Siri, Where’s the CULTURE button in Microsoft Teams?

Would you be surprised if I told you since the Covid-19 pandemic began, Dell Computers has not spent a single dollar running their sales machine? Their sales representatives’ salaries continue, of course, but gone are the trips to the airport, the thousands of hotel nights, the UBERs, the wine-and-dining. It’s all been replaced by a 100 percent virtual team of sales reps, operating from home.

DELL’s share price has nearly doubled. As a corporation, they’ve never been happier.

DELL is not alone. Over the past month, I’ve talked to several clients who’ve been astounded to discover that a PC, a powerful internet connection, a camera, and a couple of passwords are all they need to magically replace what the world, way back in 2019, was so addicted to: their offices, their face-to-face meetings, and their planes. 

But what happened to the conversation about culture? Not too long ago, the word “culture” was on everybody’s lips. Now, with all this pressure to work remotely, it seems completely gone.

Well, I just double-checked Microsoft Teams, and I wasn’t able to find a “culture” icon. I’d have thought Microsoft would have announced their take on converting the water cooler moment, the corridor conversations, the company parties, the-come-to-Jesus conversations, the birthday songs, the Friday afternoon beer - everything that formed our business culture - into a $99 app. Was all that talk about culture just a flash in a pan, thousands of column-inches wasted in HBR, Forbes, and Fast Company?

You know the answer, right? 

Here’s the deal. Building and maintaining a culture is hard work. It requires a huge amount of effort, and guess what? Speaking just for myself, I’m fundamentally lazy. If I can take a short-cut across the grass, I’ll do it. How many times have I been told to stand up from my computer and stretch at least once an hour, but do you think I actually do it?

But am I alone in this? I don’t think so.

Maintaining a culture is like stretching, yet there’s no timer, warning, barometers, or bonus motivating us to do it. All we have is an idealistic drive. “I just think we should do it” isn’t enough.

These days, as we’re forced to connect to each other through our monitors, culture seems more distant than ever. At a time like this, we need to make the effort to keep our cultures alive; and yet, it seems that motivation to actively nurture each other is shrinking. 

Allow me to ask a question that might - just, possibly, might - lead to some good news. I asked Frances Frei, Harvard professor, TED speaker, and author of Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader's Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You: “Do you need to start with an amazing face-to-face culture in order to build a successful virtual culture? Or is it possible, through cables and wires, to transform a broken face-to-face culture into one that functions efficiently online?” Her answer was a simple, unequivocal “YES, it’s possible to build a successful virtual culture, even if your starting point is less than successful.”

I consider this to be encouraging news, since Frances was instrumental in turning around the disgruntled UBER culture, a task she accomplished almost entirely through virtual means. Of course, at least for now, few would dispute that powerful cultures are usually created in person - but given the temporary impossibility of gathering people in person, how would such a “culture button” function on Microsoft Teams?

First…

We all need a sense of direction. We might run a team call every morning, say “Hello,” and share what’s on each person’s agenda for the day. In addition to creating an unspoken, unified commitment, this also establishes a sense of sharing a united purpose, the very essence of what culture is all about. Immediately after the call, the team leader might send out a short note to everyone, reiterating key decisions and directions.

Followed by…

Each channel brings certain strengths to the enterprise: tap into them. TV isn’t the best for food sampling; likewise, those regular video conference calls shouldn’t be used as one-size-fits-all. As Keith Ferrazzi, author of the bestseller Never Eat Alone and his latest book, Leading Without Authority, told me yesterday: “We always kick off our sessions by breaking the larger group into smaller groups of three-to-four and having them share a personal story for five minutes in a virtual breakout room.”

It all makes sense. Consensus building happens in smaller groups, in a confined space where we feel safe to express our thoughts. Some companies have gone even further, creating “comfortable moments of sidebars” - private chats or calls immediately after the session to touch base and enhance the conditions for trust and openness.

And, finally…

Disruption generates ideas. Never before has innovation thrived as much as right now - at least, for some. Here’s the issue. The lack of a roaring, applauding audience can quickly convince the new-thinker that silence means: “Don’t go here.” Was the CEO’s subtle nod on a stamp-sized screen an okay for your idea? Or was it he on mute on another call? 

Now, more than ever, is the time to share success. Tell stories about how someone solved a problem in a new and creative way for customers or for co-workers.

Andrew Lacroix, CEO of Intertek, the world’s leading quality assurance company, told me recently, ”Every day, we highlight one employee, a hero, a person who has introduced new and innovative thinking to our organization.” 

Here’s what it does. It sends a clear signal to the hero: “Keep on doing what you do!” But it also sends a clear signal to the rest of the organization: It’s time to change. 

Keith Ferrazzi elegantly frames this message by saying, “As Covid-19 eventually fades out, let's never go back to work. Let's move forward.” Because, as he says, “Why not learn from the current crisis? Let’s adopt today’s lessons for the future.”

After all, these lessons are not coming easily. Let’s not waste them. 

Given an extraordinary demand, we’ve for the first time ever allocated twenty 1:1 private sessions with Martin Lindstrom where you’ll be able to secure his advice, recommendations, breakthrough ideas and concepts on what your company should be doing now, and how to stay ahead of the curve in our new future. Apply to the waitlist here.

Martin Lindstrom is the founder and chairman of Lindstrom Company, the world’s leading brand & culture transformation group, operating across five continents and more than 30 countries. TIME Magazine has named Lindstrom one of the “World’s 100 Most Influential People.” Lindstrom is a high profile speaker and author of 7 New York Times best-selling books. His book Brand Sense was critically acclaimed by The Wall Street Journal as “one of the five best marketing books ever published,” Small Data was praised as “revolutionary” and TIME Magazine wrote this about Buyology: “a breakthrough in branding.” 

Lindstrom’s new book: The Ministry of Common Sense will be available Jan 19th, 2021! Watch this space for exciting pre-order packages and more.