What Makes a Positive Company Culture, and How Do You Build One?

0:02Welcome to Leadership DNA, a podcast for those who aspire to be a better leader. Alongside Arturo Gomez, I'm Rob Cressy. Today's topic, ways to promote a positive company culture. Arturo, culture is the heartbeat of a company and it's amazing how it can make or break success. Let's dive into why culture is such a pivotal piece to the organization and leadership.

0:31I mean, for me, it's the heartbeat, it's the soul, it's the direction, it's the vision, it's the ability for a company to move forward successfully, to get through hard times, good times. You know, the values in the company culture is, to me, is probably the most critical piece of any organization. With that, I'm curious to hear from you from a values perspective. How do you set your values or your core values for your organization, knowing the impact that they have on the culture? So, I mean, for all the brands that, you know, over time that we've had, you know, opportunities to create, I think it really, a very introspective look from the leaders of the organization in terms of who we want to be and what we want to be to our staff, to our employees, to our clients.

1:28And it starts, it starts there. And it's not, it's not really, it hasn't always been an easy process. But it's gotten, I feel like it's gotten a little bit easier as I've gotten a little older because of, you know, my organizations or the companies that I'm, you know, involved with have, I think, a senior group of individuals that have gone through this process before and have, you know, have taken the time to really try to understand why these values are important and what the, what those values should be for the organization.

2:03You know, I think, so it's, to me, it really starts there. It's having the values, having a vision. Where is the company going? What is the mantra? What is the mission statement of the company? I think these things are really important. I think sometimes actually companies get lost because they want to, they want to create a statement that to them and their mind is so important and it's, you know, it's three paragraphs long or whatever.

2:24No one's ever going to remember that. Is there a way to simply create something that's digestible for people so that they actually can live it and understand what the company's about? But it, but it sets the tempo. It sets the cadence. And I, you know, that's another reason why I have a tremendous value for HR. Arturo, one of the things about positive company culture that I think is very relevant in today's day and age is actually the inverse and leaders auditing where they are in their company culture, because there are results driven organizations, which are very oftentimes sterile, who do not invest in their company culture, where you can see a lot of the finance industry. Maybe this is a great example that some of these where it is not as sexy, not as creative in the culture may be dominated by those at the top.

3:29Whereas you see some other companies with close knit leaders or founders who think of their teammates as family or promote that sort of environment. What suggestions do you have for someone to audit where they are in their company culture? Because I feel that those who have a negative company culture, very rarely is there an auditing at the top of the leaders with a recognition of what their culture is.

3:56Whereas those who have a positive culture and you and I both know what those organizations look like, you can feel it and see it in the faces and the energy of everybody who works there. Yeah. I mean, I think, you know, as somebody who actually has the capacity to be a change agent and to move to create culture, to change culture, I think it's if you're connected, if you're connected to your people, I think it's evident.

4:26I mean, I think it's to me, you know, I think doing a deeper analysis in terms of where morale is and how to improve things, I think 100 percent, I think those are those are valuable exercises that should be done. I think if you can't feel your organization or see your organization in a positive way or that things are overwhelmingly or heading in the direction of positivity, I think that there's you got a problem. I think you got a real problem.

4:54And so if you're the person that's responsible for that, then, you know, then there's some things and, you know, some coaching and some other thought processes that maybe you need to begin to try to understand or to implement. I would say, though, that I've seen organizations that didn't intend to be negative or pessimistic or deprive the organization of positivity, but that the lack of clarity in terms of what staff should be doing and the vision and the goals and the values and job descriptions and like proper HR, like that's what was preventing the organization from actually getting to where it needed to be.

5:38And just by simply providing some very basic HR tools and onboarding people in the right way and making sure that everybody understood what position they were going to play on the team. That changed a lot. People people will either gravitate towards organization and clarity or they or things just kind of start melting and falling apart. Now, Arturo, what I take from what you just said is all around one word ownership or a lack thereof that I think when there's a lack of awareness on company culture, there's a lack of clarity and the reason there's a lack of clarity is because there's a lack of ownership. And it's very easy for us to see what executive titles are. But now we're starting to see things like chief culture officers or things that are extremely important in this.

