Why You Should Spend Your Money on Culture, Not Things!
Wednesday, July 12, 2017 - Joe Kiedinger
Culture is such an elusive word for so many. It’s a concept that is only reserved for the big companies. Or is it? Simply put, culture is comprised of beliefs that employees share. They base their decisions upon these beliefs which dictates their behavior and decision making. In other words, culture = behavior.
So the big question is how do you create culture? First of all, you already have a culture: good, bad or indifferent. Some companies have an execution culture while some are encouraged to leave and go hiking (like Patagonia). Some have a culture of indifference where everyone just kinda walks around and does their own thing. 
It starts by identifying your purpose. Why do you exist? The big idea, the concept that speaks to the heart. Once you’ve identified that, begin by developing a battle cry or mantra. This battle cry is a verb that gets people focused. It could be, “Do the Right Thing.” or “Getter Done” or “People First”.
Your mantra gets people focused on just doing one thing. Then you need to remind it often and display it in action within yourself. With smaller organizations this focus spreads quickly because people see the leaders engaging immediately and they will quickly display the appropriate behavior.
Culture builds companies, strategies come and go. The things you buy will eventually become irrelevant, but a focus on company culture builds a solid base for the future!
Joe Kiedinger
ACTION PLAN: Why do you exist? What’s your purpose? Need help getting started?
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