of stories and jokes do you

That they don’t believe that this process
think they might tell when you are not
will last long.
listening?

3. What do people admire about the way The admire the way we have maintained
the business has developed? our relationships, with being vocal.

4. What do your employees believe about They believe they have the flexibility to
their ability to innovate in their jobs? innovate and be creative.

5. Do people assume they should check No they usually don’t.

with you before making a decision?

6. Do people believe that it is important to

try to come up with their own solutions Yes they do
to problems?

7. Do employees believe the business

Some do some don’t.
can and will grow?
8. Do employees believe they are a part
Some do , some don’t.
of your vision for the future?

9. Do employees believe they can

Some do , some don’t.
develop within the business?