Building a performance culture is part art, part science, takes years to create impact and is a constant work in progress. Like a diet or exercise program, the idea can be intimidating and while all leaders inherently know it’s a good idea, finding the best place to start can be a challenge.
Visioning, planning, implementation, maintenance and measurement are all parts of an organizational culture architecture that require equal parts passion and hard work by leadership. There are no shortcuts to building what I would consider your greatest long-term competitive advantage when it comes to hiring, motivating and retaining great people.
At the heart of a great culture are great people, excited about building esprit de corps and engaged in their work. But deciphering if your employees are engaged at work can be difficult. While there’s no single foolproof method, a mix of observation, data, and quick conversations can give you a baseline.
Starting with the Right Questions
In my experience, I’ve often found the best place to start is with an in-person pulse survey that asks three simple questions:
- What motivates you?
- What demotivates you?
- What about our culture would you change?
After each question, ask “why” five times after each answer.
Sample 5 Whys Conversation
Q: What motivates you?
A: Working with a talented team.
Q: Why does working with a team motivate you?
A: I like coming together with talented people to solve a problem.
Q: Why does solving problems with a talented team motivate you?
A: The team needs me and it was a problem that they couldn’t solve on their own.
Q: Why did that motivate you?
A: Because the team needed my expertise.
Q: So you take pride when your experience, education and problem solving skills are noticed?
A: Yes. I’ve invested and built this expertise over the years, and I love getting a chance to flex my technical muscles.
Initially it may sound like working on a talented team is enough. And for some, it is. But over the years I’ve learned there are individualistic preferences and distinctive motivators embedded in broader answers.
The Power of Understanding Motivation
Learning what genuinely motivates your team members can be fascinating. And understanding the root cause of some of your cultural challenges and opportunities should be the beginning of a larger organizational culture architecture and strategy.
Not every team member’s principal motivator will be met head on and it’s likely the data will suggest solutions that will take years to implement. But these pulse surveys will help you begin to understand some of the reasons talented people choose to follow you, and what it will take to ensure they stay.
Contact
For questions on this First Principles Brief, or organization culture design, architecture and implementation, please contact:
Brent.Teiken@teikengramer.com
Phone: 701-306-5525
We’ve been through it. We’ll help you prepare for it.