Let's Make Your Organization Thrive

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If you are a leader of a team or organization, the most important job you have is to BUILD  SOMETHING  THAT  HAS  A  SOUL.

Seriously.

An organization with a soul is one where your employees understand and deeply believe your products and services contribute to making the world a better place for your customers.

And because they know they are contributing to something bigger than themselves, these same employees come to work with their minds and their hearts engaged in all they do. They also fully adhere to and promote the core values and principles that guide the behavior of every single employee of the company.

So, until that describes your employees, you don’t need to focus on customer service, logistics, ROI, anything else for that matter. You need to focus on building a different culture within your organization…a culture that has a soul.

And if you are a leader, you don't have a more important job.

Consider these questions as a start:

What are the values that inform all your decisions as you operate your business?

What are the principles that guide the behavior of every employee in your organization?

Why does your business exist?

How do your products and services serve the world?

These are questions, as a start, that need your attention.

Tackle them, get everyone you can involved in answering them, then communicate your answers like crazy, weave them into the fabric of your day-to-day, and watch what happens.

You will be legendary, because your organization will have a soul.

One more thing...

Yes, I'm talking about culture, but don't let that scare you away. It's not that complicated.

In fact, as the leader goes, so goes the culture.

And as the culture goes, so goes the organization.

The culture of any organization is defined by the behavior of its leaders.

If you are the leader, you are the reason your culture is what it is.

 

 

Here's more on that...

Simply defined, culture is the predominant attitudes, values and behaviors that characterize your organization. (With thanks to Webster’s dictionary)

And with that said, it’s important to point out that your organization, already has a culture. It’s impossible for it not to have one.

What’s your organization's current culture?

If it’s not what you want it to be, you can start, right now, to change it.

Build your culture intentionally.

I’d love to help. And I may want to call in the assistance of a horse. (We'll talk more about that later.)

Here's a little something else I'd like you to know about yourself as a leader:

YOU CAN ACTUALLY MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE.

But to do that, you’ll need to change your organization’s culture first.

Let me explain...

If you’ve ever had the extremely unfortunate occasion to work within an unhealthy culture, I am sorry for you. That’s easy for me to say because I have. And it made me sick. Literally sick.

Unhealthy cultures are way worse than just “bad work environments.” They are life and joy-stealers.

People who work in unhealthy cultures usually feel that what they do doesn’t matter, they are frustrated by a lack of direction within the organization, and here’s the worst kick-in-the-pants: they feel, that as people, they are valued less than money.

That’s just plain gross.

I know you are smart, so take just a minute to consider feeling any of those things I mentioned above…

Now consider feeling all of them…

It would be pretty difficult, if not impossible, to do your best work feeling like that.

But let’s keep talking because there’s more that needs to be said…

Add to those unpleasant feelings the feelings of confusion, internal politics, and lack of accountability.

And imagine feeling that way, day in and day out.

Again, that's gross. But this time I will add YUCK.

If that’s not bad enough, when you leave work, you take all the yuckiness with you. You can’t NOT take it with you. It’s like being in a room with a bunch of people smoking cigarettes - you may not smoke - but you will leave with the smell of smoke all over you. You're covered in it, no way around it.

Nobody should have to work so hard to leave the unhealthy culture they work in behind. Nobody should have to leave work "covered" with negativity because remnants of that “covering” will still be there when these people go home to their families, go to church and community events, coach their kid's soccer games, and just plain live their lives.

I’ve already mentioned that I know you are smart, so I’ll stop right here.

Your organization has a responsibility to its employees to provide them with a healthy culture that inspires them.

To be sure, when your culture is healthy, you win. Every measurable aspect of your business is improved with a healthy culture in place. Every. Single. Aspect.

What's your culture doing for you and your team?