Finding the right people for an organization is as important as what you sell. This category aims to help you find solutions to getting the right people, putting them in the right positions, and letting the wrong ones go.
“People are set in their ways, closed minded, and are mostly unwilling to listen new ideas. You just have to accept that and prove them wrong.”
These are the words that a consultant recently spoke to me. Personally, I struggle with believing this. I don’t like to pigeon hole people and make those kind of dangerous judgments. I’d rather believe that people are smart, innovative, and unlimited in their approach, and mostly determined to be successful.
Last week I went to my local coffee shop and ordered my typical morning starter…a medium decaf coffee. I know what you are thinking…”what kind of man are you if you are drinking decaf?”. Well, I do miss the caffeine, but it was affecting me in some pretty negative ways, so I had to switch. 🙁
Unfortunately, I’ve noticed that since I switched to decaf, it’s often a pain for the barista. Depending on where I go, they either have to do something they call a pour over (which is literally them pouring hot water over a filter filled with grounds) or they have to make a whole pot of decaf just for little old me.
Last week I sat down with a friend and small business owner over coffee. At one point, my friend made a comment, that I didn’t know how to respond to. He said, “how can you worry about culture with only four employees?”.
To be honest, I hadn’t really thought about it myself, which is why I didn’t know how to respond.
That’s when I decided to write this article first. Sometimes, it’s better for me to think through a new topic by writing about it before I can fully grasp my position. Otherwise, I risk answering without considering all the alternatives.
Anyway, there’s the question. Does it matter how many employees you have when it comes to organizational culture?
Photo by Lydur Skulason
The word “training” is not a four letter word! This may come as a shock to many leaders and business owners. That’s because it’s often only associated with a cost. Meaning that much like paying taxes or getting a mole removed…you only do it because you have to.
Obviously, I’m going to go ahead and disagree with you here Mr. Leader / Biz owner. But let me preface that by saying, if training is done properly there should be significant ROI. I’m also going to go out on a limb and say that “one-time training sessions” are mostly a waste of time if you’re looking for significant change.
Let me repeat that in a different way…significant change doesn’t happen in a classroom or in any of the following places:
Ideas are planted there, but true change and mastery of skill, happens over time.
Photo taken by Vox-Efx
The culture that exists in your company permeates everything. It’s like the air your team breathes. It’s impossible to avoid it becoming part of them; part of their results.
The question is, do you want that air to be filled with poisonous mustard gas or fresh, clean and pure oxygen? You want the good stuff, or course!
Why is it then, that so many leaders just ignore culture altogether; like an ostrich in the sand ready to be kicked in the butt? I believe the answer is simple. Many leaders tend to focus on tasks and processes because they are tangible and easier to understand.
People can be messy. They are mushy and gooey and full of crap. That doesn’t make their contributions any less important though. I’ve quoted this before, but I think it’s a valuable lesson:
“Take away my factories, and I will build a new and better factory; but take away my people, and grass will grow on the factory floor.”
-Andrew Carnegie
With all that being said, here are three reasons why spending intentional time & effort cultivating your corporate culture is worth every nickel:
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