6:35And I know in my organizations and everybody that I work with, one of the things that is paramount for me in creating a positive company culture is I give everyone who works with me access to the same personal growth and development programs that I've created that my coaching clients go through all around designing your best self, creating positive habits, routines, mindsets, ways of being to help you become and create the ideal version of yourself. And I always go back through my entire journey when I was in corporate America, then to my entrepreneurial journey. And a lot of these things that we talk about were never part of my life or my awareness. Self-awareness was a word I never heard until I was 32 years old, which blows my mind.

7:27So for me, as a coach and a creator and a leader now, it is so important for me to set a positive culture by investing in my team members, by getting them the education and the perspectives, but also being there for them. So the way that I tactically do this to make this even so simple is I say, listen, every single day, just watch one video from the digital platform.

7:53And then what I would love for you to do in Slack is just write a little message saying, what is the thing that you learned or what was the perspective or what was the light bulb moment or what was the action item for you in this? Because in the name of personal growth, I legitimately care for these people. I want not only a positive culture, but I want their lives to improve. So what are we doing as leaders or company owners or entrepreneurs to invest in our team?

8:22And what are those structures and systems and processes look like? And for me, it was so logical, system scale. So I just looked at the systems that I've used and created to design myself into the best version of myself. And then I implemented those with my team. And as no surprise, the feedback that I get is, oh my God, you're changing my life because we're creating things and giving them things that they've never experienced in their life before.

8:49Yeah. I mean, listen, I think, you know, coaching and education, I think is part of people want to go to organizations where they're going to learn. You know, there's a number of conversations that I've been in recently, like in the last week, where, you know, I'm out recruiting for a new business that we're creating. And in order to get top talent, like one of the conversations that always comes up is, are you going to be the one working with me and developing me? And then that question of, you know, being able to grow is a real topic right now. Like people do not want to, they don't want lateral moves. They want to actually move in a very aggressive forward direction.

9:37And so I think that education piece is critical to having a positive, you know, work environment or positive company culture. I think the other thing too, that people don't really talk about much is making sure that there's discipline structure and that accountability exists. You know, morale, company morale tends to go down very quickly if people feel like there's no, there's no accountability or there's no discipline, right?

10:05So Johnny or Susie gets to do this and nobody says anything to them. So why are they going to stop? They're going to keep doing X, Y, and Z. And so I've seen, you know, company culture move in a bad direction quickly when people feel like there is no accountability and there's no discipline. Yeah. Happiness is a function of expectations.

10:27And our ability to create structures and systems and processes is not micromanaging. It's actually freedom that when you understand the expectations of what to do, you have the ability to hit the mark and create that positivity. Because I completely hear what you're saying, Arturo, because it is oftentimes a lack of communication, a lack of clarity, a lack of having everybody rowing together in the same boat.

10:56Or in my world this year, harmony is one of my words of the year. And I want this flowing through everything in me as well as with my team. And when I want to create something, the first thing I say is, what is my system and process for creating harmony in my life and then harmony in my team? 100%. The other, you know, there's another kind of piece to this entire thing is that I think the public acknowledgement of success is, you know, and I think we might have touched on that, you know, earlier on this one or one of our other podcasts. But I think that's important. I mean, there's obvious times where it's evident that we're doing well. Things have, you know, we've created success or that a specific individual on the team was a critical part of that specific success.

11:52So rather than just kind of allowing it to pass, I think there's always opportunities to create some additional positivity in the organization by allowing people to feel that acknowledgement. I think that, you know, appreciation is a very powerful thing. Now, Arturo, to yes, and that for you, for positivity. Is that a daily drip via email of an inspirational quote? Or is this an energetic thing of feeling and experiencing you or other members on the team? Or I'm curious from your perspective from a strategies and tactics that sometimes it can seem like, oh, we're just trying to check the box of positivity by giving a motivational quote. Or is it actually having impact?

