Stay Vigilant to Fend Off Threats to Your Culture
By: Jared R Chaffee
Tags: Work, Culture, Leadership, Leadership Development, Professional Development

Stay Vigilant to Fend Off Threats to Your Culture

“The reason so many efforts to establish “corporate values” are basically worthless is that they emphasize beliefs instead of actions. Culturally, what you believe means nearly nothing. What you do is who you are.” — Ben Horowitz

In the previous post of this series, I covered how to champion your new culture and put its theoretical design into practice. You can read it here:

If you’re new to this series, you should start back at the beginning. Catch up here:

I’ve mentioned this already, but it’s worth repeating- culture is not a “set it and forget it” thing. You need to be constantly vigilant and focused, and not just when you’re first championing your new culture. You will face threats to it constantly- in the ways your employees behave, in the way you behave, and in the way you respond to external events.

Eyes of a hawk

You need to be hyper-vigilant to identify when your culture may be headed in the wrong direction. So how can you tell?

Attrition. People quitting is a normal part of business. But it probably reflects a culture problem if attrition rates are above average or your high performers and future leaders are leaving. If you see this happening, take some deep dives into their reasons for leaving, including in-depth exit interviews to start identifying the issues. Transgressions. If someone in your organization does something that is not in line with your virtues, instead of writing it off as a one-off occurrence, determine if the culture made this possible. Remember, culture is not what you say or believe, but what you do. Just because you say your culture is one way doesn’t mean that’s actually the case. Take these transgressions seriously to head off any festering cultural problems. Feedback. Remember earlier that new hire orientation is a great way to champion the culture you want. It’s also a great way to determine if your culture has issues. What was the new hire’s first impression? Is there anything they would change at first glance, or is there anything preventing them from doing their job well? How they answer these questions can provide key insights into hidden cultural issues not easily visible.

Responding to crises

When your company is challenged by crises, all eyes are on you and how you respond. How you lead and respond during this difficult time can make or break your culture. Do you make the tough decisions and stay true to your virtues, or do you cave to pressure and take the easy way out?

If there are old, persistent parts of the culture you’ve had trouble changing, crises can also be a great opportunity to make that change once and for all. Use it as your opportunity to instill the elements of your new winning culture to replace those unproductive behaviors.

Common goals

If you’re facing external threats to your culture, then use that to unite your organization together under one common goal. This goes a long way in strengthening your culture as your fend off the threat and avoids infighting. The last thing you need when facing an external threat to your culture is dealing with the internal threat of infighting as well.

Steering the course

The best way to handle threats to your culture is not waiting until there’s already a threat. I’ve said this multiple times, but you need to be proactive. You must constantly examine your culture and shape it to what you want it to be, otherwise it will morph and grow into something you never intended.

“At a time when enterprises can stretch around the globe, culture is the glue that holds a complex organization together. It inspires loyalty in employees and makes them want to be a part of a team. It motivates people to do the right thing, not just the easy thing. At companies with winning cultures, people not only know what they should do, they know why they should do it.” — Paul Rogers, Paul Meehan and Scott Tanner, Building a Winning Culture, Bain & Co

Create the Culture You Want

As you can probably tell, creating the culture you want is not easy and requires significant thought and effort. But in the end, your unique culture is what’s going to give your organization the advantage. Remember what Peter Drucker said at the beginning of this series, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”

Follow the steps and techniques outlined in this series and you’ll be well on your way to creating your culture. But remember that a totally perfect culture is impossible. What resonates with you may not resonate to the same level with everyone, and some may flat out interpret them differently. Ultimately, you should aim for creating the best possible culture for your team.

Remember these are the most important actions for you to take as you embark on your cultural journey:

Decide what you value the most Help everyone on the team to practice behaviors in line with those values

To truly be a great leader with a great culture, ask yourself often “Am I being the person I really want to be?” Self-reflect on your behavior because it’s the most powerful influence on the organization’s culture.

If you haven’t already, read the rest of this series on Building a Winning Culture, by getting all caught up here:

Part 1: Lay the Foundation for a Winning Culture with These 9 Virtues

Part 2: Make Your Winning Culture One of a Kind

Part 3: How to Identify the Culture You Have and Fix What’s Missing

Part 4: 11 Tools to Put Your Cultural Virtues into Practice