We are living in bold times. Where what we imagine is no longer imaginary; it’s reality. With the speed of technology and constantly changing competitive landscapes, organizations need to be innovative, in front of trends and intimately involved with their customers. They need smart, emotionally intelligent, critical thinkers, who are passionate about what they do. Not afraid to take risks, fail and learn – Not afraid to challenge the status quo, not afraid to ask for change…
I hear leaders echo these sentiments, or at least some combination of them, yet they exist in companies that struggle to create the conditions necessary to retain the kind of talent they are looking for. Their culture is perfectly designed to behave the way it is behaving perfectly. And then, I hear leaders tell their organizations things like this:
“I’ve said it before we have a fantastic team, and I am truly impressed by the behavior, the dedication… We have a culture of honesty… I want to retain all those elements while creating conditions to improve…”
The Ugly Truth
Lipstick on a Donkey. Why is it so hard to be honest? If you want a company culture designed to attract, retain and grow smart, emotionally intelligent, critical thinkers who are passionate about what they do, then you need to treat them as smart, emotionally intelligent, critical thinkers, who passionately understand that shade of lipstick just isn’t working.
They also are not afraid of looking at the donkey without lipstick. They are not afraid to examine the culture, the beliefs, behaviors, habits and rituals… They want to change the conditions.
What do we mean by conditions?
These are choices we make about policy, process, organization design and talent that either make your desired company culture possible or make your desired culture impossible. It shapes how people in the organization lead, manage and work. It is the difference between a company positioned to grow and one that staggers and fails.
Imagine any one of these commonly talked about values below represents what you desire in your culture.
- Collaboration
- Innovation
- Courage
- Speed
Now, ask yourself: What would need to be true in order for these values to exist? What are the obstacles that make living that culture impossible? What belief is behind the policy choice, process choice, or talent choice?
Now, let’s examine one.
Collaboration
What makes collaboration important in this culture? Why, where, when, how and who needs to collaborate? The Why is most important. You may discover that collaboration is not an enabler for success in the type of company you have. It may conflict with another value you have. Do you have systems and processes that support collaboration? Are you designed to work as teams? If not, do individuals have the similar priorities and objectives? Do they have enough shared interest to invest themselves in collaboration? Do you have talent in your organization that likes to collaborate, or is that profile non-existent? Does your talent have the skills to collaborate effectively? Do they have a healthy relationship with conflicting ideas?
I think you get where this is going. Take a value and get curious. Figure out what the implication is to how you lead, how you manage and how you work. Then, identify if this value really fits with what you are trying to do as a company. Does it enable you to achieve your strategy, or is it less important than something else?
Most of all, wipe off the lipstick.
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