So, today is the first Friday in June, and here in the Philadelphia area, it’s HOT outside!
And typically, on Fridays like today, most companies might do a half-day for their employees, maybe do an employee lunch, a happy hour, a cookout, you name it.
I’m a huge fan of anything that can infuse a little fun into a work week! And all of this is great for company morale, team-building, and overall camaraderie.
But the one thing I’ve always asked myself and my clients is… do these activities actually build company culture?
To me and my team at align5, company culture isn’t just sprinkling a little fun into an otherwise monotonous week of mundane work.
To us, company culture is the result of the entire team’s buy-in to the entrepreneur’s vision–the philosophy–for where the company is headed.
In other words, your vision is the foundation you need for all of these other morale-building activities to stand on.
From that, you can build your true company culture.
To really get a sense of what I mean, take a look at this clip I recorded a while back:
Click Here to Watch John’s Video – How do you create an amazing company culture?
In short, your company’s culture comes down to one word: ownership.
When you are clear on your vision, you can begin to cultivate a collective ownership of the overall employee experience.
And when each of your employees feels a deep responsibility to each other’s experience, something magical happens that acts as a type of rocket fuel used to propel the company higher and higher… and closer and closer to your ultimate vision.
Company culture doesn’t come from foosball tables, lunches, and happy hours.
When you try to manufacture culture, things begin to feel a bit…inauthentic, forced, and sometimes even a little manipulative.
Company culture relies on collective ownership.
Ownership relies on the overall vision.
Vision relies on your ability as the entrepreneur to clearly articulate where you want the company to be in the future.
Culture is not a goal. Culture is an outcome.
So ask yourself: “what kind of vision do I want to create and communicate to build the healthy, vibrant, and positive company culture that will serve as the rocket fuel for my company?”
Cheers,
John
Founder of the align5 Companies, CEO of Scaling Up Coaches, and Serial Entrepreneur
