I thought about you the other day after watching Jack (JJ) Jackintelle of the Rick Case organization talk about culture. It was an inspiring presentation that reminded me of the importance of culture and reinforced my right, even my obligation as a person committed to success to insist on how I want my business run and how I want the people that work for me to act and operate.
Culture is defined as “the sum of total of the learned behavior of a group of people that are generally considered to be the tradition of that people and are transmitted from generation to generation.” 100 years ago people worked from sun up to sun down and had to hunt for their own food. Today, people may not work at all in a day and depend on the government for their food.
Every company has a culture. The question is what kind of culture? Is it a culture of average people that make mediocre efforts at best? They come in late, do what they want, they are quick to quit, don’t follow customers up, make excuses for not hitting targets and give your profits away?
Another company culture would be one in which management and leadership demand greatness, push people to the next level and shoot for exceptional results. A culture where it is popular to show up to work early, stay late, where every customer is followed up, every deal is treated like it’s important, and where the employees refuse to give away the company’s profits. This is the type of culture that comes from applying the principles in my book, The 10X Rule, based on big goals, and followed up with massive action.
Ask yourself:
- Do your people know what you and your company stand for?
- Do your people treat every customer like their lives depend on it?
- Do your people do what they want to do or what you want them to do?
- Do your people handle your customers the way you want them to or however they choose?
Discipline is the single most consistent ingredient of all great organizations. A culture is “the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization or group.” The best of the best organizations I have worked with all share this common ingredient of clarity and commitment to their culture.
If you want to take your company to the next level it will not be because of luck or the economy but because you DEMAND that your people operate the way you want them to.
At my company it is imperative that my staff exudes willingness to do whatever it takes, enthusiasm for even the smallest of tasks, takes orders without question, and operate with a “no problem” attitude. I push people to greatness and if they quit then I happily let them go be average somewhere else.
Let me remind you, if you are a parent, manager, leader or owner – it’s your business and your life and you have the right to insist on how you want things run. If you don’t establish the guidelines of the culture of your group, someone else will. Don’t settle for average. 10X your life and the lives of your staff and clients.
Be GREAT, demand GREATNESS and INSPIRE your team to GREATNESS.
