The System is the Solution… and Systems Change
Wednesday, April 25, 2018 - Joe Kiedinger
Brander-in-Chief philosophy is the idea that the top official in an organization must be aware of and approve the communication direction for a company. They don’t need to be in the weeds, but high above—directing how his or her vision will come to life.
I want to focus you in on the idea of “communication direction”. This includes internal communication direction and external (brand message). They must have a connection that speaks to the same principles. Clarity in the message helps drive a strong culture.
If there is one thing I’ve learned when studying companies with great cultures it is that cultures are defined deliberately. It seems odd to think that anything planned can be authentic. The fact is: authentic cultures are planned and choreographed. Is Disney genuinely courteous? Is Apple genuinely innovative? Would you agree that Zappos genuinely cares about each customer? The answer would be… yes.
Their creators designed their cultures based on the core beliefs, vision and values of their creators. Designing a communication strategy that shares these beliefs in an easy-to-understand way is the key to building an authentic culture. The reason it must be designed is because a culture is only perceived as authentic when everyone inside lives it and embraces the same philosophies and beliefs. Therefore, every employee must learn them and they must be incorporated in all decision making for the beliefs to be accepted and followed.
To begin building your authentic culture, your communication strategy begins with expressing your purpose. Simply put, your purpose answers the following questions:
1) Why do we exist?
2) What are we called to do every day?
3) How are we called to do it?
In beginning to answer these key questions, the Brander-in-Chief is able to start molding a consistent thread through everything they do. Next week, I will share how these core questions are delivered internally!
Joe Kiedinger
ACTION PLAN: Why do you exist? Is it written down? If it’s not written down, it’s not real.