Below is an edited version of an article of mine that Training magazine recently published. Enjoy!
Corporate mission statements and core values lists are filled with buzzwords, aren’t they? I’ve said it time and again to various folks I know in the larger business world. You can keep your catchphrases, because until those ideas translate into the culture of an organization, they’re useless. The trap many teams and organizations fall into is mistaking their excitement about a certain catchphrase or concept for actual, cultural change or identity.
The question then becomes “How can executive teams, managers, and other employees take things from being simply catchphrases to actually being defining elements of organizational culture?”
I’m so glad you asked. There are a few steps an organization can take to work toward a unified cultural vision, and then some ideas around what those within the organization can do to help drive that change.
Plant a Stake in the Ground
I can’t help but think of that scene from Far and Away where the various individuals and families strike out into the territory to stake their claim to a plot of land. There was a sense of urgency for them as they made their way as fast as they possibly could to the plot of land they wanted, and a sense of pride and accomplishment when they staked their claim.
Organizations need to do the same thing. Establish a clear and compelling vision for organizational culture. Answer questions such as: Who are we? What makes us tick? How are we different? Why is the world and marketplace better for our being here? How are we helping people? When you’ve answered these questions, plant that stake in the ground, and don’t waver from it. Organizations such as Zappos and Southwest Airlines have done this very well, and they stand out in today’s market because of it.
Rally the Troops
Employees need a compelling context within which to do their work. If they don’t have this context, they’ll quickly become bored, dissatisfied, even miserable. Once organizations have planted that stake in the ground, they need to communicate it to the rest of their teams. They need to rally their employees around the cultural vision, and help them connect their specific roles and contributions to that vision. Employees should know how their work contributes to the organization being able to answer some of those big questions discussed previously.
Reinforce the Position
Once the organizational culture has been defined or clarified, everything must be aligned with it. For example, if an organization touts a “fun-loving positive attitude” as part of its cultural identity, what does that mean going forward?
If you ask many organizations if they want their employees to have a fun-loving positive attitude, almost across the board their answer will be in the affirmative. However, what they’re likely agreeing to is the ambiguous idea that having fun and having a positive attitude is good. They can nod their collective heads to that sentiment without really understanding what that should look like within an organizational context. This is not an intentional oversight on their part; most organizations do want their folks to have positive attitudes and have fun at work. It’s just that often, executive teams and organizations will affirm that those things are good, while at the same time not putting processes, policies, and human systems in place to solidify that idea within the organizational culture.
If a “fun-loving positive attitude” is truly to be something that defines your group or organization, then everything you do must be built around that concept. And if that idea is truly to be embraced by the organization and felt by the employees, everything must be structured with that idea in mind. Everything—from marketing to interview questions to benefits to atmosphere—must reinforce a given core value. It takes a sustained, intentional effort for organizations to construct a culture where the core values are authentic and felt.
The Champions
So what part do you play in all of this? Again, I’m so glad you asked. There are at least four steps you and/or your organization need to take:
Understand the culture. This means that everyone in the organization, from top to bottom, needs to be certain they understand the vision and culture.
Anticipate and address obstacles. Problems are going to happen, and employees aren’t perfect. No organization will perfectly model its own values and culture. So think forward. Anticipate and adapt. Be ready for anything. And stay positive while you do.
Ensure alignment. We can’t say one thing and do another. Do our processes and systmes reinforce the organizational culture and vision or contradict them?
Champion the culture. Whether you’re an executive or an entry-level employee, one of the greatest contributions you can make within your organization is to be a champion of the culture. Talk about it. Tell stories about it. Invite employees to be part of the ongoing narrative of the organization.
A final word for those in the trenches seeking either to define or live out your organization’s culture, whether you’re an executive or an entry-level employee: Don’t give up. Defining culture and aligning an organization is difficult, but most great things are. Lead from wherever you are, and be the champion of culture your organization needs.
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