12:46Or what are you doing or what can be done for this positivity? Yeah, I mean, I think, listen, if it's coming from a place of sincerity, I think that there's always going to be value in it. I think if you're super obsessed with, you know, giving the kindergarten gold stars out, then, you know, that's the wrong approach. You know, for me, it's that drip that you're talking about.

13:12I think leaders in general, if they're great for their organizations, have to be optimistic, energetic, positive people. I think it's hard to follow somebody who's the alternate of that. You know, and that's just a fact. You know, so I think that there's a responsibility from leaders and managers and coaches to be able to bring that energy on a daily basis. So, yeah, there's a physical contribution of energy that I think is important, even if it's remote.

13:41I mean, I think, you know, you have to show up on the video or on the call with some passion and some, you know, something that can drive the energy of the conversation. I also think that, you know, there's a component of sensing not only delivering, but you have to be the sensor of energy depletion. If you know that there's somebody over in the corner that's not having a great day and you have time to remedy that or you have time to check in, then do it. You know, give that person a little bit of time and energy to know that they're valued, know that they care, or to give them some type of guidance in some type of way.

14:24So, for me, it's giving and it's also trying to understand where that give should go, you know, move it around, so to speak. 100%. And I'm with you on the acknowledgement and cultivating energy is a superpower of mine. And one of the quotes I love is you cannot give to others that which you're not experiencing yourself. So, you want to create a positive company culture? Cool. Start using your positive energy. Show some of that love on your team.

14:54Recognize them. Do that publicly. And then be wise on where you're spreading it, how you're spreading it, and design that intentionally. So, Arturo, now time for the action item or a takeaway. And I'm actually going to start with this. That if you're looking to promote positive company culture, if you're looking to design growth and mindset and lifestyle design and creating positive habits and routines in what you're doing, reach out to me, Rob at RobCressy.com. This is something that I specialize in. I've got programs. I do this for teams. I do this for individuals. I do this for leaders and executives. This is my wheelhouse of what I do as a coach and a creator. So, I would love to help any way that I can. Arturo, what about you? What is your action item or takeaway?

15:44Yeah, I would tell people that if it's a younger organization or even an organization that's at a nice size, I would say that if you're feeling that there's issues within the look at managers across the board, I think that's critical. You have to look at the people that are responsible for managing your teams on a regular basis. As far as an actionable item, I would look at the basics, though.

16:12To me, all of this starts with making sure that you have a buttoned-up HR process and that you have good, actionable company values and mission. And so, I think a quick little audit of that is a great start because it doesn't have to be very complicated. It actually can be built into some process. And I would love to hear from you.

16:39What are you or your team doing to promote positive culture?

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0:00Welcome to Leadership DNA, a podcast for those who aspire to be a better leader. Alongside Arturo Gomez, I'm Rob Cressy. Today's topic, the importance of creating a positive culture. And Arturo, the success of an organization will rise or fall to the levels and standards of their culture. Why is creating a positive culture so important? And what does that look like?

0:26I think it's everything. I think it's everything. I mean, I think it's probably the number one thing that leaders can focus on. And there's so many things that are important to maintaining a healthy business on a day to day basis. But I don't think you're going to get more ROI on anything else that's this important. And so what I mean by that is that the output that comes from organizations that have strong positive culture is dramatic.

1:04And I've seen it on so many different levels at so many different times. I've also seen what the flip side looks like and what a failing cultural environment can do to an organization or to a business. It can dismantle it completely. And so for me, I think we've been the concept of what happens in the origin of these businesses and what are the things that are really important to leaders.

1:40And I think this is part of that roadmap. So as you're building out whether it's a yearly plan, whether it's, hey, let's get re-centered on what our vision, mission and mantra is for the organization. I think mapping out what the company looks like, what it feels like and how people interact with each other on a daily basis is really important to me.

