Culture: Are you gambling?

By Bill Kaiser, Senior Consultant

One of my morning rituals (we all know the importance of rituals) is the medically and psychologically necessary trip to Starbucks.  I head out early, give my two Doodles (yes, I said Doodles) a car ride, and load up on my favorite hi-test beverage.  On the way home this past Sunday, I was listening to my favorite sports radio station and was thoroughly “entertained” by the early Sunday morning show.

Not sure the names of the hosts, but I\’m guessing they were the inspiration for the characters in the classic comedy movie, Dumb & Dumber.  I\’m sorry for sounding harsh, but these two “NFL betting experts” were trying to make a case that, “Now is a great time of the year to take control of your life, and finish the year strong!  With our advice and system, you can turn a $1,000 bet into $10,000, or better yet, $10,000 into $100,000.” They went on to quote how new habits take 30 days to take hold, so, “Get started now!”  Wow, I kid you not.

Now is the time

I will confess to agreeing with D&D on one and only one point.  Now is a great time to finish strong and set ourselves up for 2018 success!  Most of us have either completed, or will soon be completing, the final touches of our 2018 Strategic Plans. We will have completed a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis, identified our current state and vision for future state, discussed the tactics and strategies to get us there, set goals and key performance indicators (KPIs), etc. We\’ll have a sales plan, finance plan, operational plan, and a people plan.  But how many of us will have a Culture Plan?

A sure bet

We returned last week from hosting our 3rd annual Culture Summit in Amelia Island, FL.  After having spent 3 days listening to senior leaders of companies that have made an intentional effort to define, drive, and leverage their culture, I\’m more convinced than ever that your culture is the key ingredient for finishing strong and having sustained success!

Story after story was shared by leaders on the impact their culture is having on their success.  More new customers (because they can now prove how their people and company are different), better employee retention, a noticeable rise in energy and enthusiasm throughout their company, more idea sharing, less internal conflicts and better overall communication between employees, customers, and vendor partners.  And here\’s another very loud, resounding admission from our leaders:  They\’re better at teaching, coaching, and inspiring, because of having the CultureWise culture operating system as a platform from which to lead.

It\’s not too late

Your culture has an enormous impact on how your people perform and the results you achieve.  So, for those of you who have finalized your plan for 2018 and haven\’t addressed your culture, I strongly encourage you to rethink, regroup, and rewrite!  If you\’d like to learn more about this “safe bet” and how to be more intentional with your culture plan for 2018, just give us a call or shoot us an email.