Place, People, Purpose, Profit

This is the order in which I thought of these elements of what might be a good framework for establishing the work culture you want. Especially given the present need for Return to Work (RTW). But you can start with any one of them and you will find connections to the others.??

Place – It is overlooked and under-considered. It is not just throwing money at whatever Silicon Valley or the next fad to follow is doing. Some of that might make sense to incorporate, and to do so can be forward thinking, edgy, innovative, but that is not a model to follow or the sole reason to consider adopting or implementing it. Experience matters. Aesthetics matters. What is the experience and sense that you want to create in your workplace???

• Is it isolated cubicles or offices to allow for individual, specialized, or sensitive work???
• Is it collaborative team spaces???
• Is the work high stress and long hours where you might need different spaces to help your employees relax and refresh??

It is probably a mix of all of these. Consider them all and prioritize them in your evaluation.?

People – People first, mission always. Or in this case second… anyway. If you take care of your people, they will take care of you. Great sentiment, sure, but what does that really mean? You must take the perspective of your employees. Yes, all of them. Generational differences, desires, and norms all have an impact on what your culture will be. If you want a positive, engaged, and growing workforce you will need to provide some Individualized Consideration. Now that does not mean coddling or giving in to every whimsical or random request. But it does mean considering them and providing a reasonable and respectful response. They had the courage to ask, have the courtesy of a response and perhaps a conversation as to why it is important. It is highly likely that the ask is an indicator of something else going on. Engage. Converse. Discover. Solve. Measure. Grow.?

Go beyond the employer – employee construct, learn what makes them tick, give them….?

Purpose – Purpose driven organizations have an edge others do not. They are self-motivated to achieve the mission. No, it is not as simple as a cat poster with a catchy slogan on it hanging in the hallway. Purpose is something greater than ourselves, greater than the company, something that inspires and provides a tangible benefit to humanity in some measurable and meaningful way.??

So, what is your purpose???

What is your rallying cry???

What are your employees going to think about when the work gets hard, or life gets in the way, and motivation is low???

A purpose that they have internalized as something greater than all of those will get them to show up, with determination, and deliver.?

And that leads us to the icing on the cake, Profit. If you have attended to and prioritized Place, People, and Purpose – profit will follow. As a very direct and driven individual, I usually like the Bottom-Line Up Front (BLUF). But in this case, we should put it last in consideration to ensure that we are giving due consideration to the other elements of culture. Now you may say, Troy, profit never just follows… and you are correct. However, if you have invested in these other elements, structured your company, refined your processes, and implemented your controls and conversations to incorporate these elements, then you have created a company and culture that likes coming to work, enjoys working with each other, and finds real value in contributing in their role.?

So celebrate a little, carve yourself off a piece of that cake, and enjoy. What the heck you might even share a little, after all what is the point in having cake without a party??

?Absent from this article is the customer voice/journey, product design/quality/placement, and vision/strategy. We will cover those another time. Thanks for reading, what are your thoughts? Let us discuss your situation. If you would like to take some focused time to work on your specific scenario, I am happy to do so.?