{"id":1137,"date":"2020-02-06T09:10:15","date_gmt":"2020-02-06T09:10:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rocksolidbizdevelopment.com\/ourblog\/?p=1137"},"modified":"2025-07-01T17:20:22","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T17:20:22","slug":"your-companys-culture-is-defined-by-what-it-tolerates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rocksolidbizdevelopment.com\/ourblog\/your-companys-culture-is-defined-by-what-it-tolerates\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cYour company\u2019s culture is defined by what it tolerates.\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Every\norganization has a culture.  The only\nquestion is, has the organization\u2019s culture evolved on its own without any real\nthought or guidance from the organization\u2019s management?  Or has it been carefully crafted and nurtured\nas a guide for how the organization intends to conduct itself?  Most organizations will claim to have a\nstrong corporate culture, but in many cases, that \u201cstrong corporate culture\u201d is\nnothing more than a meaningless collection of words and platitudes that don\u2019t\ntruly reflect the way the organization behaves from one day to the next.  As the owner and\/or CEO of your organization,\nyou are the keeper of your culture   If\nyou try to pass off this responsibility to HR or to someone else further down\nthe food chain, you will fail.  However,\nif you are willing to make a genuine commitment to creating and maintaining a\nstrong and vibrant culture, you can make that happen, but only if it has your\nunconditional support and has your fingerprints all over it.  For more on how to create a real, breathing,\nfunctioning culture, please continue reading below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA\ncompany\u2019s culture is defined by what it tolerates.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what\u2019s the big deal about culture?\u00a0 Why do we really need a strong, cohesive culture?\u00a0 What does it really do for us?\u00a0 Recently, the Daily Herald Business Ledger convened a panel of \u201cLeaders from businesses known for their excellent work cultures to discuss what makes a company a place people want to work.\u201d\u00a0 There\u2019s the key: creating \u201ca place people want to work.\u201d\u00a0 Not a place they have<\/span><\/em> to work, but a place they want<\/span><\/em> to work.\u00a0 A strong, vibrant culture creates a work place where people can be with friends and colleagues who support one another and who share common beliefs and values.\u00a0 But cultures are fragile, difficult to establish and even more difficult to maintain.\u00a0 Still, a strong culture can be one of a company\u2019s most valuable assets.\u00a0 Below are some thoughts about how to build and nurture your culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. A company\u2019s culture is simply the sum of the values the company wants to follow and uphold . . . think of it as a sort of Operating Manual for your company.\u00a0 So if you\u2019re starting from scratch, you need to first select the values that you want to define your company.\u00a0 If you already have some values in place, review them to make sure they\u2019re still applicable and appropriate.\u00a0 Don\u2019t go crazy here by creating a list of 100 values . . . you should try to hold it to 10 or fewer.\u00a0 Find ways to involve, not only your management team, but all your employees as well, in your values selection process.\u00a0 In the end, the values must be a reflection of the owner\/CEO\u2019s values, but still, everyone will be more likely to support and embrace the culture you\u2019re trying to create if they have a hand in crafting it.\u00a0 Look for values that have special meaning for you and your company, and that accurately define the way you expect the company to operate.\u00a0 Commit the values to writing and post them prominently where employees, customers, and vendors will see them.<\/li>
  2. Once your culture\u2019s values have been enacted, you\u2019ll need to find ways to keep them fresh and top-of-mind for everyone in your organization.\u00a0 Talk about them in staff or departmental meetings.\u00a0 Select one of the values and talk about what it really means.\u00a0 Talk about what it looks like when you see it in practice.\u00a0 Find ways to reward and recognize individuals who go \u201cabove and beyond the call of duty\u201d to honor this value or that.\u00a0 As part of your employee performance review process, evaluate how well an employee adheres to the company\u2019s values.\u00a0 Counsel employees when they need to work on some of those values.<\/li>
  3. As with any workplace change, there will be people who embrace the culture you\u2019re trying to create, and those who don\u2019t.\u00a0 Of those who don\u2019t, many will uphold the new values even though they might not agree with them, and that\u2019s OK.\u00a0 Those people may not help create the culture you want, but they won\u2019t hurt it either.\u00a0 However, there may be others who don\u2019t see the point of all this culture stuff, who \u201clike the way we\u2019ve always done things around here,\u201d and who will actively try to subvert your efforts to enact it.\u00a0 In those cases, you\u2019ll have little choice.\u00a0 You cannot enforce your values selectively.\u00a0 You cannot say, \u201cWell, you know, old Bob\u2019s been around here for a long time and is sort of set in his ways, so we\u2019re giving him a pass on joining our culture.\u201d\u00a0 No, you can try to advise or counsel Bob on the merits of a strong, values-based culture, but in the end, if Bob can\u2019t (or won\u2019t) get with the program, he will unfortunately have to seek employment elsewhere.\u00a0 As the quote above suggests, if you tolerate behavior that is at odds with your values, then you really don\u2019t have those values.<\/li>
  4. You and all your hiring managers need to make a total commitment to hiring only<\/span><\/em> people who will be a good \u201cfit\u201d in your culture.\u00a0 You may be able to find testing instruments to help you determine if a candidate\u2019s values align with the company\u2019s, or if you\u2019ve got strong interviewing skills, you may be able to learn the same thing through an interview, but however you do it, you and other hiring managers need to be faithful gatekeepers who refuse to let anyone into your tribe who does not belong.\u00a0 This will test you.\u00a0 From time to time, you will be absolutely desperate to fill a particular position and willing to settle for anyone who can fog a mirror.\u00a0 Don\u2019t give into the temptation.\u00a0 Employ workarounds to keep the position open until you can find that candidate who is demonstrably a good fit.\u00a0 And despite your best efforts, you will still make hiring mistakes.\u00a0\u00a0 Don\u2019t compound that mistake by delaying what you must do to correct it.\u00a0 Acknowledge the mistake and as quickly and humanely as possible, correct it.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    To\nsummarize, to build and maintain a strong, meaningful culture, you need to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n