As a CEO or business leader, you know it is essential to have a clear vision and mission.
You also know that having an effective team, working together harmoniously and in alignment with that vision, is just as important.
But did you know that the one thing that can make or break your ability to achieve your vision and mission is culture?
Many business leaders understand that culture matters, but don’t always understand why it matters so much—or why it can’t be faked.
Let’s take a look at exactly why culture is so important and why you can’t fake it.
What Is Culture & Why Does It Matter?
Culture refers to the values, beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, and habits of an organization or company.
It is what drives people to behave in certain ways within the workplace and how they interact with each other.
It also determines how employees treat customers or clients—and how customers view the company as a whole.
A positive culture promotes collaboration, motivation, productivity, loyalty from employees and customers alike—it leads to higher performance levels for everyone involved.
A strong corporate culture is also incredibly important for recruiting new talent.
Potential employees want to work for companies whose values align with their own—and who promote an environment that encourages innovation, creativity and growth.
Without this kind of environment in place, organizations have difficulty attracting top talent which can lead to stagnation in terms of growth and development.
Why You Can’t Fake A Healthy Culture
It may be tempting to try to “fake” a healthy corporate culture but unfortunately this often backfires because people can tell when something isn’t genuine.
Instead of trying to create something from nothing (which rarely works), focus on building up your existing culture by encouraging authentic behavior from everyone involved – both internal staff members as well as external clients/customers – who are part of your ecosystem.
Encourage honest communication amongst team members about what works well and what doesn’t; provide opportunities for employees to grow; invest in employee training; create programs that reward high performance; acknowledge successes publicly; foster collaboration between departments; offer flexible schedules when possible…all these things help build trust among all stakeholders which will foster a stronger sense of community within your organization – ultimately leading to greater success!
But it starts with you.
If your intention is to have a healthy culture for the benefits, but you will not yourself live it as a true set of principles or values, then you’re doomed to fail.
Healthy culture needs everyone but it is impacted by those at the top.
The moment the ‘good ones’ are having to absorb the pain caused by the ‘bad ones’ the culture will be one of bandaids, not aligned progress forward.
So consider the truth of your culture today, not just what you say it is.
Make it a priority.
Really!
Yours,
Fox
