Culture and Character: Intersecting Pieces of the Onboarding Puzzle

An organization's culture is the sum total of the characters of the individuals in the organization.  The addition of any single individual impacts the culture and the culture impacts the character of anyone joining it.  This is why it's so important to get at the "fit" question in interviews and manage the assimilation part of onboarding well.

Recall the B.R.A.V.E. framework described in an earlier post:

 

Behavior

Relationships

Attitudes

Values

Environment

 

 

 

In terms of character, these are about how individuals:

Behave: act, make choices

Relate: communicate with others, engage in intellectual debate, manage conflict

Attitude: feel about and identify with family, tribe, society

Values: underlying beliefs, principles, approach to learning, risk, time horizons, etc.

Environment: with what and whom they choose surround themselves

I'm making this up along the way here.  Would welcome input from others that know more.

Read More Articles

Confident executive standing on a modern stage, delivering a presentation
Act Like You’re Already Successful to Jump-Start Success

Success doesn’t start when you “make it.” It starts when you behave like you already have. The best leaders - whether they are taking on a new CEO role, launching…

Read Article
Picture of the Allies Normandy World War II amphibious assault D‑Day
Why Leaders Get the Followers and Decisions They Deserve

Leaders don’t simply get the followers they deserve; they get the decisions they design for. When leaders understand the different ways people create value - artistically, scientifically, and interpersonally -…

Read Article
Primegenesis Operational Leadership
The Underappreciated Power of Operational Leadership

Operational leadership is the undervalued fulcrum between theory and reality. It is where strategy stops living in slide decks, where culture becomes observable behavior, and where tactics gain the coherence…

Read Article
NBA Champions game
The Stockdale Paradox: Preparing Your Leadership Team for Adversity

Down 29 points in the third quarter of Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals, the New York Knicks did something that had never been done in Finals history. With…

Read Article
Building Accountability in High-Performing Teams: From Slogan to Commitment

Turning empowerment from a slogan into a mutual agreement and engagement from an attitude into observable commitment  Almost every leader says they want empowered people. Almost every employee says they…

Read Article
Clear road
What To Do When Others Don’t Do What They Said They Would Do

One of the most predictable realities is that not everyone does what they said they are going to do - and even fewer do it when they said they would…

Read Article