Want a Great Culture? Focus on the Foundation

The entire company occupied nine of the ten seats in the room. I entered and took the final chair. In a short period, the company's founders had created and refined a business concept, raised funds, and assembled a fantastic team of engineers, researchers, and experts who were setting out to make an extraordinary impact on the energy industry.

Had we been asked to take a science or math exam, I would have undoubtedly scored at the end of the pack. Fortunately, they didn't invite me to solve a complicated math problem or conduct a complex science experiment; the founders asked me to talk to them about building and leading a strong culture.

These founders are smart. They knew two things.

1. The group of nine will expand to 30 within the next six months.
2. This core group will be the company's future leaders, and they will be setting the foundation for the future organization's culture.

When the meeting started, the founder explained that he had worked with me in the past and found my input helpful. He shared that they would be reading one of my books together over the coming weeks. He further explained that he had invited me to spend an hour with the team, kicking off their learning journey and discussing the importance of building a solid culture.

Let me share a part of our conversation about organizational values with you. It will be helpful whether you are launching a start-up or find yourself embedded in the structure of a 100-year-old institution.

Imagine for a moment that you are constructing a building. You need a knowledgeable architect to design the structure, a team of carpenters to frame the building, and a competent manager to coordinate the many people who will play various roles throughout the project. However, none of it truly matters if you don't get the foundation right. Mess up the concrete mix, fail to pour a thick enough pad, or slope the slab too much or in the wrong direction, and you will have problems for years to come.

The same is true for your organization. You can have founders with tremendous vision, financiers who invest in the idea, and qualified experts who join the team, but you need to build a solid foundation to avoid problems for years to come.

Question to Consider

1. Reflecting on your current role, how much importance do you place on building a solid culture?
2. Considering the building analogy, how would you evaluate the existing foundation of your team's culture?
3. How could you improve or reinforce the foundational values of your team?

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Make it a great day!

Patrick