Biological definition of culture
I’m often asked how some organisations can create a great company culture and not others. It’s simple. For me, it all comes down to leadership. Leaders create an environment in which their people want to do their jobs with passion and enthusiasm because they share a mission and purpose.
Of course, the opposite is true as well. Poor leadership can easily create a toxic company culture. But the point is that the culture is set from the top.
People often make the mistake of thinking that a great culture means everyone is always happy, and it’s all sunshine and roses. It isn’t. A healthy environment doesn’t necessarily have to be an easy 1. It can (and must) be tough at times. Culture is simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy.
But the difference between a tough workplace environment and a toxic one is that strong boundaries and challenging behaviours can create strength and growth in a healthy environment. Nothing good ever comes from a toxic environment. And I’d go so far as to suggest that one of a leader’s main tasks is to eliminate toxicity in their workplaces.
The thing about culture is that it’s contagious. At King Price, we like to say that ‘culture is a transmittable condition’. This means that culture is learned and shared within social groups at work. People quickly model their behaviours at work to align with those around them. If your culture is toxic, they get poisoned. If it’s healthy, they thrive.
To make sure the culture stays positively contagious, you’ve got to introduce it to your people from the very first time you contact them during the hiring process. It’s got to be baked in during their onboarding. Most importantly, it’s got to be consistently modelled, communicated and regularly reinforced by the company leadership for sustainability.
So, if you want your people bouncing out of bed every morning and dancing their way through the day while they delight their clients, make sure your bosses are doing exactly that. It’ll quickly catch on. And then, the magic happens.
