Six Key Criteria to Identify What Kind of Company Culture You Have

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Corporate culture is an overt or covert agreement about "This is the way we do things around here."

Two cultures are always operating in a company, family or group.

1. The "Marketed or Public Culture" - what we would like the world to think we are: "Be the customer." In a "Marketed Culture," what we say often does not fit with what we really do or what people are encouraged to do. So if we say, "Be the customer" but we treat them badly what we market does not fit our behaviors.

2. The "Authentic Culture" is the one in which people's behaviours are congruent with the stated values. "Be the customer" means we do whatever it takes to fulfil customer needs to produce a WOW! customer experience.

An "Authentic Culture" points the way to an ideal and "happy place" that will lead to a sustainable business that is humanly and financially sustainable.

Why Build a Humanly and Financially Sustainable Culture?

• Short answer -- for fun and profit.

An "Authentic Culture" tends to increase engagement, which leverages people's performance. It makes alignment easier because people have bought into the values. It charges up motivation to be the best because most employees are giving their best, which has a positively viral effect throughout the organization.

Southwest Airlines, Westjet, Google, and The Container Store are examples of "Authentic" cultures.

WindowPane Design Group employs 50 people. Half are best-in-class designers. The other half are support people. Its cultural ethic is one of attracting, engaging with, and retaining the best customers for innovate design. WPDG regards its employees as customers.

Retaining is the key element here, because in the design business the sales cycle is very long -- often years. Developing a level, profit producing, client-connected designer takes years.

WPDG has not had a "failed" assignment. They have certainly made mistakes and had conflicts with clients -- and they have managed to strengthen all their customer relationships as a result. They have many repeat clients.

The "Authentic" and the "Marketed" workings of culture share common ground.

To change the culture from what it is today, i.e. from fuzzy goals, unclear ground rules, and substandard results -- to what we want it to be i.e. inspiring vision, clear mission and consistently profitable results, we have to change the "way things are done around here." Poor performers scurry out like rats deserting a sinking ship. High performers jump on board for the ride.

• Congruency is the "Secret Sauce" to Talent Managing An Authentic, High Performing Corporate Culture

Six key criteria to identify what kind of company culture you have.

1. Values & Behaviors.Who decides what are the priorities? What behaviors get rewarded? What actions are unacceptable? What goes unnoticed. Who goes unnoticed? What are our core values that guide how we engage and behave toward each other, our customers and our suppliers?
2. Internal -- External.How do we make sure we are engaging with the right people? Are we congruent with what we say to our customers and what we deliver to our customers? Do we have the competitive intelligence we need to compete in this environment of business? What are we doing to develop our people?
3. Vision.Where are we going? What kind of corporate future do we want to create? Does it fit our values? As we are creating our future what are we giving up in exchange for what we are getting. Is it worth it?
4. Improving.What do we need to -- Stop Doing? Start Doing and Keep Doing? -- to get there? What's the Big Goal? How will we know when we've arrived? Do we have a road map or strategy to get us there?
5. Mission.Why are we in business? What are we actually selling? Is it products, services and/or experiences? Do our customers know what we are selling?
6. The Emporer's New Clothes?If a person from Mars came to visit us, what would s/he see or say about us?An "Authentic" culture is built on principles and policies that drive behaviors that inspire the human spirit to become great. An "Authentic" culture is behaviorally congruent. Or, WYSIWYG.

Is our culture "Marketed" or Authentic"?

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From Dr. Jim Sellner, PhD.,DipC. -- Helping Zoomers & Super Zoomers find more joy, health and sense of abundance.

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