What is your culture?
Years ago, my wife and I visited Robson Street in Vancouver for a small case study on business culture within individual storefronts. We decided to split up and each visit the same 10 stores. We ranked each one from 1 to 10 based on how we felt when we shopped there. How were we welcomed? How helpful was the staff? Was there any special gesture taken while we shopped? These were all things that determined where each store ranked.
At the end of the day, we were evaluating the stores to determine their overall organizational culture.
The idea of “corporate culture” has been around since the 1950s, but anytime a group of people get together to try and accomplish something, a culture will naturally form. It happens in every kind of organization - sports teams, businesses, governments, families, etc. The thing leaders need to realize is there is no such thing as an organization devoid of culture.
That’s why it’s so important to make sure you are actively cultivating and maintaining a positive culture. If you aren’t, the culture is forming without your input and might go in a direction that doesn’t represent your values.
Characteristics of Good Culture
Celebrating wins
+ Maybe those stores we visited provide shoutouts or bonuses when employees achieve reasonable sales or customer service goals. That would certainly improve our experience as customers.
Purpose driven
+ People respond better when they know the “why.” Instead of “we sell clothes to make money,” they need to know that “we make ethical clothes that support fair labour practices and help our customers feel good about what they buy.”
Honesty
+ Obviously, the “why” from the previous point would not help develop a positive culture if the company didn’t actually make their clothes ethically. It would have the opposite effect.
Room for growth
+ Your top-performers will always be people who take pride in what they do and strive to improve. Never pigeonhole these people. Your best cashier today might be your top regional manager tomorrow.
Characteristics of Bad Culture
Micromanaging
● People need to be given space to make their own decisions and the freedom to fail and learn from their mistakes.
Lack of accountability
● When leaders fail to address concerns or provide the tools for success, this attitude will grow through the organization. It’s called the “broken windows theory.” Poor behaviour and neglect encourage more of the same.
Undefined values
+ Some of the stores we walked into had their values right on the wall. Everyone needs to know them and leaders need to lead by example or they will not be embraced by the team.
Insecurity
+ If your employees feel like their job is on the line or that mistakes will be met with punishment, they will never take the initiative to go above and beyond.
The truest measure of an organisation’s culture will always come from its employees - its frontline ambassadors. That’s how we were able to tell so much about those businesses we visited just by interacting with their staff. It’s easy to tell which businesses have strong cultures. Afterall, if your employees don’t love your business, how can you expect your customers to?