Organizational culture is critical for our company’s success. Still, it’s often discussed like it’s a mysterious force that magically makes things awesome (think ‘Best Place to Work’ awards) or toxic (think ‘lots of bad reviews on Glassdoor’).
While culture is powerful, it doesn’t have to be mysterious, and there are practical things you can do to shape the environment you and your team work in every day.
In this episode, LZ and I chat with Jenni Catron, speaker, author and CEO at the 4Sight Group. She will help us better understand what company culture is, why it’s important and how we can create a strong culture within our organization.
Here are some takeaways:
1. Value x Behavior = Culture.
Look at your top employees – the ones who do everything right, who never give you anything to worry about, and who are just ideal team members.
Those employees are the model for what you should want when discussing your organization’s culture. Their everyday behaviors reflect their values, which in turn has a tremendous impact on your culture.
2. Culture is measurable.
How would you currently describe your company’s culture? Is it defined? If so, where is it strongest? And where do you see room for growth?
Your culture’s measurability shows up in your metrics because a high-performing, healthy team produces great results.
Engaged workers are less absent and more plugged into your mission and vision. The more workers like this you have on your team, the more your culture grows strong and produces tangible results like lower turnover and higher profit.
Remember, your culture has the power to attract and repel great talent.
3. The three great elements of an organization's working environment are purpose, culture and strategy.
Culture is the linchpin that ties the other two together. If your culture isn’t healthy, you can have the best strategy in the world and still have difficulty executing.
That’s because you’re spending so much time on things like people dynamics — a disgruntled worker, infighting, someone who isn’t clear on their job, etc. Focusing on culture before strategy allows you to be more proactive, rather than reactive when dealing with your team.
4. You can be self-aware without being self-critical.
Nobody is perfect. We all have flaws. The goal is to be a better version of yourself tomorrow than you are today. Look at yourself from a positive, constructive eye.
Many people are so hard on themselves and tear themselves down all the time – that approach will never bring you to a point of growth.
As a leader, you hold the reins to what your company culture becomes. You have the control to curate your culture to what you want it to be.
Take charge of shaping your culture with The Culture Workbook where Jenny defines three keys for developing a thriving team and guides you through defining the building blocks for an extraordinary culture. Here’s a preview of what you have to look forward to in this resource:
The culture of your organization matters. It matters for the people you’re trying to reach — whether they are customers or congregants. It matters for the people you’re trying to lead—whether they’re staff or volunteers. And frankly, it matters to you.
Your life is too sacred to squander in an organization that drains life out of you.
Great culture is not hard to spot.
Think of your favorite places to shop, your favorite brands and products, your favorite places to relax and hang out. Odds are these products and environments have something in common—they engage you. It could be the energy, the atmosphere, the quality, the attitudes of the people, or any combination of the above.
But at the end of the day, great culture draws you in and keeps you coming back.
The environment you create in your organization is either attracting or repelling. There is rarely (I would say never) a middle ground. And, as leaders, we set the tone for the culture. We have to own it. We have to steward it. We have to set it and we have to maintain it.