C is for culture 

When we started our business over 16 years ago, we decided our mission statement would be: “To Help Others Succeed.”

We were looking for a simple statement that would guide every decision we made, whether the decision was about a fellow team member, a customer, a vendor, a strategic partner, or anyone we interacted with. We wanted this to be the guiding light for our culture. 

Culture is a term used and misused too freely in the business world. When I hear the term culture used, I want to ask, “Will all of your team members be able to give a clear and concise definition of your company culture?” This question is usually followed by an awkward silence. How do you define your culture? 

Think about companies that you buy from not only because of what they do but, more importantly, how they do what they do. Their products or services are essentially the same as their competitors, but they simply provide them to you better, faster, more flexibly, and more cordially (“my pleasure”).

When something goes wrong, they own up to their mistakes and correct them. And they are understanding and accommodating when you need help (e.g., an accepted reason for approving a return is “ordered the wrong thing”). You enjoy doing business with these companies because they treat you like you want to be treated.

How do they do that when others do not? It is in their DNA, their culture. They build their business around being a trusted partner and providing exceptional customer service. 

Your organization’s culture may be formed around a different idea or attribute. It could be the speed of delivery, the lowest price, or exceptional quality. There are examples of these in every industry where there is a clear leader in terms of consistently delivering more value than its competitors.

Whatever that is for you, I recommend making it easy to understand and remember. You want every team member to be able to say it and visualize the result of living up to it. 

As the leader of your organization, its culture will reflect your core values and character. If you don’t live it, others will struggle to make it real and true. On the other hand, if your team sees you always “living” the culture, even when it hurts, they will embrace it as well.