2:06And so I honestly there's a big part of me that wants, I want happiness. I want people to feel like they can wear the company brand on their shirt and be extremely excited and happy about that. I want people to smile and have fulfillment in their job. And so that starts at the top. That starts at the top and it really starts with, you know, there's a bunch of particular qualities that I think are important.

2:38I think communication is one of the biggest ones. I think obviously respect where there's a real strong emphasis on the respect level that needs to be maintained throughout the organization. I think leadership and coaching and commitment to mentoring within the organization is something that is extremely important. I think having leadership that really understands this new concept of this work-life balance kind of arising to the top and being something that's really important to people.

3:11These are the things that I've seen recently that have been really productive for me. And I think I mentioned in a previous pod that over the last year, I've had a particular instance where I went into an organization where I came in as a partner and really was tasked with trying to make the organization better. Trying to make the organization better.

3:38What can you do immediately to impact this environment? And to me, it was a cultural thing that needed to change and it was a complete overhaul. This is like taking a 1958 Chevy and trying to make it into something that was Tesla. And so it was a difficult process. But to me, one of the first things that needed to be flushed out was creating a handbook.

4:09Like really refocusing into the HR aspects of the company so that people knew that safety, respect, just a corporate construct that was going to be healthy for everybody, that that was my number one priority. So that was my... The first thing that I came out of the gate was this is going to be an HR heavy environment moving forward.

4:36And so I think it's... But for me, again, the goal, the ultimate goal was to create a machine that we could have tremendous success with and that could operate on the highest levels. I think it might've been in day one, I told people, I said, our name may be in the top 10. I said by the time this is all said and done, I want our name at the top spot.

5:00And I wanted to be from a consumer standpoint, I want us to be one of the number one options that people think about when they want to go to X. And so in this instance, it's nightlife. And so we set out the goals very quickly right out of the gate. But making sure that everybody was understanding from the respect levels and the happiness and the work levels that were going to be required to put in, I think very quickly it took us about four to five months to really see a dramatic impact.

5:37And that's where we started to see the staff happiness increase quickly. We started to see Google reviews on the business increase dramatically. And so it's a proud moment. It's one of the things that I'll probably put in over the last 25 years that this over this last nine months was definitely very gratifying. But this was a very specific cultural overhaul.

6:07And for me, the light bulb is going off in my head because this is what I love about doing this podcast with you because we are literally sharing the DNA of leadership. And here you are saying this change in this culture and all that you've created that this is what business and leadership and entrepreneurship looks like. And the way that I hear everything, here's what comes out for me based on what you said, Arturo.

6:34Number one, inspect what you expect if you expect to have a positive culture. All right. What does that look like? So you said we have handbooks, HR heavy. We're writing these things down. To me, this is two things. Number one, intentional. Number two, formulaic to where you say I'm expecting a certain standard. Therefore, we are going to write down what that standard is.

7:01So there's complete transparency in it. We're very intentional about every one of these things. And when you're intentional, you can be very formulaic about it. And for me, I was never a systems person, but I was hanging around entrepreneurs and high performers that kept on saying system scale, and I sat there and I'm like, I hear you and I want this, but I've never created a system before in my life.

7:27And this is earlier on in my entrepreneurial journey. So it's like how in the world do you become a systems person if you've never been a systems person? And you know what the answer is? You become a systems person. You start by designing your very first system. And in the name of positive culture, you say, all right, let me be intentional and formulaic about how I am designing and creating this culture.

7:53And I love how you talked about a machine to have tremendous success to operate at the highest levels. To me, once again, I hear intentional. I hear formulaic. I hear handbook. This is literally my entire coaching business and the way that I create has all been around. Tell me about your systems and processes for insert whatever it is that you want to do growing your business and growing your life together.

