Questions you need to answer about your company culture
Consistency is not my strong suit. I wake up at about 5:45 each morning and get started on my day in about the same way. I read some news, write a blog post or two, make coffee, and check email.
The more routine my morning is, the more centered I am for the rest of the day.
The rhythm and flow of an office is no different. As Jim Collins would say, “consistency is king.”
Consistency is prized because it creates stability and reliability, which results in reduced stress and anxiety. For employees, the goal is to get the highest output with the least amount of effort. As a CEO, I want trustworthiness, accountability, and focus. I want results.
To turn this vision into reality, business leaders need to drive concrete ideas forward that can be understood, processed and achieved. That’s why goal setting matters. It helps everyone in a business know where he or she is going.
The best analogy is that having clear goals is the difference between navigating a map without a destination or with one. Navigating without a destination just doesn’t make any sense.
Yet, true consistency is hard. It requires discipline and most of all clarity.
If you work in an organization that is constantly innovating, changing courses and pursuing new ideas, you may end up thinking that consistency is impossible. But it isn’t.
It really comes down to these five questions:
1. Do you know the non-financial reason that your company exists?
2. Are you clear on your company’s goals?
3. Are people rewarded for doing things that contribute to the team (beyond the bottom line)?
4. Does the leadership think culture is about daily behaviors rather than gimmicks?
5. Do you know the word or words to describe your company culture?
If you can confidently answer yes to the questions above, that’s a strong foundation for a really effective, consistent company culture. There is not one “right" way to answer these questions, but there is a way to not ask them at all.
Picking a path is often all it takes. If you are nurturing a culture or even a subculture in your office, make sure to be clear on the five questions above. Then stick to them.
Nurturing the ideas behind those five questions shouldn’t be a hassle. It can be fun and engaging, creating a virtuous circle. Think of the habits you could foster, the visibility of your corporate culture and the clarity around goals if everyone could engage with them through an app.
That’s one way to make the most of Unleesh. Put your company’s culture into a Path, along with the small and large activities that will foster learning that culture, and bring the whole place to life.
Get everyone involved in a shared learning space on Unleesh, and consistency will become automatic.
Saul Garlick
Founder & CEO
