Cultures Don't Get Created Overnight

Photo by Helen P Mitchell on Unsplash

Culture isn’t created overnight. You can’t mandate it. 

You also can’t leave it be and assume a positive productive culture will create itself.

Culture needs to be defined and cultivated, which means a few things: 

It has to be intentional. It requires a clear definition i.e. we need to be clear as to what we want it to be.

It has to be actively pursued - we need to have a plan to cultivate it.  

This plan needs to be consistent - with the same coherent and aligned messages and ideas and values, consistently communicated. 

And that communication needs to be constant. Infrequent and periodic efforts won’t do the job. Nurturing culture has to be 24/7.

Of course, all cultures aren’t the same. They can’t be. Every company has its own culture - some are more aggressive, others less so. Some are competitive, others more collaborative. 

All of these cultures are intentional and they serve a purpose. They define who belongs and who doesn’t. They attract certain types of people and repel others. That’s the whole point.

So we need to aggressively and actively develop the culture we want to build the organization we want. This means:

Identify why you exist. What is your mission? What are you trying to do? What change are you trying to make? 

Define your values. Which values will help set the tone to help you get to that mission? It can be tempting to create a laundry list but don’t. Pick the most important ones. Define them. Be clear. 

Lead from the front. Of course, all of this starts with leadership. It’s “do as I do” and not “do as I say”. You, as the leader, need to show up and act in the right manner.

Recruit for those values. Everyone you hire needs to align to those values. If the folks you are considering don’t exhibit these values or haven’t demonstrated them, keep looking. You can’t “make do” when it comes to culture.

Promote the culture carriers. Make a point of putting the culture carriers out there. Hold them up. Promote them. Tell everyone (explicitly and implicitly) to be like them.

Share stories that exemplify those values. Identify those stories, good and bad, and get the word out. Use them to set the example. Use them to encourage behavior. Make it part of company lore.

Embed fun. Make the process enjoyable. Make it positive. Make it memorable. Bring people together. That’s the point.

Everyone needs to drink the Kool Aid. If there’s any deviation or doubt, there must be zero tolerance. A minor cultural erosion now will result in a landslide later. Everyone has to buy in, or they get moved out.

Culture development isn’t optional. Every great company has defined the culture that it wants, and it goes after it. You need to as well.