Culture. For many, this is a loaded term. What does a good culture truly look like? How does a candidate considering a job find out what the culture is really like inside the company? Do executive teams care about culture, or is it just lip service? The challenge in creating culture is that it must be intentional and ongoing. Otherwise, it will evolve organically, which may lead to ingrained behaviors and practices that are difficult to change.
It’s no surprise people are leery of corporate culture. Values shared on the website and posted on the office walls may sound good, but too often, they don’t manifest in practice. If employees don’t see actions that reflect the values and culture, they dismiss the words and intent behind them.
A recent two-part article from INSEAD examines what it takes to build a strong culture. Instead of ambiguous terms that are essentially meaningless, the article suggests how to address the issue.
Avoid pious platitudes
Things like trust, integrity, and the like are apparent values everyone should have. Have you ever seen a company that listed gossiping or backstabbing as one of their values? Of course not. Platitudes are too generic to mean anything unique about the company. Instead, frame your culture around real-world challenges employees face and how the company would solve them. This will differ for every company and is a more tangible representation of your culture that employees can embrace.
Test for actionability
When developing company values to guide culture, discuss each value and determine if they are actionable for employees. An example cited in the article is Amazon’s value, “Have a backbone: Disagree and commit.” This is a good example of an actionable value for employees. It should go without saying that if someone disagrees, they should share their perspective respectfully.
Embrace vivid imagery
Managing culture always gets more complicated as companies grow. One way to improve the adoption of the culture is to paint pictures with your words. Another example from Amazon is the “two pizza rule.” If a team is too large to feed with two pizzas, it is too big. Once again, this is actionable for employees. There is no confusion on how to size a team when a new project is started.
Hire the right people
Culture always boils down to the people at the company. This starts with the hiring process. It may sound obvious, but what happens when someone who is a top performer and could help the company grow sales is also a complete jerk. Hiring the person will inevitably hurt the culture. The same is true for existing employees. Netflix addresses this with the following, “No brilliant jerks; the cost to teamwork is just too high.”
Let culture shape strategy, not just attitudes
A good culture is more than behaviors, it also supports company strategy. When employees understand the objectives, goals, and north star metrics of the business they are able to confidently make decisions that support the business.
Creating culture requires executive teams to consistently set the tone. If you’re not leading by example, the culture will quickly slip away. “At its core, culture is about shaping behaviour to align with your strategic vision. It turns abstract values into tangible decisions and actions. Whether you’re fostering a high-performing team or a supportive, family-style workplace, success hinges on living the culture you define. When nurtured and exemplified by leadership, a strong culture not only guides decisions but also propels your business forward.”
To learn more about executive leadership and creating culture, send us a note, and one of our executive recruiters will answer any questions you have.