CULTURE

Your culture is the intersection of your vision, mission, and values.

If you don’t create a culture, one arises organically – and it may not be the one you want.  And culture starts with you.

As a leader, you have a unique view of your organization.  You see more of the future.  You see more of the intersection and integration of the present.  You know more clearly how you want your stakeholders (e.g., employees, customers, and owners) treated, and therefore, how they must behave.

• Culture is intentional.  It must be designed and implemented to get the one you are seeking.
• Culture is directive.  It is the source of decision making within your company.  It informs your organization on what to consider when answering questions, solving problems, and planning for the future.
• Culture is aligning.  It is the reason to hire.  The lack of is a reason to fire.  It is the soul of your company that, when empowered, multiplies your capabilities and increases the size of your dreams.
• Culture is precise.  Culture is specific on how to think and behave.  As the owner or CEO, as the principal leader, the culture must fit you first. It is not something your employees necessarily agree with;  it is something they must agree to.

Think about your culture. 

It is intentional, directive, aligning, and precise?  Does your culture power your company, or is it merely good intentions?

Once you get the culture right, everything else becomes much more manageable.  I’ve been through this journey many times.  I know first hand the benefits of getting it right and the consequences of not getting it done.

If you’d like to talk more about this or need help in defining, refining, or implementing your culture, click here.

Keith

www.ClosingStrong.com

“The fact is, culture eats strategy for lunch. You can have a good strategy in place, but if you don’t have the culture and the enabling systems that allow you to successfully implement that strategy, the culture of the organization will defeat the strategy.”

Richard Clark, Chief Executive Officer, Merck
World Business, 2008