Culture at Work - A Conscious Choice

A couple of months ago I was talking with a business owner that said, we don't really have a culture here. He demonstrated the biggest misconception with corporate culture - it exists whether you intentionally create it or not. A culture is something that grows out of your work environment and the people around you automatically. If someone isn't actively creating and directing a culture, then it is growing organically and may not be heading in the right direction.


I have said, and believe, that the most critical components to any business are its people. Nevertheless, we often spend countless hours building out our marketing messages, our product packaging and our financial model, yet no time consciously building out our culture - an element that impacts every aspect of your business, every day.

Here is a little exercise:
1. Take a piece of paper and write down the first 10 words that come to mind to describe your business and its people. Is it positive, negative? Fun? Performance based?
2. Being as honest as you can, review your list. Are any of your choice words describing how you wish it was or how it really is?
3. Now get 5 other people to do the same exercise anonymously. When you compare the lists of each person, the words that come up repeatedly are the ones that really define your current culture.


Want to know how to create a new culture at work? Ask me, marty@martypark.com