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Today, I want to show you how to develop your company culture.

Wherever you are on your leadership journey, a thoughtful approach will help you grow, hire, and effectively manage your online business.

Adapting to norms and preferences Vs. being stupid

Return-to-office mandates have a terrible reception because they are a popular way to push productivity.  

And they often get flamed online:

There are many reasons why these strategies don’t work:

• Forcing people to come in rarely works today;
• People don’t appreciate wasting their time on travel if they don’t need to;
• Most adults don’t want a nanny.

This approach sends a terrible message to your team.

Don’t follow a strategy that doesn’t work. 

In today’s post-COVID world, a more empathetic and inclusive strategy shows your employees that you value their perspectives. 

And that’s why I teach leadership teams to be guided by values. 

This approach will show you how to clarify your values and develop your culture to grow and manage your business. 

Let me show you a simple way to get this done. 

First step: Get extremely clear on what you care about. 

“Your culture is your brand.” –Tony Hsieh

I’ve observed that many people running their businesses are creative, trusting, and self-aware.

They also have a long list of their beliefs. It’s not that they lack things to say. They still need to select the most important things to say. 

And that’s where the first step comes in. 

You can hone in on what you care about above the rest. 

See how Seth Godin does it: 

“When we do the work when the boss isn’t looking, we’re adhering to standards. But if our behavior changes when we’re under surveillance, that’s simply because we’ve been harassed into tolerating the performance of obedience. Obedience is about the passion or power of the manager. Standards revolve around the values of the institution.” ― Seth Godin 

When we work when the boss isn’t looking, it shows standards <– Insightful

Standards revolve around the values of the institution <– Insight 

Seth is spot on. His observation reinforces that leaders can be influential without dominating people.  

I’ve observed (from people that I work with) that many people running a business value quality standards and excellence. 

Seth offers a way forward that’s relevant and helpful today. We share this way of thinking.

Second Step: Real-time challenge

I want to help you make progress by developing the foundation of your culture. 

Try this simple real-time challenge right now. Close your eyes and picture standing in front of your team. 

You are talking from the heart about the guiding belief of the company. 

What does it look like for you to talk about a belief that guides everything you do at this company?

How does it feel for you to see this land with your team?

This week, I’ve been helping clients communicate their business vision, values and goals for an All Hands meeting. 

The results:

Clear direction of our goals, transparency of our current state, and vision for what’s ahead <– Practical

The team was excited and motivated <– Results 

Third Step: 7-Day Challenge

If you’ve made it this far, I want to see what you can do and how far you can go. 

What can you do over the coming week to develop company culture?

Here are five things you can do right away:

1. Summarize your core value and why it’s important 
2. Develop a few short paragraphs for your website 
3. Build a paragraph for open job descriptions 
4. Make a short video for your website and social  
5. Get your team excited with a talk at your next company meeting  

I hope you start this important work!

I want you to leave a comment below about what you have done.

I’m looking for people who can go the extra mile. See how far you can go this week!

And the prize is that I will select one person to visit Portland, put you up in a hotel, and spend a whole day together. 

We can go on a hike. We can hit Portland’s famous food carts. We can work on your business. 

I will be fulfilling this prize over the coming 6 months.

Cheers, 

Noah

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