Insanely Toxic? How about Incredibly Inspiring? Culture Matters
Let’s start with a few definitions!
The word "culture" derives from a French term, which in turn derives from the Latin "colere," which means to tend to the earth and grow, or cultivation and nurture.
Culture is a word for the 'way of life' of groups of people, meaning the way they do things. ... An integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior. The outlook, attitudes, values, morals, goals, and customs shared by a group.
Culture is the character and personality of your organization. It's what makes your business unique and is the sum of its values, traditions, beliefs, interactions, behaviors, and attitudes.
Creating a positive, effective and inclusive culture is a crucial choice you make as a Leader. Big Responsibility with Enormous Upside. Develop an environment where people feel safe to be themselves, bring all their concerns (work or non-work related), feel validated, supported and appreciated. Creating this culture will ultimately feed their productivity, creativity and desire to perform at their best. They’ll enjoy WHERE they work, WHO they work with and the WORK they do.
Developing this culture, EVEN WHEN IT IS NOT the culture throughout the rest of the company, is not always easy BUT it will pay incredible dividends to everyone you interact with.
I liken culture to the soil in the garden. It is the medium from which your people receive everything they need to grow and thrive. Cultivating the work environment is what you do! Who you are! How you act and speak!
SOIL (Culture) Definition
The upper layer of earth in which plants grow, a black or dark brown material typically consisting of a mixture of organic remains, clay and rock particles
So, in essence we have a bunch of dead matter (old habits, old processes & procedures, failures etc.), sticky and impermeable substance (manager actions/decisions that help or hinder) and hard rock particles (corporate policy). WOW, that’s quite the MISH MASH!
Your role as a People Gardener is to be vigilant in listening to your team and eradicating ANYTHING that doesn’t serve the whole. By focusing on this you’re 85% of the way to creating phenomenal soil that will serve every person you plant in
Sticky and impermeable sounds like it could be a really negative thing. However, let’s focus on the positive of these attributes. Sticky, never forgets they serve their team, advocates to the end and doesn’t let themselves be deterred from finding a way to move forward.
Corporate policy can have an impact and leaders need to speak up if the “particles” get too big/rigid and start messing with the soil/culture of their department. Policies are often written or developed with no thought of the practical application in mind, so may need some attention.
Add in all of your experience, knowledge, attitude, skill, enthusiasm and joy (the really good stuff, Compost). Top dressing the soil regularly with compost makes sure it stays a great growing medium. This is you spreading your message, feeding the soil and nurturing your team.
Culture is your responsibility, each person on your team’s responsibility AND management’s responsibility.
WHAT YOU DO & HOW YOU DO IT
WHAT YOU SAY & HOW YOU SAY IT
MATTERS!
Invite questions, encourage failure, embrace new ideas, acknowledge contribution, accept differences, build bridges, tear down walls, praise accomplishments, listen to understand, speak to inspire, love to build relationships, care about the human and be YOU.