COMPANY VALUES CREATE THE CULTURE

Define your 10 commandments

Don’t forget to live by them. You are always on stage and always being watched. So be careful of the rules you make and the example you set. Everyone will copy your lead.

Articulate expected behaviors.

Always hold yourself to the highest standards but don’t be afraid to also be human and allow yourself to make mistakes. Just for fun, check your driver’s license and if it doesn’t say you are The All-mighty, you now have a license to make mistakes. In order to mitigate the impacts of those mistakes on your company’s culture, express what you expect from others. They need to do more than just try to be you.

Challenging people can really bring out the best in most so don’t be afraid to ask others to comply with X, Y, Z, professional standards. When you explain your expectations to others you give them a real chance to comply. Staff meetings, one-on-ones and town halls are all good forums to utilize. Just be clear and to the point about what you think is good and bad and why.

Treat the values like the Constitution.

They should be a source of strength and pride for your organization. They should provide for continuity and also adapt to the times, now and again. Revisit your values each year with your team and make sure they remain relevant. If so, carry on and if not, make adjustments. Dedicate a session to just this to ensure there is depth to the discussion and importance to the topic.

Don’t underestimate the importance of creating a coherent company culture. You want people to be at their best, especially when you aren’t around. Fortunately there are tools like this (link) to help you learn more about this subject.