8:20And we understand with self-awareness, we are in charge of every single aspect of our life. The same is true for business. So as we put this through the lens of culture, wait a second, you're telling me we can be intentional about every single aspect of our culture? Yes. Cool. Now let's inspect what every single one of those things are for the people that we are working with.

8:45And for me, this is accountability. This is communication. This is core values that this is culture building by design at the highest level all in the name of we building a number one company and number one people. That's what it is. That's what it is. And I think this is applicable to really everybody in the organization. I mean, it should be a roadmap to people who want to go work in places that have positive culture.

9:18I think it should be a battle cry for the people that are working in these companies that should insist on that there's certain factors, contributors to positive culture, work environment that are necessary. But it really starts at the top. It really starts at the top. And I think that and I've seen how some people lead and I've seen the environments that they create.

9:45I'm like, is it really easier to be an asshole or is it really easier to create an environment where people just despise working there? Like I don't understand it logically because it's something that just doesn't fit within my DNA or the framework. But I see it. I see it all the time. And I look at those individuals and those companies as like wounded animals on the Sahara.

10:14And so it's like I'm taking that one down, I'm taking that one down, and I'm taking that one down. It's like and those are organizations that are and I've gone into a lot of those organizations and I've taken top performing employees and plucked them right out of there because it was easy. It was easy to take whatever I needed because those environments were just they were caustic and they were just bad places to work.

10:40So if somebody is looking to figure out how to change their revenue potential, how to increase profitability, how to just become an overall better organization, I think it's going to start the foundation is the culture. And I think somebody said culture eats strategy for breakfast. Is that a popular quote, I believe? But it's a fact. And those are my beliefs and those are my experiences.

11:12And so you're never going to hear me say anything different than that because I've seen it. I've seen it work. There are levels to this game. And one of the things that I say very candidly is get on my level. And why do I say that? Because I started at zero and I designed and created myself and my business is to be high performing on that.

11:38And what you just said was a great example, Arturo, because you and I are having a top of the food chain conversation. And while it may seem obvious, easy, of course, this is what everybody does. This is actually not what everybody does. And it's the reason why we're doing this podcast is because it is way easier and comfortable to not be intentional to treat people like crap, to not do things the right way.

12:05Because we've all experienced that so many other times. But I love what you said, Arturo, because this is the mindset of an air quotes killer where you go in there and you say you're going to compete against me and you're not going to have a culture of excellence and positivity. You're toast. I'm going to blow you out of the water.

12:22And this is why there's levels to this game. And we want to always share with you what the top level looks like, what the mindset is, what the formulaic DNA, these little inches, because every single one of these is both important and you can design this in your favor. And this is the separator between average and excellent.

12:47So Arturo, let's get to our action item or our takeaway. And I'll start with you. What's your action item or takeaway? Action item is just going to be to do an audit, talk to some of the staff members. Get a feel for where you are as an organization. There's going to be done. It's never too late. And I think that this is from the leadership perspective.

13:14And then I would tell people that are out there in the job market or in the world that are looking to find a place that feels like home. There's a number of questions that I think that can be brought to the surface when you're going through this interview process. Speak to other people that are working in the organization.

13:34Because I think that beyond the dollar figures and beyond salary and whatever comp package you're going to get, life is going to be a lot more complete if you're working in a space where you feel like there's a positive culture. And that's just a fact. And my action item or takeaway is actually a mantra that I live by often.

13:54Be the example. And Arturo, I love conversations about high performance with you because it gets my juices going because I can feel and see the DNA of you and your teams. And I love being around people like this. So think about yourself, whether you're a leader running an organization or your employee. Be the example. And what's that look like?

14:18And one of the things that you may have noticed if you listened to the last few episodes is I'm starting to share more resources that I've created that my clients use with you guys because I truly want to help you succeed so if you want to be a high performer and operate at the highest level, I want to give you a gift.

14:36Go to builtforthegame.com. It's my personal growth training program that I give to all my employees as well as the clients that I work with.

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