?? It's Time for a Culture Evolution! ??
?? Chantel Botha
BrandLove Founder| Author of "The Customer Journey Mapping Field Guide" | Transforming Employees into Brand Warriors | CXPA recognized training provider | Keynote Speaker
Are you financially inclined but feel emotionally uncomfortable and cynical? Or are you emotional, naive, and believe in unicorns and magical goodness in this world?
Well, regardless of your perspective, upgrading your culture is crucial because the economic benefits are enormous, and it will make people happier and fill their lives with meaning. And guess what? The money will roll in!
But what do I mean when I say "upgrade your culture"?
I mean moving to the next version, the better version, the kinder and more impactful version. It's about creating a company culture that:
? Gives employees tasks that make them proud.
? Provides employees with a sense of purpose so they can feel they make a difference.
? Fosters personal and professional growth, ensuring individuals are better tomorrow than they were today.
? Creates a team or tribe where people feel they truly belong.
? Values employees' time and passion, allowing them to lead meaningful lives and find worth in dedicating their time to your organization.
? Allows employees to practice a craft that holds value.
Sadly, what I often see in some companies is the measurement of people solely based on productivity and compliance with processes. If they don't perform, they are punished, blamed, and shamed. Many companies prioritize making money as their sole purpose, resulting in employees being measured solely on financial targets. This, in turn, drives short-term behavior that includes selling products to anyone without considering if it's the right fit for the customer or getting clients off the phone as quickly as possible. Learning often takes a backseat due to fear of costs and potential limits on personal growth.
Furthermore, some companies introduce competition and comparison within their teams to motivate individuals and boost performance. However, these attempts often fail in the end. Others resort to paying people just under the benchmark to prevent them from leaving, using long-term incentives that sound prestigious but equate to less than what they could earn with a fair market-related salary.
Stupid targets coupled with a lack of growth opportunities, pride, self-confidence, and fair compensation create uninspiring work environments filled with emotionally disconnected people who perform their duties but lack passion and pleasure in their work.
When companies approach me, saying they have a "culture problem," I know that culture is not THE problem—it's merely where the symptoms manifest. Underlying factors such as pervasive fear and anxiety, lack of discipline, skill gaps, and being stuck in old habits are the germs that infect the workplace.
To gain a better understanding of these problems, we must dive deep and ask important questions:
? What are people afraid of?
? What situations create conflict?
? What actions and behaviors cause irritation?
? What patterns and habits have become the norm but aren't healthy?
? What essential aspects of work life are constantly deprioritized?
Culture is more than just a poster, a campaign, or a tactic for engagement. It is a practice—an embodiment of our actions and how we show up. Culture defines the role we play in our workplace and the skills we develop to thrive together as a team and as individuals. It is evident in our rituals and way of doing things.
Culture already exists within your organization, whether deliberately designed or not. Companies with unarchitected cultures combined with uncertainty, fear, and managers lacking skills, as well as a lack of purpose-driven leaders, often result in what many describe as a "toxic" culture.
Culture is a person's interpretation of who you want them to be in the workplace. It reflects the light or darkness that emanates from individuals, creating the attitudes they bring to work.
?? So, how do we identify the clues to our culture?
Here are some areas to explore:
1?? Your Brand's website:
2?? Your physical presence:
3?? Your Offices:
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4?? Your Meetings:
These are just a few clues, and different spaces will have their own indicators. Medical spaces, for instance, will differ from fashion retail spaces. But each space contains clues that shape people's impressions and ultimately impact how they feel about themselves at work. The stories they build about themselves are reinforced by how leaders and co-workers treat them. For example, feeling excluded and inferior because they aren't invited to the canteen with their colleagues.
Crafting a great culture requires commitment and effort, much like committing to a fitness regime. Fitness cannot be achieved without exercise—it's not always pleasant, and there are days when you don't feel like working out. However, you understand the benefits and the consequences of not exercising, so you prioritize and commit.
The daily practices that lead to a healthy culture include:
? Focusing on purpose.
? Being clear about your values.
? Engaging in open, transparent, and regular communication.
? Listening to one another.
? Providing kind but direct feedback.
? Holding each other accountable.
? Embracing ideation and a continuous desire for improvement.
? Developing the necessary skills to improve interactions between employees and customers.
Take the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Group as an example. They practice their culture and skills daily during their meetings, known as line-ups. These line-ups align and focus their teams, ensuring clarity of responsibilities within the unit. They create an environment where real-time design? is possible—an employee's ability to anticipate, problem-solve, and design new experiences on-the-fly as they engage with customers. This builds confidence and empowers individuals to deliver unique experiences when faced with unfamiliar situations.
I've witnessed culture in various forms—every interaction with an airline, hotel, and brand I've engaged with. Zappos and The Ritz-Carlton have particularly stood out.
As a Culture Activator and Engineer, I guide brands in designing their Brand Aura and activating it. Here are my secrets to a thriving culture upgrade:
1?? Leaders must have conviction and dedicate themselves to the culture upgrade. They view culture as their duty and make time for cultural discussions and co-creation.
2?? Upgrading culture requires a value-driven redesign of the organization. If you're not willing to turn every stone, abandon the culture upgrade.
3?? Co-create your ideal culture with employees. Their buy-in is crucial, and they possess valuable insights into what will work best.
4?? Be prepared for effort, commitment, discipline, and daily cultural practices. Unlearning old patterns and ways of doing things is essential.
5?? Ensure every decision in your company is informed and driven by your values.
6?? Recruit for culture, nurture it, and protect it through continuous engagement with your people.
7?? Study exemplary brands that thrive culturally, focusing on how employee expectations are contracted through processes and role clarity. Cultural osmosis should infuse every standard operating procedure.
8?? Leaders must lead from a values-based foundation, becoming culture evangelists and inspiring every employee to see culture as their responsibility.
9?? Culture is not a project, campaign, or initiative. It requires continuous growth, nurturing, and periodic reviews to ensure its relevance and health.
In summary, moving closer to your desired culture involves prioritizing, defining, designing, activating, delivering, celebrating, and continuously growing your culture. Feedback, empathetic listening, and interpretation of customer and employee insights help diagnose threats to your culture.
If you're leading a culture upgrade, understand that it entails effort, hardship, and incredible rewards. Not everyone will be on board, and some may depart as you reset your culture switch.
Think of it as DNA editing, removing unhealthy elements and retaining those that contribute positively to your future customer and employee experiences.
Culture is your only true differentiator.
Craft something magnificent for your employees and customers—an organizational fingerprint that can't be copied.