Building a Strong Culture

The topic of culture is very important to me. Throughout my career, I have worked at many employers where the culture was septic. I always observed these cultures to determine why. The same can be said for clients with whom I have interacted who have fantastic cultures. I have observed and learned why. Based in this information, we have built ISS to be best in class and try to offer the best employment experience possible, built on the foundation of a strong culture.

As complicated as culture can be, building a strong culture is actually simple. It just takes genuine values and relentless effort. As I stated, simple, but also hard and a lot of work.

It is fair to say that we all know what a strong company culture looks like, and most of us would prefer to work in an environment filled with positive energy and high performance. There may be a few people out there who relish negative energy, but I think they are the exception, not the rule.

As I stated, building strong culture is simple. It starts with an unwavering commitment from the executive team who sets the core operating values and the strategic vision of the organization. It must be set here to succeed. Without the unwavering commitment of the leadership team, all efforts will be futile. Next, it takes effort to instill the culture across the organization, top to bottom. This means getting out from behind desks and talking to the people on the front line. For them to believe it, they must see it. Also, one trip around the production floor is not going to cut it. This is something that must be routine and the interest shown in the organization must be real. Once it starts, it cannot ever stop.

There are many books about culture, such as Good to Great and Built to Last by Jim Collins. I will say that I know many of the organizations that he discusses in his books and some no longer exist. This is where the repetitiveness of culture comes into play. It is not something that an organization can do and check off the list. It is an ongoing effort that becomes the corporate DNA. Everything that we do, every decision that we make, is based on our culture.

This is a short blog, so I do not have time to cover all the benefits. I will say that companies with the strongest cultures dominate in their markets. They are profitable, grow faster than their competition, attract the best talent and have low turnover. These are reason enough to focus on culture and then let the corporate strategy follow.

In closing, we spend a huge chunk of our lives at work. Why not make it the best place possible. When given a choice, it is a no brainer that we would all prefer to work in a world-class organization, not a toxic dump.