God save the King

This week’s post was meant to complete the series on organisation commitment- keeping the hearts and minds of your employees; however, as I live in the United Kingdom and it is coronation weekend, I am reminded of the significance of rituals in a nation’s culture and its parallel significance in organisations. I discussed this briefly in my post of Creating a high-performance culture- The ultimate quest- creating a high-performance culture. Part 2 - HR Unplugged.
 
Watching the highlights of the ceremony made me reflect on rituals in organisations. The previous monarch’s coronation and the new monarch’s coronation are similar in style and format but with a modern twist, reflecting the current times we live in. Many of us were in awe of the pomp and pageantry. Organisations should keep hold of their rituals but regularly review them and ensure that it aligns with the outside pressures and opportunities within which it operates. Regardless of whether the ritual is supported or not, it reminds every one of the organisation’s past, present and future.  
 
The coronation also had a lot of symbolic meanings, some can be interpreted now, and some will unfold in the years to come. Other symbols include its value system, power, norms, meaning, heroes and heroines, and how it deals with crises.
 
We know the monarch’s values as a Prince, but as a monarch, he swears to uphold law, justice, and mercy (and is a defender of faiths). How he lives up to these values is up to him, but we can see the last value at play during his coronation. This makes me reflect on the power of the public declaration of your values and living it out loud. Why is this important? Values define an organisation’s actions. It constrains how power is sought and exercised; what kind of emotions and interpersonal relationships it is appropriate to have and in what context; and what types of structure the organisation will have.
 
During Queen Elizabeth’s reign, her understanding of what the crown represented was a life of stoicism and duty; this set the norm for her reign, we don’t know what our current monarch’s norm would be like, but leaders in organisations have an opportunity to learn from the previous monarch to have one message Audience of One - HR Unplugged to manage the different expectations placed on them.

Speaking of symbols mediate meanings and actions, not rationality. And the meaning ascribed to symbols is essential. As the new reign begins, it is hoped that the meanings and actions of the monarch match that of his people, as a mismatch could backfire. At an organisational level, rational decisions, even with all their benefits, are not always the best as they sometimes take time to reach and err on the side of caution. Many companies have made it big when they took a gamble, and the story of Apple comes to mind. If we aspire to be innovative, the language, rituals and interactions should exemplify innovation. Meeting our aspiration will require everyday micro-actions which are beyond written strategy, mission, vision, and values.
 
We should always remember the role of our heroes and heroines. Heroes and Heroines - HR Unplugged. I am sure there will be several heroes and heroines in this new reign as there were before. Long live the King and by extension may your organisation live well and prosper. 

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