If you’re an angler like me (lol), you know that the title of this is a fallacy: a fish doesn’t rot from the head, it rots from the inside, the guts, the center, then out. (But Jason. C and Mark. W didn’t know that – Jim. T certainly does.)
Same difference though, right?!
Whether from the center or the top, rot trickles out and down to those who are the foundation of the business: people and clients. And this sets the tone and cultivates the company culture.
However, you don’t simply create a culture. Instant cultures are artificial cultures. They are recognizable, ugly, and plastic. Artificial culture is cheap paint; real culture is patina, right Chris Partida? Culture is a byproduct of our consistent behavior. If leadership illustrates trust, then trust will be instilled in the culture. If leadership illustrates value, then value shall be instilled in the culture. If leadership is active on social media and shows they care about their people (employees and clients, respectively), then that too shall be instilled in the culture of the organization.
(Side Note: Culture isn’t a pool table in your lobby or a tagline everyone at the organization chatters – it’s not a company a party, either.)
Are you picking up what I’m putting down, Kemosabe?!
And today, it’s hip for businesses to talk about their culture. They want to stimulate it, so they fill the void with words, empty platitudes, facade mission statements (oh boy do those drive me nuts), and cheezy taglines & quotes they hang on their walls. But all the promises, explanations and asides in the world pale in comparison with what they actually do.
Too often, we forget that jargon and narrative exist to help shape our actions, not to replace them. I am going to say that again: words, jargon, and narrative exist to help shape our actions, NOT to replace them.
Words keep getting cheaper, which makes action more valuable than ever.
“Leaders must be visible, accessible, approachable, be a YOUtility, and emulate a chef by sharing their recipes and talent.”
This is why the Social Media presence of the organization should match the culture of your leader(s), not your industries regulations or culture of your lawyers and other 90-year-old governmental scrooges.
Leaders: open your eyes.
Get the rest of this rant via my IG Stories: Rock_Ryan.
Tight lines, folks.
2 Responses
Don’t complain this is why you make $$$ because these people are lost. Ssshhhh
Sharing this with my team. Love it mark