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I posted yesterday about how framing 'culture' conversations with execs/stakeholders too often leads to insta-eye-rolls. Stakeholders either hate the word, don’t understand it or haven’t got a joined up way to make it tangible. 💡 I’ve found Operational Excellence to be a useful frame to help bridge this gap and to make culture tangible by defining it in terms folks can consume. Few folks yesterday asked "if that's step 1 of managing your culture like a product, what's step 2" 👉 So thought i'd share this high level audit I developed. (link in comments on the Open Org resource library) whilst working as a part-time COO (People focused) for startups and scale-ups to get a sense of where the opportunities are, what’s thought about and what’s not. Found it works best when coming from a vertical People/Ops role and moving into a more horizontal one or if you are starting a new gig and you want to have a framework for collecting insights gathered during first 4 weeks after you’ve spoken to key stakeholders from each function  It's a pretty useful next step to help prioritise roadmap, interventions and form a holistic view of operational excellence across the buz. I hope it’s useful to you. 🙏 Shout if any questions. As with all things it's a constant work in progress. Feedback welcome! Cheers John ----------------------------------------------- 👋 p.s hey, I’m John, Co-Founder of openorg.fyi 🚀 I help People & Talent Folks leverage Open Culture principles to attract and retain their best people. ➕ Follow me and get our newsletter (link in bio) to learn the Open Culture toolkit and how to manage your culture like a product. Occasional buildinpublic, cat pics & LotR memes.

A quick story for all of the folks out there trying to change, save, or "transform" a company's culture: Throughout my entire childhood – I followed my Dad to the office. Starting around 8 and then onward, we'd go to Cocos, and I’d sit there quietly while my Dad and Uncle (his longtime co-founder) ramble-discussed something ad nauseam over pie: “Should we sell this building?” “How do we price that job?” “Is our factory manager working out?” Some topics would get resolved between bites with a simple nod of the head, while others would stretch on for days. From the outside, this looked both natural and grueling. But it’s been the method for most of their company decisions for the last 40 years. While this may sound like “family business stuff” – it’s not. I'm sharing this story because Every. Single. One. of the startups that I've worked with have some co-founder (or early team) norm that ultimately shapes their lasting company culture. and while company cultures evolve over time, I've never seen one "transform" based on an internal culture initiative. The reason? These initiatives rarely allow for the genuine introspection required to get to the heart of a company's real DNA, its hardcoded (and likely unspoken) norms. It's nature. and because of that, they effectively work in the periphery. So if you're at the helm of an initiative that aims to shape, tweak, nurture, or refine culture -- here's my advice: Find the pie. --- I have a short series of posts that relate to company values and culture -- if you're into that: follow me here, or subscribe (link in comments)

How most startups design & deliver ‘great culture’…. 👉 Hit up your team for those positive Glassdoor reviews. If they won’t do them, just write them yourself 👌 👉 Pizza Wednesday’s; we don’t mind if you like pineapple… we’re “inclusive & diverse” 👉 23 values that we cut down from 41. We wont explain them, the right people will just “get it” 👉 We’re transparent, open, honest, auth-… what do you mean ‘what’s the salary for this role?’ 👉 We’re not a family we’re a…wait, what did Netflix’s latest culture memo say again? Yeah, what they said 👉 We’re building this together… have some share options that weve engineered specially to make sure you never get to exercise them. 👉 It’s international women’s day tomorrow… can we book lunch somewhere so we can post on Linkedin? Or… you can do culture right…🔥 👉 Do’s & Don’t’s behaviours 👉 Co-creation 👉 Team charters & personal readme’s 👉 Open Documentation 👉 Intentional approach to communication 👉 Tooling 👉 Rituals 👉 Feedback loops 👉 Conflict agreements 👉 ‘Whats a manager look like?’ 👉 Decision making framework This is how we think about culture at Open Org. If you’re a people leader in a startup and this resonates, we’re building a member network and community you might just fall in love with 🖤 Design & deliver transparent culture properly 👉 https://lnkd.in/e5yhxFNV

See you tomorrow morning for coffee and conversation at the Responsible Innovation MeetUp! What does a “responsible business culture” mean to you? How can you build an organizational culture with greater holistic awareness?

CULTURE we are the culture disruptors! With Think3D hosting the 5th Culture Con today, let us think about what culture means. How are you contributing to the culture of your home life, your work life, your community? What are you doing to DISRUPT the culture social norms? How are you breaking the status quo?

There is never right or wrong kind of work environment. Only what's appropriate for your company's aims. Not every company culture has to be like Google. An accounting firm will need a different culture from a tech startup A creative agency will need a different culture from an engineering company So what your culture looks like specifically doesn't really matter What's important is: 1. What are you trying to achieve 2. What environment is going to help you achieve that 3. How do you need people to behave in order to create that culture I don't know what your culture should look like, Not until we look at your aims together. But what I do know is, A culture where your people are afraid, disengaged, and leaving? That ain't it. You will never build a good business with a culture where people don't want to hang around. That I do know. If you'd like to find out more how I help companies build a winning culture that scales - come say hi. Let's chat.

