Company culture is one of my favourite topics. We spend a lot of time at work, I believe we should enjoy what we do, and who we do it with! There is no greater satisfaction than working for an organisation that you love to be part of. Yet too often leaders leave culture to chance, especially if it’s going well. This is when corporate culture is most at risk.
Read MoreBlog
Blog
7 ways to avoid corporate culture failures that devastate
Corporate culture makes or breaks your organisation. Avoid little known leadership traps with these seven tips.
What results do you want for your corporate culture?
All of us want to be part of a great culture at work. We want to belong, be excited by our work, enjoy the company of our colleagues, and feel part of something better. It’s a vibe thing, right? That’s not the whole story. As leaders, we need to identify and be intentional about the results we want in our culture too. That way we can measure what matters most.
Read MoreTeam development with the Culture Compass
Leaders are worried about their team culture. Disengagement is starting to creep in as the pandemic wears on. Now is the perfect time to reset and refresh what matters most to you and your team, regardless of where you are working from. It’s a great opportunity to reinvigorate - and insulate - your team from culture decay.
Read MoreWant a positive corporate culture? Nurture the influencers!
Hierarchies are old school! Command and control is fading. The organisation chart is dead! We need to meet the new complex world with a new approach. Enter crowdocracy and networks: the new tools of engagement.
Read MoreHow to develop a motto for your corporate culture
Is your culture by default or by design? One of the ways you can guide culture to be successful and happy is to have a Culture Charter or Manifesto, complete with catchy mottos. It’s a powerful process to build buy-in as well as establish a blueprint for cultural norms.
Read MoreThe #1 mistake in handling corporate culture problems
How many times have you heard, “It’s a personality clash”. That’s the default response when it comes to people stuff problems. And it is not always true! In fact it’s true much less often than you think. Here’s what the issues are really about.
Read MoreHow to stop the Ground Splitter undermining corporate culture
Backbiting and nasty comments. Whispered corridor conversations. Furtive looks and silent staring at the computer. Back in the day when we shared offices, this kind of behaviour ate away at the culture like a hungry termite. Now that we are remote, it still happens, but in private zoom rooms. How can we stop the two-faced nastiness?
Read MoreStructure creates leadership freedom
How much structure do you have in your day? Chances are you could do with more. The more structure we have, the more freedom we can experience. Structure takes out a lot of decision-making and allows us to focus on what matters most. Here are some insights into different types of structure.
***
Read MoreHow to stop anonymous feedback destroying corporate culture
We have a pretty terrible relationship to feedback. We’re afraid of it. We feel wounded by it. We can use it as a weapon. No wonder many would advocate for giving feedback under cover of being anonymous. Well-intentioned mechanisms like this can wreck a culture, not encourage it. Here’s what to do.
***
Read MoreHow to kickstart a great corporate culture
Do you like Mondays? Culture has everything to do with whether or not Mondays are a drag or delicious. This week I’ve got a podcast episode coming out interviewing Colin Ellis on his insights around creating a great culture. In the meantime, here is a great starting point - writing a culture manifesto.
***
Read MoreLeadership archetypes - the Warrior
Warrior Leaders are the epitome of courage and strength. They embody a cultural archetype of the hero. The shadow side brings forth all sorts of problems. They develop Win First cultures, and divide people between Us and Them. If we aspire to build a more inclusive and peaceful culture, let’s focus on how we can BUILD (not just WIN) at work, and how we can INCLUDE (and not EXCLUDE).
***
How to deal with a dysfunctional leadership team
Do your leaders burn through people? Are they hyper competitive? Do they leave that ‘fluffy soft skills stuff’ to the more junior staff (because they’re too busy and know it all already?) Do they work in silos and struggle to collaborate? There is hope. You don’t need to challenge personalities, just their beliefs.
***
Read MoreWhat to do when your senior leaders suck at people stuff
When folks with authority lack people skills it spells trouble for everyone. Attitudes cascade with effect from the top and if the attitude stinks of ‘I don’t need management training’, or ‘I know all that stuff already’ while they go on and create upset teams, then the organisation is in for a rough ride. The solution does not start with the leaders, it starts with systems.
***
Leadership principles for speaking truth to power
Have you got an issue to raise with the boss but are fearful of consequences? Have you seen others speak up and get punished for sharing their opinion? What is it costing you to stay silent?
How fear is a product of our assumptions
Why suspending judgements before speaking is a useful approach
Why openness is the best defence, and compassion the smartest weapon.
***
Read MoreCreate a corporate culture through powerful interactions
Leadership is hard and lonely. It’s very easy to get caught up in trying to solve challenges all on our own. This is the fast-track to getting stuck! As leaders we need teams we can trust, who’ve got our back, with whom we can share the trials and tribulations of our calling. Here’s how to build bonds in your team beyond cocktails and canapes.
Leadership is not a solo activity.
Beware of culture by default.
5 principles for designing shared experiences.
Boundless leadership: What poisoned the culture in Australian cricket?
What would cause a professional sportsperson to risk their career with ball tampering? When did winning become more important than integrity? How does one let a decision like this stain their moral fabric?
We’ve seen this before of course. Who could forget Lance Armstrong when he finally confessed to drug doping on the Tour De France, with the explanatory, “Everyone does it.” The argument was that it’s not a fair playing field if you don’t dope.
It’s amazing what we will justify if we don’t have a strong moral code. In my new book, Loyalty, I explain how the best cultures, the most consistent and enduring ones, have a Culture Compass to which they hold themselves accountable. They know their values, they know the behaviours that line up with those, they know their purpose and who they serve, and they know what results they want to produce. They have a system and a practice of building the Culture Compass into their recruitment, induction, and regular team engagements.
***
Read More