Top 5 Corporate Culture Lessons From The British Monarchy
In the wake of the dramatic Oprah interview with Meghan and Harry, we take a look at what not to do when building a corporate culture.
Oprah once again solidified her status as the world’s leading interviewer by snatching up an unprecedented interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, which became an instant worldwide phenomenon. Millions tuned in to hear their side of the story after stepping away from the British monarchy.
Now, we’re not going to dig into any royal gossip here. Instead, we’re going to look at the culture of the British monarchy and see if there’s anything we can learn from it in the light of the interview.
Its influence covers 1,200 years of history making it one of the most entrenched organizations in modern civilization. You’d bet that some form of culture must have developed in order to remain relevant for that long. When we talk of culture here, we mean “…the way things are done around here. The attitudes, beliefs, values, and norms”.2
It’s the culture of the monarchy that drew the world’s attention. As Meghan and Harry spoke out about how they were treated, they were articulating and describing the royal culture. I think it’s safe to say that most people were outraged at the allegations and with #AbolishTheMonarchy trending on Twitter, there are certainly lessons to be learned when it comes to culture.
Instead of embracing this diversity for the great blessing that it is, the Royal family seemed to recoil from it, in a way that came off as completely tone-deaf in our modern world. What could have been an opportunity for fresh perspective, was thrown away in order to maintain the age-old traditions of the organization.
Corporate settings simply cannot afford to ignore diversity. It must be a priority. Diversity brings new ideas, new perspectives, and new thinking that can only serve to improve a company’s ability to relate to their stakeholders. A staggering 78% of people think that diversity and inclusion offer a significant competitive advantage.3 According to research from the Harvard Business Review, employees from diverse companies are “45% likelier to report that their firm’s market share grew over the previous year and 70% likelier to report that the firm captured a new market”.4
Companies that are going to disregard diversity are going to become relics of the past.
Data from Deloitte shows that the “best-performing companies were around 11 times more likely to offer holistic wellbeing support than their peers”.5 This is no coincidence. It is an indication of how an investment in mental health and wellbeing can really contribute to business success by making employees feel valued and supported at all times.
In your corporations, this is the equivalent of signing your death certificate. Remember Blockbuster? Kodak? Nokia? There are thousands of examples of incredibly successful businesses who don’t embrace change and find themselves becoming irrelevant. So why are you risking it, too?
Take inspiration from Netflix. They were the DVD-by-Mail masters. Making films cheaper and more convenient for their customers. Blockbuster, the global high street video store giant, was unable to compete and vanished. Then video streaming arrived and it was Netflix's turn to come under threat. But they adapted. Now they entertain over 200M homes and their net worth is $20Bn.
If you ignore change and desperately hold onto what got you here, you’ll find yourself in big trouble fast.
In your corporate culture, do you speak truthfully? Are your corporate communications authentic and transparent, or spun for an agenda? In a report from the Harvard Business Review, hundreds of business leaders from around the world ranked the most important characteristics of effective leaders as “high ethical and moral standards”.7
But are you always truthful? Research from the University of Massachusetts revealed that “60% of people lied at least once during a 10-minute conversation and told an average of two to three lies”.8
Speaking the truth really is a much better long-term solution and should be something that is deeply entrenched in your corporate culture.9 Speaking truthfully encourages trust, accountability, and fairness – which makes for a much healthier work environment for employees and a much more trustworthy brand for customers.
As a corporation, you have to support your people. You have to stand behind them and show a united front. Without which, you can never even build a culture because you don’t have the trust and loyalty of those who work for you. A survey from Benenden Health showed that “only 19.7% of employees feel supported by their employers”.10
Now, we’re not going to dig into any royal gossip here. Instead, we’re going to look at the culture of the British monarchy and see if there’s anything we can learn from it in the light of the interview.
The Monarchy has a Corporate Culture?
Indeed it does. We may not think of the British royal family as a business, but if you look at it objectively, it’s one of the oldest businesses we have. Strip away the pomp and you’re left with a large organization with a mission to serve the British nation – albeit with slightly fancier marketing than traditional businesses. In fact, Forbes valued the family at $88bn1, a figure that is no small change.Its influence covers 1,200 years of history making it one of the most entrenched organizations in modern civilization. You’d bet that some form of culture must have developed in order to remain relevant for that long. When we talk of culture here, we mean “…the way things are done around here. The attitudes, beliefs, values, and norms”.2
It’s the culture of the monarchy that drew the world’s attention. As Meghan and Harry spoke out about how they were treated, they were articulating and describing the royal culture. I think it’s safe to say that most people were outraged at the allegations and with #AbolishTheMonarchy trending on Twitter, there are certainly lessons to be learned when it comes to culture.
