Leaders often ask me —

Is it a good time to work on my company's culture?

My answer —

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.

So, yeah. It's a good time. 💅

But, here are some events that signal it's an especially good time to take on company culture initiatives:

Remember that time they hired a speaker that fired everyone up for about a week?

As a Company Culture Consultant who does a fair amount of public speaking, companies doing things like this make my job so much harder.

I’m not interested in the work unless we have an opportunity for REAL change.

Leaders, want to build trust with your teams? Try awkward pauses.

⬆️ Awkward, right?

“Can you fix our CEO?”

I’ve been asked this question by a leader who was at their wit’s end.

This is one of the most distressing conversations that I have ever had.

Your open-door policy isn’t enough. 🚪

(And it isn’t just because office doors are moot when working from home.)

I get it.

• You want to build trust.

• You want to be approachable.

• You want to improve communication.

But here’s the reality —

A study shows that people are less likely to feel or express gratitude at work than anyplace else. 👎

It’s time to be more grateful at work. Here’s a simple challenge you can try today:

“If we can do without you for more than 2 weeks, then we can do without you.”

This is what my friend was told by his boss when he asked about increasing his vacation time. This guy has been in management for this company for more than 20 years. TWENTY YEARS.

I think he should get more time, but this post isn’t about vacation time.

It’s about how placing a disproportionate value on time in the office leads to a toxic culture. It reduces absenteeism but increases presenteeism.

Feedback from your team is the holy grail. Not easy to find, but absolutely worth the pursuit. A good leader is not only open to feedback, but is always looking for the right feedback to better themselves and their team. However, many leaders make mistakes when it comes to getting that feedback in the first place.

Here are 4 common ways leaders get feedback wrong and what you should be doing —

“Sorry, I ask so many questions.”

“Why are we doing it this way?”

As a leader, these phrases should be green flags for you. Phrases that show an employee is curious.

And guess what? CURIOSITY MATTERS.

Here's a warm and fuzzy post to brighten up your week. 🥰

A healthy company culture is like a warm hug for your employees. It provides comfort, security, and a sense of belonging. And, just like a hug, a well-defined culture code can make all the difference in the world!

“Hire great people and give them freedom to be awesome.” -Andrew Mason, Founder, Groupon

I don’t mind saying -

My greatest strength as a leader is believing that everyone is better at almost everything than I am.

THE BAD NEWS:

It's easier to buy a pingpong table than it is to invest in your managers.

THE GOOD NEWS:

Good leaders are made, not born.

Here are 3 steps to start making good leaders:

In honor of Employee Appreciation Day this weekend --

Sometimes saying "Thank you" isn't making your employees feel truly seen and heard. If you find that knowing when and how to show appreciation to your employees is easier said than done, you're not alone.

Here are some ways of showing appreciation that I've found to be truly effective:

A healthy culture covers a multitude of sins.

Ever made a minor communication error and found that it blew up it a major way?

People assumed the worst.

Instead of coming to the source, there was gossip and hurt feelings.

Being a good leader isn't making EVERYONE happy all the time.

Sometimes being a good leader is:

Empathy is impossible when we aren’t appropriately curious about why people are feeling hurt.

“We listen to refute or correct the inaccuracies, distortions, and exaggerations that are inevitably there.” - Dr. Harriet Lerner, an expert on listening and apologizing.

We naturally become defensive when someone brings up something that feels like a criticism.

Instead of listening to understand, we often listen to speak.

Brené Brown interviewed Dr. Lerner for her podcast last year, and Dr. Lerner mapped out some ways to listen non-defensively. I think it’s important for us to use these tips not only in a one-on-one setting, but also as we consider more global issues.

There are things your team isn’t telling you.

Based on my experience speaking with employees, here’s what they are not saying:

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but —

Good Intentions ≠ Good Culture

“Culture is the magic start-up ingredient.” -Colin Angle, CEO iRobot

📣 : So if culture is the magic start-up ingredient, then what’s the magic ingredient for culture?

I’ll give you two that go hand-in-hand -

Leaders play a crucial role in shaping the culture of an organization. So, it’s important that a leader not only has healthy habits at work, but also in their personal life.

By having healthy habits, leaders can demonstrate the importance of self-care and well-being, serve as a positive example for others, and improve their own physical and mental well-being, which can enhance their decision-making abilities and overall job performance.

Here are 10 things you won’t regret doing as a leader —