Company Fusion Rather Than Company Confusion: The Importance of a Clearly Defined Culture

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Top Takeaways:

• Brand is your external identity, and culture is your internal operations. Many companies treat them as though they are two separate entities. When this happens, a lot of power gets lost, leading to a disconnect with how the company is run.
• As a manager, you have an obligation to treat employees how you would want them to treat you. That’s the fundamental level. Once you cover this, work on engaging your employees the same way you want them to engage your customers.
• The problem with mission statements is that many times they are not relevant to employees, and definitely not to customers. We write them for annual reports and are too business-y. If there is a disconnect between the mission statement and the brand of the company, employees get confused when it comes time to make decisions. They are not sure if the decision should be based on the mission statement, or on the brand. When this happens, the employees are not set up for success.
• A mission statement should be a filter, a lens through which you see everything. It should serve as a clarifying, unifying, and motivating idea for every one the company impacts.
• Leadership must take responsibility for cultivating the desired culture within your organization. So much of what employees communicate is an example from leaders, who set the tone.
• Do sweat the small stuff: rituals, artifacts, policies and procedures. These things seem like mundane elements, but they are little things that make a big impact.
• Ignite your transformation: kick off your culture statement and then sustain the momentum for employee brand engagement. You don’t just want happy and productive employees, you want happy and productive employees that create extraordinary experiences. The only way they can do that is if they truly understand the company’s mission.
• Build your brand from the inside out. When your culture is healthy, you can take what you are doing on the inside and then make it meaningful to customers. Make that part of your identity.

About:

Denise Lee Yohn is the go-to expert on brand-building for national media outlets, an in-demand speaker and consultant, and an influential writer.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, “New York Times” best-selling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and your host of Amazing Business Radio.

“There is not one right culture that every organization should have, but there is one right culture for your organization.” – Denise Lee Yohn

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions … and more:

1. Is my culture clearly defined?
2. Is my brand clearly defined?
3. How can I better lead my employees?
4. Are my employees well-equipped to make decisions?
5. How do I create a customer-focused culture?
6. How do I create a culture statement?