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When th e B I c k B er r y s l ig h t u p :w h y f i rm s n e lec t th e i r c u l t u reFo rm er S J B erw in head D av id H ar rel a rgues th a t law f i rm sd elu d e th em selv es w hen it c o mes t I th ei r o w n v alu esThe banking crisis and therevelations about mis-selling andLibor fixing, and the failures inthe NHS, have highlighted theissues surrounding corporateand organisational culture. It isperhaps not surprising that thenewly-formed Financial ConductAuthority has made businessculture a particular area of focus.What is perhaps more surprisingis that culture was not a centralfocus before.

It i s my experience, both as apartner in a law firm and thensubsequently as a companydirector, that, while culture istalked about as being important,businesses are generallyreluctant to examine and analysetheir cultures with anythingapproaching the same vigourwith which they might addresstheir business strategies. It is

more pressing and impissues, while I, t o theirembarked on some abst sephilosophical and largelymeaningless examinatioh ofour corporate soul.

There are a number 0 reasonswhy culture is not properlyexamined, but one reason is thecontext in which it come to bediscussed. Culture and 'jaluesdiscussions are frequentlyreserved for drowsy afternoon. h ,Isessions at t e partners retreat orpart of a team-building e~ercise,where managing partner'sand team leaders, desperateto keep the session uPbe,tand motivational, encourflge aconsensus around a number ofaspirations and values. e allplay along and, therefore it is notparticularly surprising tl at weleave the session with a r newed

Is 'innovative' pinkor yellow? Only theconsultant (and heaven)know. Focus groups areformed and we set outour 'values' in as pithyand punchy away aswe can, but ultimatelywe are engaged in anexercise that is less aboutwho we are but moreabout how we want to beseen. Some of it is basedin truth but much of it iswishful thinking. Thereis nothing wrong withbeing aspirational and,indeed, aspirations arepart of a firm's culture,but where the actualnorms of behaviourwithin the businessare not reflected in the'innovative, proactive,client focused butcaring and loving'environment whichwe have described,then scepticism followsquickly.

Ultimately, I believethe reason why somany businessesdo not analyse theircultures with any realvigour is because, likeanalysis of ourselvesas individuals, it is notan easy or comfortableexercise and, therefore,best avoided by listinga collection of valueswhich, if repeatedenough times, mightpossibly become areality.

The paradox in all ofthis is that, in the law,we build firms thathave real personalities,

In th e law , w e b u i ld f i rm s th a th av e rea l p er s o na l i t ies , m o r ea p p a ren t to th o se w ho d ea l w thth e f i rm th a n th o se w ith in .

belief in motherhood generallyand apple pie in particul Ir.It islittle wonder those BlackBerryslight up. I

Another reason for sce~ticismabout debates on culture afdvalues is that, formany bu inesses,the issue only surfaces at t e behestof the marketing departm~nt,who need something catcJyfor the firm's brochure, or hebranding consultants, wh advisethat they cannot choose thlcorporate colours or logo for thewebsite without a list of 'vllues'.

as if culture is an interestingby-product of the business butnot related to the hard metricsby which success and risk aremeasured.I remember very clearly thatwhen I initiated discussions onthe subject at partners' meetings,I could see the faces of manyof my former partners light up,not for the reasons I hoped, butfrom the reflected glow of theirBlackBerrys. It was clear theysaw this moment as an excellentopportunity to catch up on Il lus t ra tio n : T O B A T R O N

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more apparent to those who dealwith the firm, such as clients, Isuppliers, recruits or even alumnithan those within. I always ma e apoint of asking the firm's vacatj-onstudents to describe the other (tityfirms where they had spent thsummer. Their responses werealways unequivocal. One firm ashierarchical and formal, anothL~open and honest, some pompohs,others warm or cold and so onGiven that they had been enga edin a two-week programme at e ehfirm designed in part to showc seits attractiveness as a potentialemployer, and that the firmsthemselves were largely similbusinesses, it was striking hadifferent each one had felt to t esestudents. This might seem to be apretty uninformed view whe seenthrough the lens of a universitstudent, but, in my experienceculture is embedded widely] abusiness and its influenc and

effect is often more app rentfurther down a busine sthan itmay be in thepartners' boardroom

However relucta twe may be to exami eour business culture ,it is clear to me thatorganisations, and l