If you truly want to build a sustainable company, it begins and ends with the communication of and commitment to a clearly defined culture. Your culture represents the beliefs and ethics you determine to be most important to your success and the success of your people. It is the ever-evolving persona of your company and defines the environment of, and for, your people. A company’s culture is commonly laid out in a vision or mission statement followed by a set of values and/or behaviors and is communicated throughout all levels of the business. When I engage clients, however, I find that their culture is one of the last items on their agenda, and is typically only discussed when I ask about it.
When I ask a client to talk about the culture in their business, a typical response is something to the effect of “I think we have a fun environment and the people like coming to work” or “It’s pretty good. I mean, people know what to do and we take good care of our customers”. This may describe an idea of culture, but it certainly doesn’t express confidence, let alone a defined expression of who and what you are. The remarkable businesses are those that have a very specific expectation of who they want to be, who they want their people to be and how they want their people to feel. In addition, it is an expectation that everyone on the team live up to those values and behaviors. The result is a synergistic group that consistently achieves goals and delivers results. Want proof? Check out the Forbes 100 best companies to work for and you’ll see what investing in your culture can do for your business.
https://fortune.com/best-companies/
In my leadership training program, I teach six steps to building an autonomous company. Through this training practice I have found that creating notable sustainability in your business can be broken down into three of these steps… Defining your Culture, Communicating with Conviction, and Committing to the Process.
Let’s start with step one, Culture. In order to understand who you are as a company, you must Define Your Culture by asking some questions…
- How do you want your employees to view your business?
- How do you want your clients to view your business?
- How will you authentically deliver those expectations?
- What values and behaviors exemplify the best in your brand?
- How will you build trust at all levels of the organization?
- How do you hold your people accountable for results?
- How will you communicate the message to achieve the intended reaction?
Answering these questions will allow you to understand who you are and what you value. Clearly defining your culture sets the intention, creates accountability and definitively outlines your company’s values and goals. This shows your people, and your clients, what is important to you and what behaviors are expected in order for everyone to achieve success.
Step two of building a sustainable business is all about how you and your people interact with each other. Communication is defined as the passing or exchange of information from one person(s) to another. It would seem as this is one of, if not the most important step in building a great culture. Yet communication, or lack thereof, is almost always the shortfall in a people driven business; whether it’s absence of communication, indirect communication or simply inconsistent communication. How can we expect our people to grow if we are not properly including them in the exchange of information?
Simply communicating in today’s environment isn’t enough. We must communicate in a manner that creates trust and builds loyalty. People innately want to be a part of something that includes and values them, that lets them know where they stand, where they can go and how they can get there. To deliver that to your people, you must Communicate with Conviction. Below are just a few techniques I teach that will enhance your communication skills and open the door for business growth.
- Be clear in your direction
- Be concise in your message
- Be kind with people, but relentless with results
- Listen intently prior to speaking
- Define your message through the lens of your audience
- Be knowledgeable
- Be approachable
- Provide feedback… and don’t sugarcoat it. Be respectful but direct
- Always know where you are in relation to your company goals and strategy
These may seem simple enough, but it takes effort, ownership and a lot of practice to become a great communicator. When you do commit to raising the level of your communication, consequently, you ultimately raise the bar for everyone on your team. You will quickly see improvements in productivity, morale, client relations, employee engagement and retention among others. Remember, there is a reason almost every job description lists “good communication skills” as a requirement!
Last, but most importantly, is step three, Commitment to the Process. We all know there is nothing worse than rolling out a new initiative, only to see it fall by the wayside in a manner of weeks. Why does that happen? What gets in the way? The answer more times than not is about the fear of failure. No one enjoys failing, especially when it can potentially impact others. Overcoming this fear, in itself, takes commitment. It takes a willingness to commit to the process of success…
Developing a commitment to the process is the difference maker.
- Create a plan, set goals and share them with everyone
- Create habits and routines within the plan – set your calendars up for daily and weekly reminders!
- Choose the right attitude – For all of the ups and downs, attitude is your choice. Don’t forget it!
- Stay accountable – specifically, create accountability with others
- Be inspired – see what competitors or other businesses are doing to be best in class and inspire yourself to keep pushing forward
- Revisit goals, adapt and think long term
- Celebrate every success
If you want true, long lasting success, become a functional expert to the process. Setting goals is important, but HOW you achieve those goals is what makes or breaks your business. By committing to the process (the HOW), you commit to an understanding and preparedness that allows you to move forward to the next process.
“Every next level in life will demand a different you.” Leonardo DeCaprio
What you learn during the process is what allows you to become a better you. The results you are looking for have little to do with the goals you set, but everything to do with your commitment to the process. The question I would ask you is “If you created a set of goals and a system to achieve each goal, then forgot about the goal entirely, would you still get the same results?” I think you would. The point being setting goals is important, it provides a direction. But bettering yourself, making true progress, is about how focused you are on executing the system.
As an example, every professional football team has a goal to win the Super Bowl, but only one does. Why is that? More than likely it’s because they were the most committed to their process, and most prepared for every scenario.
Building and sustaining your business with the proper Culture, created through Communication and Commitment, will prepare you and your team for what’s next. A strong, inclusive culture communicated clearly will positively affect the strategic direction of your business, improve management decisions and business functionality, increase morale, and much more. This, in my opinion, is the foundation of a people driven industry and the basis for your future.
If you want to learn more about how to grow your business through this subject matter, develop your leadership team, or prepare your business for the next step, contact us at www.blanchardwalsh.com and schedule a consult.