It’s been a couple of months since we announced The3rdPlace, so I thought I’d share a quick update. (For anyone saying 'huh?'... The 3rd Place is a new venture making culture books for companies.) So what's been happening? Well, for a while there, very little. (Hardly surprising seeing as we've said nothing about it.) But we're up and running with some lovely projects… - An expanded version of a digital culture book we did last year for a company that has hundreds of employees in multiple locations; - A printed book for an SME as part of a broader project to define and articulate its culture; and - A printed and digital culture book for a scale-up that wants an engaging way to tell its story. Each company is at a different stage of their journey. But their growth means culture is a priority. They can't leave it to chance. They need everyone in their company aligned and ready to play their part. Their culture books will... 👉 Give them a fast, easy way to communicate key messages. 👉 Give new starters valuable insight into the company and what's expected. 👉 Give everyone clear direction and a reason to commit. It’s early days for our little venture. But these types of projects are why we decided to do it. They’re a chance to help good businesses design and protect cultures that people want to be part of. We’ll share examples of our work in the coming weeks and months. But for now I’ll leave you with this graphic we created for our LinkedIn page. If you'd like to chat, say hi. #CultureBooks

Building a strong culture is not just about having a set of values or a motto. It's about living those values every day, in every interaction. ✨🤝 It's about creating an environment where people feel safe, heard, and respected. When we prioritise our culture, we create a foundation for success that goes beyond just profits and revenue. 🏛️🌱 We build a community of people who are invested in each other's growth and success. 🌟👥 That's what sets great companies apart from the rest. 🚀 So, if you're wondering whether investing in your culture is worth it, we can tell you from experience that it absolutely is. Learn more about how we build a great company culture at Elemental in the article below! 📖 #CompanyCulture #ValuesInAction #WorkplaceEnvironment #TeamCommunity

【Why Isn't Your Company's Culture Clicking? Let's Dig In!】 I'm your go-to person when it comes to team-building and whipping up some corporate training magic. My journey has taken me through the ins and outs of a bunch of companies, and guess what? I've spotted something kinda quirky. 😱 A lot of these places have these amazing ideas about company culture, but somehow, it's just not clicking with the team. It's like trying to mix oil and water – they just don't blend. 💥 1. Culture on Paper vs. Culture in Action First things first, let's chat about culture integration. Picture this: a company boasts an amazing culture in its fancy brochures, but when it comes down to the daily grind, it's a whole different story. It's like expecting a gourmet burger and getting a soggy sandwich instead. We're gonna dive into why there's often a gap between what's said and what's done. ✍ 2. When Teams Start Doing Their Own Thing Ever noticed how different teams in the same company can seem like they're from different planets? It's wild! Each department ends up cooking up its own little culture stew. Sometimes these mini-cultures are so strong they overshadow the main company vibe. We'll explore why this happens and what it means for the big picture. 3. "Not Everyone Digs the Same Beat" Here's the deal: people are different, and that's cool. But it also means not everyone's going to groove to the same company culture tune. It's like expecting everyone at a party to love the same playlist – not happening. We'll talk about how to balance individual vibes with the overall company rhythm. 🎵 4. My Job vs. My Company In some jobs, people are more jazzed about their profession than where they actually work. Like being more into being a chef than the restaurant you work for. We'll look at how companies can juggle this and keep everyone on board. 5. "The Revolving Door Dilemma" High turnover can make a company's culture feel like it's always in the 'getting-to-know-you' phase. If folks are always coming and going, it's tough to build a lasting culture. It's like trying to remember the names at a huge party – tricky, right? 6. When Leaders Aren't Walking Their Talk Leaders need to strut their cultural stuff – not just talk about it. If they're not walking their talk, it's like a dance teacher who can't dance. We're gonna look at why leaders need to be the main cheerleaders of company culture. 7. "The Missing Vision Quest" Lastly, if a company's vision gets blurry, everything else goes out of focus, including culture. It's like heading out on a road trip without a map. We'll talk about why a clear vision is like a compass for company culture. 🔑 So, there you have it. If your company's culture isn't making waves with the team, it might be time to take a closer look at these factors. "It's Not About the Culture, It's Always the People!" 🚀🌟

5 powerful steps to building and fostering an enduring company culture 5️⃣ Last week, I shared my perspective on startup and company culture. A topic, we have also been talking about on Quick Coffee ☕️ Once people understand how big of an impact culture has, they wonder: How exactly, can I build a truly enduring, positive company culture? Here are 5 steps I have been following when thinking about building a strong culture: 1. It all starts with you: As a founder or people leader, your personal values define the culture. How do I interact with the team? Do I personally live the values I want to establish? The way you personally are is the baseline of what your culture will become. 2. Make time and create space for conversations: How often does your team speak about culture? At Sonic, we have made it a routine to have a long culture workshop at least once per quarter. We speak about what we like about the culture we are building, and what could be improved. Making time for conversations around culture is extremely important. 3. Make it a routine: Building culture is an ever present topic. It never stops. Making it a routine to speak about values, culture and the way that a team works together is the foundation to making a great culture last long. 4. Be tough on anti-culture: If you observe something that is against your team’s values or the culture you aim to build, be tough on it. Clearly stating what is against your culture is as important as fostering what is. 5. Observe and listen: Culture is being defined by the many micro interactions that happen inside the team on a constant basis. Be aware of what is going on inside your team or company, and never detach yourself from it. It will help you see whether you are on the right track or not. Creating the time and space to speak about culture within the team can become a trajectory-changing experience. I have had some of the most profound work-related conversations during such culture workshops, in which I truly understood what matters to the people I work with 🤝 📸 Photo from our first ever Sonic team trip to Barcelona. It was the start of our unique team culture workshops that we continue to this day! ✨