Company Culture: The 3 C's (2024)

If you have been in the business world, read a business book, or watched any business related show on tv, you have heard the 3 P's when it comes to a successful business plan....People, Product, and Process. Where there is no argument that these 3 focuses are vital to the success of an organization, there are 3 C's that need to be top of mind when it comes to running a successful business.

The 3 C's are Culture, Consistency, and Communication. Let's take a quick look at these three focuses and how they impact the success of your organization as a whole.

Culture - I have been in many meetings, too many to count actually, and most of them have been productive. With that said, I can recall many of these meetings focused around a "this is not a negative, it's a positive" delivery. Guess what...it goes without saying this statement projects that leadership is concerned about the change, or it might mean you don't have the right leadership. This is where your company culture is so impactful. I've heard and repeated many times, "The only thing constant is change." This is where your organizations culture plays a pivotal role. The correct culture protects your team's mindset when leadership has to make changes, especially difficult changes. When there is complete buy-in from your team members into your organization's culture, change is never viewed as a negative nor do you have to have meetings proving the change will have a "positive" impact. Also, there is a difference between "buy-in" and "drinking the kool-aid"...we will get into that in a later article.

Culture focuses: Team Involvement, Big Picture Mentality, Everyone's Input Matters, Community Focused, Transparent Communication, Consistent Messaging, Leadership Keep Thier Promises/Commitments

Consistency - Talking about consistency can be tricky. What makes it tricky is understanding what consistency means when it comes to business and managing multiple team members that all are motivated by different goals and have different agendas that drive them. This does not mean that you have to treat every team member the same, but you do have to be consistent with the approach. Diving deeper into that, if you have a sales executive that is exceeding their goals every month and always building their pipeline and they expect some early Fridays and every weekend off and you agree with making the agreement due to the fact that they continue to achieve those goals. The executives that are not hitting their goals or are not building their pipeline for future sales, they should not be given the same treatment as the exec hitting their goals. Where the consistency comes in is, you are consistent with what the executives hitting their goals receive in extra incentives. With that said, you also have to be consistent with communication with everyone, clearly stating the goals, training with all executives.

Consistency focuses: Reward Amongst Peers, Provide Clear Direction, Be Available and Approachable, Lead By Example

Communication - Effective communication is a crucial component of successful leadership. When leaders communicate effectively with their employees, it creates a positive environment where trust, clarity, and transparency thrive. Clear and open communication keeps employees informed about the organization's goals, vision, and strategies, ensuring that everyone is on the same page and working towards a common objective. Effective communication also encourages and fosters strong relationships between leaders and employees, bridging any gaps and fostering a sense of belonging and teamwork. Additionally, good communication allows leaders to provide meaningful feedback, guidance, and support, promoting growth and development among employees. Ultimately, when communication is prioritized and done well, it can lead to increased engagement, higher productivity, and overall success within the organization.

Communication focuses: Be Clear and Concise, Be Approachable, Have Active Listening Skills, Provide Feedback Consistently, Provide Positive Feedback Along With Opportunities To Improve, Be Empathetic

Ultimately, a great work environment is created when team members feel valued, respected, and supported. A strong organizational culture, consistency, and open communication all contribute to a positive work environment that fosters collaboration, productivity, and engagement.