Why Culture Matters

The mistake many companies of all sizes make is creating a culture about them and not their people. Owners, CEOs, human resources, managers, and board members begin creating this environment they think will be successful. They create systems and training’s and tasks and job descriptions, rarely thinking to include the very people that will be using those systems and training’s or doing those tasks and jobs. 

Why would you create an environment that impacts so many while never asking the ones being impacted how they would like to function within this very environment? 

It’s lazy, at best.
It’s selfish, at worst.
More importantly, it's a recipe for disaster. 

You can grow a company that makes millions and millions of dollars within a terrible culture. Many business leaders have. You can develop a structure and culture that cares little about people and much about the bottom line and be “successful.” Culture is about people. Period. People are the lifeblood of your business. Employees. Customers. Clients. Shareholders. Without people, you have nothing. 

The greatest product in the world is simply a dust collector without people. 

And culture is the barometer for how much you value those people. 

So how do you create, design, and implement a culture that cares? How do you develop and build a culture that empowers people? This is what business is really about. Empowerment. Regardless of your guiding principle in business - profit, growth, charity, ministry, change - you are empowering someone. You are giving responsibility to someone. You’re already influencing those very people who are building your dreams. 

This influence isn’t in question. What is in question is HOW you are influencing people. What is in question is your legacy as a leader. Because legacy is what truly matters. Your story. Their story. Culture. 

So, how do you design a culture that empowers your team? How do you set up an ecosystem where people thrive rather than simply exist? 

How do you ensure your investment in recruiting, hiring, and develop- ing brings a return? Ideally, these are the questions business leaders would ask when planning a new business. Unfortunately, reality shows us that culture is NOT on the minds of business leaders when planning their new endeavor. Yet, months into this new business, they quickly begin seeing the red flags of bad culture, whether they realize it or not. 

Low sales performance Employees late to work
High turnover
Frustrated managers
Negative customer experience 

The list goes on and on. 

These are all red flags of bad culture. They are all a direct reflection of leadership, both management and ownership. The greatest lesson you can learn as an owner is simple: YOU are directly responsible for every single thing that takes place within your company. For some business leaders, this is a great burden. If you own a corporation filled with multiple stores or sites, thousands of employees, and hundreds of departments, this is an incredible burden to carry. But it is your burden. Every action and experience is a direct reflection of your leader- ship. Period. 

For those who are managers, this is the lesson you must accept: YOU are directly responsible and accountable for those within your circle of influence. Every hire, every sale, every experience, every mistake - they are all a reflection of your leadership, and you must carry that responsibility with honor and compassion. You are the one who answers to ownership, not your people. You may be running a team of three or a team of 300. Regardless, it is your calling as a leader to make sure each person on your team has everything they need to be successful. 

Why are these lessons important? What do they have to do with culture? 

What I’ve noticed in working with hundreds of leaders from a variety of leadership backgrounds and in working with thousands of employees, is that culture begins and ends with leadership. 

If there is confusion in the workplace,
if there is clarity in the workplace,
if there is a misunderstanding in the workplace, if there is total connectivity in the workplace,
it is all a direct reflection of leadership. 

Show me a team that is unified and functions with clarity and does their part to the fullest extent, and I will show you leadership who does the same - leadership who goes above and beyond to carry the responsibility of their people. I may not ever meet these leaders or owners, but I know, by the reflection of their team, they are strong leaders who people are passionate to work for. 

This is culture. This is the foundation of a successful business. They have low turnover and highly successful people. When team members leave this type of company, they are leaving for very FEW reasons. One of them is not because of a bad experience. This is a small glimpse of what a healthy culture looks like: Empowering your people to step into success, regardless if that success is with your company or not.