Walking the Path vs Knowing the Path: How to best understand a company’s culture

Walking the Path vs Knowing the Path: How to best understand a company’s culture

Do you remember the movie The Matrix? At one point, the main character, Neo, confronts Morpheus about understanding the nature of his surroundings--this made-up world created to keep humans as living power sources for the machines.

Morpheus responds to him: “Neo, there’s a difference in knowing the path and walking the path”

This line has totally resonated with me the past few weeks regarding culture.

I've started a new role with Canyon Ranch, a pioneer and leader in the integrative wellness industry, "operating a collection of immersive, life-changing destinations that inspire the well way of life." So I was super fortunate to visit their Tucson location, the original and largest of their properties.

Having already reviewed their website prior to joining (as well as reading employee reviews online) I thought I knew what I was getting myself into. When you imagine the word resort, you conjure up gorgeous surroundings, luxurious accommodations and gourmet meals. And seeing images and videos online describing Canyon Ranch reinforced my knowledge.

So what did I discover? A much deeper understanding of what they are really all about. An enlightenment of their culture.

Interacting with my colleagues from different departments, I kept hearing the same three things about working at Canyon Ranch: the people, the environment, and the values.

People - How much do you like working with your team?

You hear this all the time at companies: “People are our greatest asset”, “We succeed because of our people” or “We have the best employees!” Yes, it’s the mantra for many. And whether WFH or working in an office, you have to deal with people to get the job done. So how important is it?

Studies have shown that a third of our lives are spent at work, and we sometimes end up spending more time with our work family that our real ones. So, it's important to know your peeps.

While in Tucson, I was in awe at how amazing our people were to each other and to the guests. Their friendliness, ability to support (not just help) others, and truly care about their job was something to behold. This wasn’t a typical “How can I help you?” type of service either. I’ve travelled a lot and know the cheap joints along with the luxury spots. This was a *genuine* urge to provide the best in whatever they were doing.

Here’s some amazing people I ran across:

·???????Aaron from Guest Services - “I’m here because I really love what I do”

·???????Omar and the Outdoor Sports team – “I can’t believe I get paid for this”

·???????Carmen in Salon services – “This is the best job I’ve ever had with the best manager”

·???????Carlos from our Sport Performance – “I took a chance & relo’d my family--glad I did”

Does work get hard sometimes? Yes.

Do people wish for more money, benefits or resources? All the time.

Do they stay because of the people they work with? Absolutely.

There is no way a culture can be ‘built’ from a bunch of slides created by the C-Suite in a meeting. These could help. But it’s bottom up, not top-down in its success. Your people are the fundamental pillar in its creation.

Environment – How do you like your office?

Okay, so no lie…the location of where you work can be critical. Given this is hospitality and wellness, there’s not much in the way of working remote. And yes, the Tucson property is gorgeous, set up in the hills of the Santa Catalina mountains.?(Props to our landscaping crew, it is amazing)?

I personally felt an extreme sense of calm just ‘being’ there—even in 95 degree heat!

Again, talking with my colleagues, I heard this over and over –

·???????My HR Team - “I love where I work”

·???????Housekeeping - “Look at my office view”

·???????The Spa team - “I can’t believe I get paid to do this”

·???????Stella, from our Gift Shop-- “I would never get this working anywhere else”

·???????The F&B team—“We get to know our guests on a first name basis and really makes it easy when we see them as more than just guests--this place makes it easy to do that.”

The meals I'm highlighting were just a few that the fabulous F&B team prepared for me.

Where you work (whether onsite or remote) is a big deal. If you’re remote, studies show that your ‘home office’ environment is critical for success and making it a place that feels different or unique.

And having worked in many an office cubicle, staring at a gray partitions or near the bathroom, I can attest to having the right environment can make a huge difference in your culture.

?What matters? The Values and philosophy of a company matter

The third piece I call the “magic” component, that piece that can’t be easily replicated. I can hire the right people, put them in a good locale or equip them with the right home office.

So what else? It’s the values and philosophy. What does the company stand for?

Canyon Ranch operates on Five Pillars: Health & Performance, Mind & Spirit, Fitness & Movement, Nutrition & Food, and Spa & Beauty. They are resonated everywhere you go and while interacting with others. Behind the pillars are the people, places, services, and events to sustain and inspire a guest "across the lifetime pursuit of well-being."

Now, I've worked for companies that have great taglines or values and even a strong corporate philosophy. But seeing and living these CR values was something very special, and more importantly, unique to any company I'd interacted with in the past.

Does this mean your company has to have an 'amazing' set of values? Not necessarily. But for the company to have the right culture, its employees need to truly live and breathe them.

In the Matrix, Neo quickly realized that while he could have skills ‘uploaded’ to him, he recognized that to ‘know’ everything meant understanding the people, environment, and the values.

And I’m starting to get there too!

What about you? What is it you like about your company? And what’s makes it a place for someone to want to go there daily???

All pics are and commentary are my own.