Have you ever walked into a new office and noticed something unusual? Employees stand up to greet each other, and team members always acknowledge each others’ contributions in meetings. Perhaps they openly share their mistakes during weekly debriefs or decorate their workspaces with personal items. And why do they all arrive early at work, even when not required?
Every organization has its quirks–ways of doing things that might not come with a monetary reward but shape the workplace experience. A thriving organization isn’t just about salaries or perks. Is it about organizational culture, then?
The Sanctum Sanctorum
Sanctum sanctorum–a Latin term meaning the “Holy of Holies” –refers to the most sacred part of a temple. An organization’s culture is its sanctum sanctorum as it envelops the value system, commitment, and organization citizenship.
Think about it. The technical side of a job is usually the easiest part to grasp. An accountant knows how to balance books, an HR professional understands company policies and a line manager understands responsibilities. Rules, policies, and laws guide employees in their structured tasks.
Yet, something intangible holds everything together beyond the official handbooks and training manuals. It’s the informal rituals–the lunch break walks, the late-evening chats over a cup of tea, the impromptu weekend get-togethers. These things aren’t written down but shape the company’s DNA. This is culture.
Unlike learning a technical skill, absorbing an organization’s culture is slow and complex as the process is psychological. It’s not just about following procedures but understanding shared values, behaviors, and mindsets.
The Challenge of Adapting to a New Culture
Adapting to a new culture–whether in an organization or society–is challenging because it includes visible behaviors and unspoken expectations. These shape how people interact and often don’t align with written rules.
Think of an idealistic new employee joining a company where bribery and backdoor deals are the norm. The company handbook promotes integrity, but reality tells a different story. Should they compromise their values just to fit in? The internal struggle is real when informal norms contradict personal beliefs.
People naturally resist change because they find comfort in the familiar. This resistance makes it difficult to relinquish old habits and fully embrace new cultural expectations. However, faithful adaptation does not mean blind conformity. It means understanding the culture while staying true to one’s core values. Organizations, too, must create inclusive environments where employees feel safe to integrate without compromising their integrity.
Sometimes, one honest person can inspire change. Just like a single flame can light a room, one employee standing firm on values might slowly shift the culture around them.
An Analogy: Learning to Appreciate New Flavors
When living abroad, people often cling to the cherished traditions of their home. I remember when I moved from Kerala to Nepal. Kerala’s cuisine bursts with bold flavors–coconut-infused curries, fiery chilies, and tangy tamarind. In contrast, Nepali food is milder, with subtle spices and a distinct preference for lentils and dumplings. For months, I searched for chili plants, desperately trying to recreate the flavors of home. Every meal felt incomplete.
But slowly, I began to appreciate my new surroundings–the simple, earthy taste of dal bhat and the satisfying chew of momo. My palate adjusted, and with it, my experience of Nepal deepened.
Similarly, adapting to an organization’s culture requires overcoming a learning barrier. As I initially resisted new flavors, employees often resisted unfamiliar workplace norms, clinging to past experiences and expectations. But real integration happens when we open ourselves to different ways of thinking, working, and interacting. Letting go of rigid attachments and embracing new practices helps personal and professional growth.
Going Beyond the Visible
While policies and procedures can be formally taught, much of an organization’s culture is learned through social interactions, everyday behaviors, and unspoken norms. Think of it like learning a new language–not just memorizing grammar rules but understanding the humor, the slang, and the subtle cues that make communication feel natural.
For example, when you join a new company, you may notice that people always stay back after meetings to chat informally. You may initially think, “Why waste time when the meeting is already over?” But with time, you realize that these casual conversations are where the real brainstorming happens. Big ideas emerge, alliances form, and people build trust in ways that an official memo never could.
Cultural learning is far more complex than a technical skill because it touches on personal values, identity, and emotions. People resist change not because they don’t want to learn but because they fear losing what’s familiar. An engineer may easily pick up a new coding language, but shifting from a hierarchical culture–where decisions flow top-down–to a collaborative one, where junior employees openly challenge senior leaders, is an entirely different challenge.
Unlike one-time software training, cultural learning requires continuous reinforcement. Leadership plays a key role here–people don’t just follow policies, they follow behaviors. Employees quickly learn what matters if a CEO says the company values work-life balance but sends emails at midnight. Similarly, if promotions are awarded only to those who work overtime, the culture subtly signals that long hours, not efficiency, are the real currency for success.
And culture isn’t confined to an organization’s four walls–it’s shaped by industry norms, societal values, and history. A multinational tech company in Silicon Valley might embrace a casual, innovative culture where employees bring dogs to work and brainstorm over coffee. Meanwhile, a legacy bank in Tokyo may uphold strict formality, where hierarchy and meticulous attention to detail drive decisions. Neither is right or wrong; both are products of their environments.
Cultural learning isn’t about blindly conforming but finding alignment–understanding the unwritten rules, adapting where necessary, and knowing when to challenge them to create a better workplace for everyone.
The South Asian Perspective: The Hidden Layers of Culture
In many Western workplaces, the culture is straightforward. The policies are clear to all, the hierarchies are well-defined, and employees expect consistency in how rules are applied. If a company says meetings start at 9 a.m., you can be sure they start at 9 a.m. If an organization values open feedback, even an intern might feel comfortable challenging a manager’s ideas.
Now, step into a South Asian workplace. Rules may be written, but they are often overshadowed by unwritten traditions. It’s like an iceberg–what’s visible on the surface is just a fraction of the deeper, more complex reality.
Take office relationships, for example. In many South Asian companies, colleagues aren’t just colleagues–they’re part of a closely-knit social fabric. A manager might ask about your family over tea before getting to business. A team lead might gently hint that attending a co-worker’s wedding is expected, not just optional. Promotions and career growth often depend on performance, personal rapport, and loyalty.
Then there’s hierarchy. While many Western organizations encourage open-door policies where employees can challenge decisions, South Asian workplaces often function with deep respect for seniority. Even if a junior employee has a groundbreaking idea, it might not gain traction until someone higher up endorses it. I once heard about a talented young marketing executive in Mumbai who suggested an innovative social media strategy. His idea was ignored–until his senior presented the same idea weeks later. Suddenly, everyone loved it. Understanding these hidden layers is crucial for adapting successfully. Thriving in an organization means grasping the subtleties beyond official policies.
So the next time you enter a new workplace, don’t just read the rulebook–observe the interactions, listen between the lines, and understand the unspoken expectations. And if it doesn’t feel right, maybe you can be the one to change it, but make sure to comprehend the present organizational culture well before diving into it!