Now that we understand part of what makes up culture (the organization’s core values) and introduced you to the first two Pillars of culture (results and accountability), we need to focus on the other two Pillars that are involved in our cultural progression:
Foundation ➜ Pillars ➜ Unique (Desired) Company Traits ➜ Culture
All four Pillars are essential support posts. You can’t take one away and expect the other three to carry the weight. The Pillars of engagement and trust complete the four Pillars that bear the weight of culture in any organization.
Passion Fuels Engagement
Feeling like you’re a part of something is powerful. It encourages you to do your best and give it everything you’ve got. It’s why so many organizations look for people who are passionate about what they do and what they care about. When people are passionate they’re more willing to contribute to the team and to the organization as a whole.
How do you make people passionate about something? While passion is often birthed within, for some people, we’ve found that what ignites it in others and fuels it for everyone is engagement. When people are engaged in projects in their organization, either through leading it, holding unique responsibilities or simply being a large part of the process through their particular skillset, they are more willing to work that much harder for success.
Again, we see a common trend of needing to interact and work well with other team members. That won’t go away, so it’s imperative to have a culture in which people will want to work together. If everyone is engaged and passionate, the teams will be on the same wavelength and work cohesively with one another.
At the same time, it’s important to never forget a major impediment to engagement. We repeat this bold mantra often as we share the sentiment of our friend and author Shannon Waller, in her book Multiplication by Subtraction, “Engagement is a waste of time with the wrong employee.”
As leaders, you’ll find that when your team members are engaged they are dedicated to the project. Dedication is critical to helping an organization thrive. People who are dedicated to their work are less likely to slack off or leave the project, team, or organization all together. They intend to see things through because they are excited and passionate about the end result. Engage your team members and you will end up with a passionate, driven culture.
Trust Brings Teams Together
If engagement brings passion to a team, then trust is the glue that holds the team together. We know that strategic partnerships on any team are essential. This level of trust is grounded in a willingness to be transparent with one another. The best teams have conversations that are forthright and honest. They are willing to tear down walls that might separate them; choosing to engage rather than ignore the differences. They push through any fear of conflict and share openly and passionately; defending, listening and challenging teammates to achieve the best results. It’s practicing the belief that a team is at its best when they win together with everyone playing to their strengths.
Instilling trust on your team members will not only elevate them, it will drive them to prove that they are worthy of your trust. Honestly, that kind of motivation is irreplaceable in an organization’s culture.
Trust your team to perform at optimum levels and they will strive to meet those expectations and maybe even exceed them. With a team working as one, engaged and supported by their leaders, you are bound to have the kind of culture that makes employees excited to get up for work every morning.
In our next blog post in the Culture Series, we will discuss what three things can break down culture. If you want to cultivate your culture ASAP, contact Nexecute now to get started.
Just now tuning in to our Culture Series? Catch up on the series with…
Finding the Culture of Your Organization