Lesson 1: Diversity matters
The very nature of the British royal family tilts it towards homogeneity. You don’t apply to be a part of the royal family; you are born into it amidst a sophisticated political game – and your titles are earned by the mere fact of your ancestors. When Meghan Markle entered the family, she wasn’t your typical royal. As Oprah said so succinctly, she was a “divorced, mixed race, actress, and independent woman”. She was diverse. She did not fit into the predetermined box that royals were ‘supposed’ to fit into.Instead of embracing this diversity for the great blessing that it is, the Royal family seemed to recoil from it, in a way that came off as completely tone-deaf in our modern world. What could have been an opportunity for fresh perspective, was thrown away in order to maintain the age-old traditions of the organization.
Corporate settings simply cannot afford to ignore diversity. It must be a priority. Diversity brings new ideas, new perspectives, and new thinking that can only serve to improve a company’s ability to relate to their stakeholders. A staggering 78% of people think that diversity and inclusion offer a significant competitive advantage.3 According to research from the Harvard Business Review, employees from diverse companies are “45% likelier to report that their firm’s market share grew over the previous year and 70% likelier to report that the firm captured a new market”.4
Companies that are going to disregard diversity are going to become relics of the past.
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Lesson 2: Prioritise Mental Health and Wellbeing
One of the biggest bombshells to come out of the interview was Meghan talking about her mental health struggles and suicidal ideation. When she approached the HR department within the royal system, she didn’t receive any support – it appeared that Meghan's mental health just wasn’t something they were concerned with.
This is a really sad state of affairs and it’s something we can all learn from in a corporate setting. Mental health has become somewhat of a focus in recent years, but many corporations still see health and wellness spend as a cost, rather than as an essential investment in their employees. This is a big mistake.
Lesson 3: Embrace Change
It really felt that Harry and Meghan could represent a new generation of the Royal family that could be much more accessible to a modern world. But the change to the old traditions was thrown away in an attempt to maintain the status quo. This just shows how stagnant and adverse to change things have become in the organization.In your corporations, this is the equivalent of signing your death certificate. Remember Blockbuster? Kodak? Nokia? There are thousands of examples of incredibly successful businesses who don’t embrace change and find themselves becoming irrelevant. So why are you risking it, too?
Take inspiration from Netflix. They were the DVD-by-Mail masters. Making films cheaper and more convenient for their customers. Blockbuster, the global high street video store giant, was unable to compete and vanished. Then video streaming arrived and it was Netflix's turn to come under threat. But they adapted. Now they entertain over 200M homes and their net worth is $20Bn.
If you ignore change and desperately hold onto what got you here, you’ll find yourself in big trouble fast.
Lesson 4: Speak the Truth
Another key conflict that Meghan divulged related to something that happened at Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress fitting. The official press coverage suggested that Markle had reduced the Duchess of Cambridge to tears and she faced serious media backlash as a result. Markle said that this was “a turning point” for her because in fact, the reverse had happened. And the Royal family had chose to do nothing, throwing Meghan under the bus as a result.In your corporate culture, do you speak truthfully? Are your corporate communications authentic and transparent, or spun for an agenda? In a report from the Harvard Business Review, hundreds of business leaders from around the world ranked the most important characteristics of effective leaders as “high ethical and moral standards”.7
But are you always truthful? Research from the University of Massachusetts revealed that “60% of people lied at least once during a 10-minute conversation and told an average of two to three lies”.8
Speaking the truth really is a much better long-term solution and should be something that is deeply entrenched in your corporate culture.9 Speaking truthfully encourages trust, accountability, and fairness – which makes for a much healthier work environment for employees and a much more trustworthy brand for customers.
Lesson 5: Protect Your People
It’s clear that the Royal family did not support Harry and Meghan because of many of the reasons we’ve mentioned above, and this rift has now caused more damage to the organization than anyone could have imagined. In fact, the whole institution is at risk because of it.As a corporation, you have to support your people. You have to stand behind them and show a united front. Without which, you can never even build a culture because you don’t have the trust and loyalty of those who work for you. A survey from Benenden Health showed that “only 19.7% of employees feel supported by their employers”.10
Adam Grant and Francesca Gino have written eloquently about how small actions can make a big difference in this regard.11 When employees receive gratitude from their managers, they are much more productive. They perform much better when their colleagues respect and appreciate them. It’s simple, but incredibly powerful.
If we do this, the world is our oyster.
If we don’t, we’ll find ourselves on the wrong side of history.
Conclusion
While corporate culture might not be the be all and end all of what drives business success, it can be incredibly damaging when it goes wrong. We can all learn a lot from the Royal debacle – that hopefully we can apply in our own corporations so that everyone we work with feels appreciated, supported, and aligned with our greater mission.If we do this, the world is our oyster.
If we don’t, we’ll find ourselves on the wrong side of history.
