Culture Eats Systems for Breakfast: Building Processes People Actually Follow

Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest integrated health care systems in the United States, demonstrates how large organizations can balance financial sustainability with community impact. In 2023, Kaiser Permanente reported operating revenues of $100.8 billion, with an operating income of $329 million. While maintaining a strong financial position with a net income of $4.1 billion, the organization invested significantly in both its infrastructure and community health. Kaiser Permanente allocated $3.8 billion to capital spending and contributed $3.1 billion to community health initiatives, showcasing a commitment to both growth and social responsibility (Kaiser Permanente 2023 Annual Report).

As organizations scale, they face an increasingly common dilemma. The systems and processes that enabled their initial success become bottlenecks to future growth. Leadership responds by implementing new processes, only to find that the very people most committed to the organization's mission are often the most resistant to these changes. This creates what the experts refer to as the "process paradox" – where attempts to systematize success actually undermine it.

Research has shown that employees' alignment with organizational values can significantly impact their engagement with new processes and changes. Strong identification with an organization's mission can sometimes lead to resistance if new processes are perceived as threatening to that mission.

A New Paradigm: Culture as Catalyst

The breakthrough comes from understanding that culture isn't an obstacle to be overcome – it's the engine that powers successful process adoption. This insight transforms how we approach system design and implementation.

Consider these real-world examples of organizations that have successfully integrated culture and systems:

Doctors Without Borders

Doctors Without Borders (exemplifies how an organization can develop sophisticated systems that amplify its humanitarian mission. Founded in 1971, the organization has grown into a global movement of 27 associations committed to providing medical aid regardless of race, religion, gender, or political affiliation.

The organization's success stems from three key systematic approaches:

• Independent Funding: By generating 98% of its €2.3 billion budget from 7.3 million private donors, Doctors Without Borders maintains complete operational independence and the ability to speak out about global crises.

• Adaptive Operations: It operates in over 70 countries with standardized yet flexible protocols. In 2023, they delivered 16.4 million outpatient consultations, assisted 337,000 births, and rapidly responded to emergencies in Sudan, Gaza, and earthquake zones in Türkiye and Syria.

• Values-Based Governance: The organization ensures field teams' voices remain central to decision-making. Their governance structure prioritizes independence, impartiality, and neutrality, with current and former field staff driving key decisions.

Doctors Without Borders has also systematized innovation while maintaining quality, breakthrough treatments for drug-resistant tuberculosis, and directing 82 cents of every euro to medical programs. Their model demonstrates how well-designed systems can enhance organizational values and maximize humanitarian impact (Doctors Without Borders 2023 Annual Report).

Warby Parker

When Warby Parker launched in 2010, they didn't just aim to disrupt the eyewear industry – they set out to prove that a business could scale with soul. As a public benefit corporation that has grown to over 230 retail locations while maintaining their founding commitment to provide vision for all, they demonstrate how systems can actually strengthen rather than dilute organizational values.

Their vertically integrated model, from in-house design to their own optical laboratories, creates a system that simultaneously drives efficiency and upholds quality. This approach allows them to provide prescription eyewear starting at $95 while maintaining control over every aspect of the customer experience. Their Buy a Pair, Give a Pair program, which has distributed over 15 million pairs of glasses globally, isn't a marketing add-on but an integral part of their operational DNA.

Life.Church

Life.Church exemplifies how a values-driven organization can harness its resources to create meaningful impact on a global scale. At the core of their mission is a commitment to "lead people to become fully devoted followers of Christ," which drives every aspect of their work. Their approach demonstrates how an organization can scale its impact without losing sight of its core values. By integrating traditional ministry methods with innovative digital outreach, they've created a model that allows them to meet people where they are - whether in a physical church, online, or through mobile apps.

In 2023, Life.Church's community of faith demonstrated extraordinary generosity, contributing over $264 million to support wide-ranging ministries. With nearly 90% of expenses directed towards programs that directly serve their mission, they've proven how systematic stewardship can maximize impact. Their success in reaching over 80,000 people in physical locations and 121,000 online each week shows how values-driven systems can scale without compromise (Life.Church 2023 Annual Report).

Building Culture-Powered Processes

The key to creating processes people actually follow lies in four critical dimensions:

1. Value Integration

• Map each process step to specific organizational values

• Design workflows that strengthen cultural commitments

• Create metrics that measure both efficiency and mission alignment

• Build feedback loops that reinforce core beliefs

• Document how processes express organizational DNA

• Create value-reinforcing checkpoints

2. Purpose Visibility

• Make impact transparent at every step

• Connect daily tasks to broader mission

• Create clear lines of sight from process to purpose

• Design for meaning, not just efficiency

• Build in reflection points

• Celebrate mission moments within process execution

3. Cultural Ownership

• Push process design closest to impact

• Create systems that empower rather than control

• Build in adaptation mechanisms

• Enable values-aligned innovation

• Develop cultural champions

• Design for distributed ownership

4. Mission Momentum

• Design for acceleration of purpose

• Create compound impact through process

• Build scalable meaning into systems

• Enable multiplication of mission

• Track cultural velocity

• Measure mission multiplication

Implementation Framework

Start building culture-powered processes with these concrete steps:

1. Audit Current Systems

• Map where processes and values currently align

• Identify friction points between systems and culture

• Document unofficial workarounds

• Track both efficiency and mission metrics

• Survey cultural champions about system effectiveness

• Analyze adoption patterns

2. Design Integration Points

• Choose one key process to redesign

• Build in value-reinforcing elements

• Create clear purpose connections

• Test with cultural champions

• Document impact on mission fulfillment

• Measure cultural resonance

3. Scale Success Patterns

• Document what works

• Identify replicable elements

• Create teaching tools

• Build systematic rollout plans

• Track cultural preservation

• Monitor mission amplification

Moving Forward: Your Next Steps

Begin by examining one core process in your organization. Ask:

1. How does this process currently express our values?

2. Where might it be unintentionally undermining our culture?

3. What would this process look like if it actively strengthened our mission?

4. How could we measure both efficiency and mission impact?

Remember: The goal isn't to force culture and systems to coexist – it's to design processes that naturally express and strengthen your organizational DNA. When your systems amplify rather than compete with your values, adoption becomes natural rather than forced.

It's important to note that while the examples provided are from large organizations with substantial resources, the principles of culture-powered processes apply equally to small and medium-sized organizations. In fact, smaller organizations often have an advantage in implementing these changes due to their agility and closer-knit cultures.

Regardless of your organization's size, the key is to start small, focus on aligning one process at a time with your core values, and build from there. Even with limited resources, a strong commitment to your mission and a thoughtful approach to process design can lead to significant impact and growth.

Ready to transform your organization's processes from obstacles into accelerants? Let's explore how to align your systems with your values, no matter the size of your organization.

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