"Culture" is more than just a buzzword. If you're a leader in today's business world, you know culture is a driving force of success.
First, a strong culture helps companies attract and retain employees. Second, a strong culture strengthens the company's brand and helps employees stay aligned while working toward goals.
But should you create culture intentionally or let it be an evolutionary process? We asked members of Forbes Coaches Council. Here's what they said:
Clockwise from top left: Janet Zaretsky, Cherry Collier, Michelle Braden, Julie Colbrese, Suzi Pomerantz, Tanya Ezekeil, David Taylor-Klaus, Jen Kelchner, Woody Woodward, Larry Boyer, Jackie Nagel. All photos courtesy of the individual members.
1. Success Is a Result of Culture
Success within a company happens as a function of the culture. You must take specific action to create a successful workplace culture. It can start with an idea. Get every level of the company involved and then create initiatives to fulfill on the intended culture, course correcting as needed. This approach allows for inclusive intentional culture creation. – Janet Zaretsky, The Zenith Business
2. A Perfect Balance Is Necessary
This is a classic top-down vs. bottom-up scenario. Too top-down, you end up with a workforce without a sense of ownership. Too bottom-up, you risk development without direction. The solution: Intentionally set a goal of what you want the culture to be. Then allow it to evolve with occasional guidance. – Dr. Cherry Collier, Personality Matters, INC.
3. Excellence Is Never by Accident
There is a well-known quote from Yogi Berra that says, "If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else." This is true in many aspects, including work culture. It is possible to occasionally have a positive outcome without being purposeful, but why take that chance or settle for occasionally? Excellence is never coincidental or by accident. – Michelle Braden, MSBCoach, LLC
4. Creation Is Up to You
You can't control culture, but you can create culture. In any organization, culture happens by design and default. What you don't create intentionally gets created organically. The most successful organizations start with clearly articulated values. From there, every hire, every client, and really, every significant decision should be run through the values filter. If it's not a fit, just walk on by. – Julie Colbrese, Hot Coffee Coaching
5. Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast
Peter Drucker famously said, "culture eats strategy for breakfast." What that means in the context of this question is that if you do not intentionally create the culture that aligns strategically with your organization's objectives and intended results, you will find yourself in an unintentional culture that may be negative, haphazard and automatic. What results do you want? – Suzi Pomerantz, Innovative Leadership International LLC
6. A Strong Core Means the Culture Can Grow With the Business
The culture of a firm typically emanates from the values of the CEO. As long as that core remains and is fostered by management, the culture can expand and grow as the firm does. Purposeful hiring around how people's values and strengths work together creates an authentic, cohesive culture. That combination makes for a workplace where people can thrive. – Tanya Ezekiel, CareerCoach.com
7. That Which Is Tolerated Becomes the New Norm
The first responsibility of the CEO is to set and communicate the vision/mission/values of the organization. That is how the bones of the culture are set. To carry through the metaphor, the meat on the bones is the team you curate. The nerves and blood vessels are the systems and processes you put in place. The skin is your product/service offering. Culture is what you breathe into the system. – David Taylor-Klaus, DTK Coaching
8. Intentional Foundations Prepares You for Organic Growth
Culture creation must be intentional to be in alignment with who you are and what you want your company to represent in the marketplace. You'll attract the right employees and partners to fuel your performance. Just as people grow, your culture will develop organically over time and adjustments will be made to fit who you are becoming. Be conscious of the legacy you want your culture to create. – Jen Kelchner, TeenTrep.co
9. For Culture to Be Sustainable, It Must Be Embraced
Culture is the underlying norms and assumptions that can be observed through such behaviors as how people celebrate, interact and communicate, as well physical artifacts like space, deign, etc. In the early stages, company culture is driven by the personalities, attitudes and beliefs of the founders. For culture to be sustainable, it must be embraced, codified and deliberately managed by the employees. – Dr. Woody Woodward, HCI
10. When You Know Where You Are Going, It's Harder to Get Lost
The evolutionary part comes from how you get there. Imagine hiking off trail with the goal of getting to the top of a mountain. You know exactly where you are going, even if you can't see your goal. Your path to the top will vary with what you find along the way. Pause periodically to assess where you are relative to your goal and adjust. – Larry Boyer, Success Rockets LLC
11. Planning For the Culture You Desire Is How You Get What You Want
If you aren't intentional when it comes to defining your culture, you end up with the culture you get — which may not be the one you want. Creating the culture you want, without going overboard, starts with identification. Ask these questions of yourself and others:
• What values do you want visible in your environment?
• How would those values be expressed?
• What behaviors support the values?
