As a way to kick off the year with my team (a collection of talented and strategic content marketers, creative designers, writers, and producers.) The goal was simple: “What does this team want to be known for?” We brainstormed virtually using a tool named MURAL to capture everyone’s thoughts on this question. Later that day I reviewed our work and started to group ideas that were thematically similar. That’s when it hit me…the things that we wanted to be known for could only manifest with an intentional focus on culture.
With today’s business climate you have to be ready to pivot, as the challenges of yesterday may not be where you need to focus today. There’s no way to anticipate every curve-ball you’ll be thrown, thus, a team’s DNA needs to be able to adapt, change, and solve together what’s next.
Why do I believe culture is the strategic imperative that you must work on and protect with every fiber of your being? It’s because through my career I’ve witnessed first hand the dark side of a toxic culture and have witnessed how it dismantles and warps the psyche of the people in an organization across every level. Conversely, I’ve seen the impact amazing cultures can have.
To take the next step with my team, I used a simple formula to make our culture tangible:
Culture = Core Values x Behaviors.
My team’s vision is to be seen as an epicenter for creativity & innovation in our division and so our next brainstorm session led us to define and vote on our values.
CORE VALUES - Those beliefs that you hold yourself and others accountable for, they are also used to reward and recognize team members when they demonstrate these deeds in their daily work. Here are the values my team landed on:
Boundary Pushing: Let’s not accept the “safe” path. We must stretch ourselves beyond what’s comfortable in order to grow.
Continual Improvement: A growth mindset, never stops, never settles…the quest for “better” is never-ending.
Respect Diversity: We are all equally unique and must sacredly treat each other with this dignity. Embracing this will allow us to advance ideas.
Collaboration: In every corner of our business, building and solving together is how we win.
Empathy: A quest to understand our audience more deeply and at the human-level is how we will improve experiences.
Fun: Too many hours are consumed at work and life is too short to not smile, laugh, and play along the way.
BEHAVIORS - Just having thoughts in a document isn’t enough, as the adage goes “actions speak louder than words”. A team must act in a way that represents these values and ladder up to key tenants. The behavioral tenants that surfaced for our team to help us organize are as follows:
1. Capture a Spark
We will gain inspiration by acquiring knowledge & new ideas. Identifying the skills needed to master our roles and impact the business. Creating the forums to learn and apply.
2. Take Risks
We will test, learn, & grow. Creating safe spaces to try out new ideas, understand their impact, and find ways to scale where appropriate.
3. Inspire Others
We will inject creativity and innovation by sharing our best work to ignite a ripple effect of ‘what’s possible’ across the organization.
Since our blueprint was set up my team is now mobilizing several exciting activities aligned to the above which we believe will help infuse even more energy into our work.
Now the last piece of culture that this blueprint doesn’t cover is an obvious one and arguably the secret ingredient to success. It’s the PEOPLE. Do you have the right personalities that bring the positive engergy on the bus to transform an organization, collaborate with others, and discover new frontiers? It’s critical to find individuals wired and committed to the values & behaviors that have been mapped out. Without this final element, your intentions may be compromised and your efforts sabotaged. Fortunately, in my case, I’m confident I have the right team to create the oxygen our organization needs to face the road ahead!