Four words often heard within the walls of an organization:

• Adaptability
• Accountability
• Collaboration
• Trust

From your perspective – what do these four words have in common?

• I’ve heard people answer – Values. Yes, these absolutely mirror many corporate values.
• I’ve also seen these as very challenging behaviors for even successful professional adults to master.
• And, how these exist within your organization will all influence your organization’s culture.

Organizational Culture

Do you work in an organization that puts a focus on its culture? If you answered yes, has your organization been able to successfully build and sustain the culture it seeks? And, is there a new focus on your organizational culture with some, or all employees currently working from home during the pandemic?

My experience working with companies is that it is easiest to build a culture and to sustain a culture with focus! And, when you get your most senior leaders/executives to work towards and/or support the efforts to build or change the culture, it will be even more achievable.

Essential Elements Needed to Build The Desired Culture

An organization’s mission, vision and values will drive an organizational culture. It is critical to have buy-in from the senior leaders of the organization, and for them to model the values to ensure they stick rather than erode. Similarly, in order to achieve stated goals and build the desired culture, it is just as important for the senior leaders to align with the mission and vision the organization seeks to fulfill and achieve. Finally, to ensure goals can be achieved, a healthy culture developed, have a highly engaged workforce, and achieve a high level of productivity, it is critical to develop trust across the organization

Several ways to get buy-in to an organization’s mission, vision and values include:

• They need to have true meaning, not just brilliantly constructed statements (ideally – developed through input from your employee population)
• They must be realistic; achievable over time
• Values must speak to the heart of the organization
• They need to tie into the work that everyone is doing and be repeated and “lived” constantly

To build a culture requires:

• Clarity on the why or the purpose
• As previously mentioned, a commitment from the most senior leaders of the organization
• Listening to the employees; taking the time to learn about the culture they would like to be a part of
• Leveraging the employees. Select individuals who have the passion and connection to the mission, vision, and values and want to share the messaging – acting as culture champions
• Leadership at all levels to empower those around them

How do your leaders, from your most senior leaders to your emerging leaders shape your organization’s culture? If you are looking to help yourself or your leaders bring their best selves forward, embrace your organization’s mission and vision and model its values, let’s connect.

“Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first.” – Simon Sinek