Creating A Sticky Culture
Jason M. Blumer, CPA
CPA leading a firm for creative consultancies, firms, agencies, service providers, and an expert at team scaling, team structuring, and restructuring.
I've learned so much about culture this past year. I've been given an education. Team members that I thought would have stayed at our company are no longer here, and I think it's in large part due to a lack of culture. Our culture failed to bond them to our company. We are implementing some new things to create a culture that our team does not want to leave (shared in the last sentence). We want to add some stickiness to our culture.
The CEO of Airbnb, Brian Chesky, wrote an article on culture, and it's one of my favorites on the topic. You can read it here. He talks about defending and building the culture. So true. Your culture is a precarious thing, and defending and building culture in companies is an active thing that someone has to own. Chesky says culture is the foundation of their company, and defines it like this:
Culture is simply a shared way of doing something with passion.
I love that. And it leads to some awesome (and hard to answer) questions. How do you define your company's shared way of doing things? When are the leaders, and team, acting with passion?
I believe we should add in the sticky component to this definition:
Culture is a shared way of doing something with passion, that bonds people to the company and each other.
It's a sticky culture that keeps companies together. It can prevent the need for unnecessary hiring (because people left), and allow a team to act together in unison. I believe sticky cultures make companies more valuable. We are going to try some basic things to keep our culture sticky like give gifts to the team, meet weekly on camera (since we are virtual), and try to get together once a year so we can see, hear, and hug each other in person.
We have a great team now, and we are going to invest in keeping them for the long run!
I agree that a "sticky" culture is bound by shared ways of doing things. But the word "culture" is often very loosely invoked and can have multiple, vague meaning. I would suggest that those "shared ways" can be more clearly defined as common VALUES--the essence of which are formulated, clearly articulated and continuously reinforced by management. Values include integrity, honesty, respect for others, teamwork, etc.
Audit Supervisor, CICA / McKinsey Forward Program Alumni
8 年Sets synergy at highest level. Nice article Jason.
CPA leading a firm for creative consultancies, firms, agencies, service providers, and an expert at team scaling, team structuring, and restructuring.
8 年Thanks Jeremy S. Weaver and Andrew Gray, CPA for the encouraging comments. Building great culture is def a journey.
Southwest Central EO Tax Services Market Leader & Senior Manager - Healthcare, Higher Education, Private Foundations
8 年Jason, your self-awareness is admirable and is certainly the first step. I think you're on the right track to creating that "sticky" culture. It's definitely built upon meaningful work AND relationships!
Senior Private Wealth Advisor | Adjunct Professor | Pracademic
8 年Nice thoughts, Jason Blumer, CPA. Culture truly does eat strategy for breakfast. Thanks for your honesty. Before you become hard on your self, remember you are changing an entire industry at the same time. Well done, friend. Thanks from all the little guys being influenced by your leadership in the profession!