Culture is the soul of the organization. As a leader, it’s imperative to your role to protect the soul of the organization.
Organizations with strong cultures can spend decades putting together the elements, that when combined, create a compelling culture. These elements include a well-defined purpose, a commitment to the mission, articulation of core values and demonstration of guiding principles. Whether or not people embrace these elements and live them out daily in their work determines the strength of the culture.
One of my favorite authors is Jim Collins and among others, he wrote a book entitled, How the Mighty Fall. In his research, he discovered how great companies over time found themselves floundering and then eventually failing. In many organizations, this fall begins with a slow, almost unnoticeable erosion of the culture. Leading a successful culture takes intentionality every single day. Without intentionality, it slowly begins to erode and with momentum the erosion accelerates until the foundation is no longer recognizable.
What are signs that your culture might be slowly eroding?
1. People within the organization no longer connect with the reason the company is in business. Sure, every business, hopefully, wants to make money, but that is usually not the purpose. The purpose is, ordinarily, about something bigger than any one individual and it’s about the difference that a business can make through its product or service. Companies with a compelling culture have a crystal-clear purpose. It’s the rallying cry for the organization. If a time comes when the leaders lose their way, they only have to return to their purpose to center themselves and find direction. If people lose their connection to the purpose, it’s a good chance the culture will erode.
2. People within the organization forget who they serve. Without customers, clients, patients or students, most businesses could not exist. Those who are served by the business must be the very most important focus of the organization. I love the quote, “Nothing happens until somebody sells something.” That’s true and I would add that not much happens until somebody is served. If the customers, clients, patients or students are not being served well, then the culture could be eroding.
3. People within the organization do not feel respected by one another. When culture erodes in an organization, people don’t treat one another as valued team members with respect for differences. When culture is strong, people care about one another. When it’s weak, care for the work and the people slowly ebbs away.
4. People within the organization do not pursue a future state. When culture is eroding, people lose sight of the vision. They lack passion for achieving the goals of the future. They show up to work day-to-day with little concern for what comes next.
5. People within the organization relinquish the past. When culture erodes in an organization, people quit telling the stories about what originally brought success. They consider the past to be dated and irrelevant.
This organization with an eroding culture does not sound like a great place to work. So how do we stop the erosion?
Erosion needs immediate attention or it will evolve into much bigger problems. If you have ever experienced water erosion on your property, you know that if you do not correct the problem, it gets bigger and bigger. Erosion to an organization’s culture can have very damaging effects as well.
Consider these steps to correct a leaking culture:
1. Reconnect and recommit to the purpose. Be vigilant in teaching and role modeling the reason you do what you do. Remember that the purpose of the organization is much bigger than the individuals of which it is comprised. It can be a powerful unifying force in the culture.
2. Practice your serve. Perhaps, others in the organization are not getting the messages from leadership about who they should be serving first. If employees are rewarded for their service to the leadership, they will not put the customer first. Be sure not to inadvertently encourage service to leadership over service to the customer.
3. Treat everyone with honor, dignity and respect, and value differences. Every person on the team has the potential to bring value to the team. Determine strengths and maximize them to achieve results. Both the comradery and the achievement will strengthen the culture.
4. Constantly and repetitively remind people where the organization is headed. Help them to see their place and where they fit in the future of the organization.
5. Respect what made the organization successful in the first place. Without getting stuck in the history, be sure to revere it and learn from it. Keep the best of the past alive and be willing to leave behind what no longer works.
If the culture in your organization is eroding, act quickly. Make it a top priority to get back on track. Organizations with strong cultures win. They out sell, out serve and out perform their competition.
About the Author
Dee Ann is a 33-year veteran of Chick-fil-A, Inc. Prior to retirement, she was Vice President, Talent and Vice President, Sustainability for Chick-fil-A, Inc. Selected as the company’s first female officer in 2001, she was instrumental in building and growing Chick-fil-A’s well-known culture and talent systems. During her long career, she worked closely with Chick-fil-A’s founder, S. Truett Cathy, and other key leaders as an architect of their organizational culture. Turner was responsible for thousands of selections of Chick-fil-A Franchisees and corporate staff members. Additionally, she led Talent Management, Staff Learning and Development, Diversity and Inclusion, Culture and Engagement. Prior to her retirement, she launched and led Chick-fil-A’s Sustainability and Social Responsibility function.
Today, she leads her own organization, Dee Ann Turner & Associates, LLC, writing books, speaking to over 50 audiences per year and consulting and coaching leaders globally. She is the author of the best sellers, It’s My Pleasure: The Impact of Extraordinary Talent and a Compelling Culture (2015) and Bet on Talent: How to Create a Remarkable Culture and Win the Hearts of Customers (2019) and Crush Your Career: Ace the Interview, Land the Job and Launch Your Future (2021). She also hosts the Crush Your Career Podcast and is the Talent Expert in Residence at High Point University.
She is a graduate of Clayton State University with a degree in Management. She also completed executive education courses at Emory University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Virginia’s Darden Business School. She is a 2009 alumnus of the prestigious Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program.
In 2023, Dee Ann was named to the Georgia Titan 100. The Titan 100 program recognizes the Top 100 CEO’s & C-level executives. They are the area’s most accomplished business leaders in their industry using criteria that includes demonstrating exceptional leadership, vision, and passion
Dee Ann has been married her husband, Ashley for 39 years and they are the parents of three grown sons. Currently, she serves on the Board of Directors for Booster Enterprises. Additionally, she is an advisor to several non-profits. When she is not traveling, she can often be found on her Peloton bike in her home outside of Atlanta or on her stand-up paddleboard at Lake Hartwell in northeast Georgia.