Understanding the views of organisational leaders on the frontline is essential.
In May 2021, Shane Michael Hatton commissioned McCrindle to conduct quantitative research to explore the perceptions and experiences of middle managers in relation to organisational culture.
The key objectives of this research was to:
• Explore middle managers’ understanding of what organisational culture is
• Gain insight into middle managers’ beliefs about their role in shaping culture
• Investigate what builds culture and detracts from culture
• Understand how equipped middle managers feel to influence culture within their organisation.
The Organisational culture report is the collation of quantitative data gained through an online survey of Australian middle managers. The survey was in field from the 30th of July to the 11th of August 2021 and received 1,002 responses.
1,002
Participants
48%
Leading 5-15 people
76%
In businesses over 101 employees
Culture is your teams unseen advantage.
A pay cheque and perks might get their attention, and a ping-pong table in the break room might make lunchtime more enjoyable, but the culture is your team’s best unseen competitive advantage.
99%
of managers believe
Culture plays an integral role in the overall success of an organisation
85%
of managers believe
Creating a healthy team culture is a crucial element of their role.
Why Culture?
Culture impacts many aspects of organisational success, especially employee engagement.
In what aspects does culture have a ‘massive’ or ‘substantial’ impact on organisational success according to managers?
What do managers believe are the most important ingredients for creating a healthy culture in an organisation?
Collaboration and teamwork 53%
Leaders are visible and approachable 52%
Open communication and feedback 52%
Trusting relationships 50%
Clear and realistic workload expectations 49%
About McCrindle
McCrindle is a leading Australian research-based advisory firm who “take the pulse of the nation”. They research communities, survey society, analyse the trends and communicate the findings. Learn more
Covid didn't kill your culture.
Managers whose team have worked remotely in the past two years are more likely to believe COVID-19 and working from home has had a positive impact (massive/moderate) on their organisation and team culture rather than a negative impact (massive/moderate).
79%
of managers said
Covid-19 and working from home has had a positive impact (massive/moderate) on their organisation.
83%
of managers said
Covid-19 and working from home has had a positive impact (massive/moderate) on their team.
New Book Informed By This Research
Let's Talk Culture
The Conversations You Need to Create the Team You Want
I’m a Queenslander by birth, Melbournian by choice, curious by nature and creative at heart. I’ve spent the last decade developing remarkable leaders and teams.
I’m an expert in leader communication, blending my experience in business and psychology to help leaders communicate, connect and collaborate more effectively in order to bring out the best in those they lead.
As a speaker, coach and trainer, I’ve partnered with some of Australia’s most well known and loved businesses across the NFP, public and private sectors and my work has been featured in a number of Australian and Global publications including Forbes, HBR, The Australian, Marketing, HRD, In The Black and more.
My coaching helps individuals and teams better understand what makes them exceptional and how they can leverage that to achieve individual and collective outcomes.
I’m a Gallup certified strengths coach, member of the Forbes Global Coaches Council and author of two books including the bestselling ‘Let’s Talk Culture – The Conversations You Need to Create the Team You Want’ and ‘Lead The Room – Communicate a Message That Counts in Moments That Matter’. I also serve as a director for the Asia Pacific Region Board of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).
Hello!
About The Book
Packed with research-based insights from Australia’s leading workplaces, Let’s Talk Culture is the how-to guide for people leaders who want to shape a world class team culture by design.
Successful leaders and organisations know that culture is the unseen advantage of world class teams. But can it be influenced? And what role do managers play in building and shaping it?
Author and expert in leader communication, Shane Michael Hatton, says the research suggests it can be influenced and that the people leader plays a crucial role – but it all starts with effective communication.
Based on extensive research with people leaders on the ground, Let’s Talk Culture reveals the five practical conversations people leaders need to have to design a world class team culture within their organisation.
An easy-to-understand guide for future culture champions, this book will give you the tools to build a team that attracts and retains your top talent, confidently address cultural inconsistencies in the workplace and meaningfully reward the behaviours that strengthen your team culture.
Organizational culture's built through words and actions. This book shows you the conversations you need to spark the behaviour you want to create the culture you desire. Michael Bungay Stanier, bestselling author of The Coaching Habit and How to Begin
In Let's Talk Culture, Shane manages to do what many culture experts cannot. That is to simplify the complexity that is culture. Full of stories and insights, Shane unpacks the 5 conversations about culture that every leader should have with their team. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to create a culture worth belonging to.Gabrielle Dolan, International keynote speaker and best-selling author of six books including Magnetic Stories and Stories for Work.
Although leaders intuitively know that culture is key to the success of their organizations and the well-being of their employees, it is a notoriously slippery construct. Shane helps leaders gain traction by distilling a broad set of research findings and ideas into compelling frameworks, providing concrete examples of practices others have followed, and offering practical advice for putting the ideas into action. I would highly recommend this book to any leader embarking on a large-scale program of culture change. Sameer B. Srivastava; Associate Professor and Ewald T. Grether Chair in Business Administration and Public Policy at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, University of California & Co-director Berkeley Haas Culture Initiative
Culture is a tricky beast, but one that’s so critical to get right in any organisation who wants to do best for both their teams and their customers. Shane has done a great job in demystifying and making the case for the role of a people leader in defining, building, changing, and strengthening culture. It’s full of practical questions and actions all leaders should be asking themselves and their teams.Steph Clarke; facilitator, and host of Steph’s Business Bookshelf podcast
“It’s true that the best storytelling wins but the leader who knows how to talk about culture helps the entire team win. In this engaging and entertaining book, Shane has crafted the roadmap for exactly how to have those critical conversations that will help you craft the kinds of culture everyone is taking about. I wish I’d had this book when I started my managerial journey 20 years ago. If you’re charged with managing others, this book is the companion you’ve been looking for.” Mike Ganino, Public Speaking and Storytelling Coach; Creator of The Mike Drop Method
'Great stuff from Shane, who not only decodes culture, but also provides the data that senior managers require to fund its investment of time and money and the practical insights necessary to do it well, every time.' Colin D Ellis, International speaker, culture change facilitator and author of Culture Fix
After over 20 years running my recruitment business and with over 30 years in the recruitment industry, speaking to different organisations daily about the highs and lows of leading people, I can’t express enough the impact culture has on the success of an organisation and the overall job satisfaction for people who work there. What I love about Shane’s book is he really gets to the heart of what drives culture and through learning from some of the best places to work in Australia shares with us some of the key actions leaders can take to influence and shape the culture they aspire to. Most of what I have learnt as a leader has been through trial and error and many years of experience, I wish I had read books like this earlier in my career because it gives me some of the greatest joy to know that we now have a wonderful business and culture and my team truly love where they work and what they do. Nikki Beaumont Founder/ CEO of Beaumont People
As a leader, any leader, how do you comprehend something you can see, feel and experience everyday – yet struggle to explain to anyone outside of it? You have a conversation. Many conversations. Let’s Talk Culture is the ‘many conversations’ every leader who wants to be intentional about culture must first have with themselves. Shane skilfully weaves hundreds of impressions together and casually, yet pragmatically offers the blueprint to growing a culture that lives, is inclusive, and wins. James Comer, Head of HR, ANZ + People Partner for Sales Engineering, APJC at Cisco
Shane paints a wonderfully vivid narrative of culture as a language we can all learn to speak, even if our dialects are slightly different. As the leader of an integrated health system, this book will aid me in building a more inclusive team to better care for the increasingly diverse communities we serve.Tracy Michael, Senior Health Care Executive
$49
Organisational Culture Report
Get the Organisational Culture Report from McCrindle exploring culture insights according to middle managers.