Culture - cause and effect of behaviour
As startup founders, we keep hearing that culture is essential and that culture eats strategy for breakfast.
But, what is culture?
To us, culture is the cause and effect of behaviour. How founders and early employees act, behave and carry themselves sets the organization’s culture.
What can individuals do to help build ‘culture’?
We believe individuals following TOPPGEM in all our day-to-day actions and behaviour will lead to a better work culture that values excellence and people.
TOPPGEM - Trust, Openness, Poise, Patience, Genuineness, Empathy and Maturity
?Individual behaviour for better a culture -
1.??????Trust
?? Do as committed; commit only what you intend to do
("Naan Solrathathan Seiven. Seiratha Than Solven.”?- (Tamil movie dialogue. Same as the previous point)
?? Trust is earned by continuous demonstration
?? Trust, once broken, takes time and effort to repair (for example- missing a deadline)
?? Nobody likes to work with people they can’t trust
2.??? Openness ?
?? Openness to changes (internal and external)
?? Openness to new ideas and views (including those opposing to yours)
?? Openness to new people and experiences
?? Openness to feedback
?? Closed-mindedness creates echo chambers, loss of learning/growth and eventual downfall
3.???Patience
?? Patience with others (time and space to learn, grow and realize mistakes)
?? Patience for results (Compounding effect of your efforts takes time, be patient)
?? All good things worth possessing take time and effort
?? Impatience leads to disappointment
?? Impatience makes us prematurely give up on dreams or goals
4.??????Poise
?? Don’t lose your cool (when things don’t go your way or when you are feeling stressed)
?? Don’t transfer your pressure/anger onto others (shouting, being restless/impatient etc.)
5.???Genuineness
?? Keep the organizations’ welfare at the centre of all actions
?? Customer Delight = Organistions' Welfare
?? Genuiness is lost when we act based on personal ego and preferences
6.???Empathy
?? Think from the other person’s perspective
?? Acknowledge others’ emotions and feelings (even if you don’t agree with them)
?? Do it consciously; it takes effort and practice
?? Don’t assume that others think or feel the same way you do
7.?? Maturity
?? Respond to the situation, Don’t react to people (Don’t React, Respond)
Responding means- acting after thinking logically rather than emotionally
?? Show maturity when handling others’ immaturity
?? Immature people are not respected or liked
Practising TOPPGEM behaviour takes conscious effort, and it is not limited to the workplace. One has to practice it consistently at work and outside to master it.
Which of the above 7 do you think is the most important?
Let me know in the comments below.
Tech and Learning Enthusiast, Author
2 年Kaushal Singh well written..#empathy #integrity #openness to #change and #feedback are #key to #organizationalculture, yet #opencommunication and #transperant #communication is #topdown.
Content Developer | Content Strategist |
2 年Respect?doesn't come with title/position but rather with the behavior( TOPPGEM ), we hold onto! The prime 7 behavioral traits are sufficient to understand earning respect is not easy! #values #guidelines #top 7 #culture
Curriculum Designer
2 年A very insightful one!! Kaushal Singh, your newsletters consistently provide valuable and practical content that I look forward to reading each week. The TOPPGEM, that is mentioned in the newsletter is not only applicable in workplace but also in ones personal life. Keep sharing such high quality content :)
Organization Development Consultant, Expert in Small medium enterprise's Consulting, decade plus in Corporate, decade plus in Management Consulting, Storyteller, Chief Hr Gardener
2 年My top pick is Poise - first internally and then to be externally is an awesome value to have.
Senior Associate - City Union Bank
2 年In short, Behaviour determines culture and Culture determines Behaviour