Episode 400: Special Live Recording – What Great Cultures Have in Common

So, you know, as we think about like, man, where do you start if your goal is to create a great culture that people want to be a part of, not just want to be a part of, but then also perform because both those things matter, right? Clarity is non-negotiable, right? Clarity is non-negotiable.

Why is that?

Well, to me, clarity means so much, but at first my mind goes right to vision.

It says in Proverbs, where there is no vision, the people will perish.

And so without vision, it doesn't inform your process.

It doesn't inform your strategy.

It doesn't inform how you go to market.

It doesn't inform how you treat people.

And so the vision has to match up and it has to inspire you and your team before it inspires others.

And I think that to me is where I go.

I know we've got to talk about role clarity and clear communication and expectations.

But my first thought is, hey, what is your purpose? Why do you exist? Why do you matter? Then we can figure out, OK, how does everything flow together? I think too many companies and organizations, they get so focused on what they're doing, they forget why they do it.

Yeah.

And I think a topic that comes up a lot, and I've seen people do this well, people do this not so well, is you'll hear people begin talking about alignment.

We've got to have alignment throughout the organization.

I couldn't agree more.

The problem, though, is they haven't first created clarity.

And so when you lack clarity and then you're trying to create alignment, you might end up with it.

The problem is people are aligned on a whole lot of different things.

Yeah, and I think another problem with that, you may as a leader have, and I see my wife over there, I'm guilty of this in my mind, what I think I say and what I actually say are two different things.

So you may have it very clear in your mind of your vision and your purpose and the roles that everybody play, but then you don't give people a chance to speak into it.

to have a voice in it.

And then you don't communicate very clearly.

It's not, hey, here's why we're doing this.

Here's what you have to do.