Culture Cultivators Dig Deep for Impact

Culture. It’s a little word with big impact. As with all language, it can mean different things to different people, and there is no shortage of information available. A Google search for “Company Culture” yields over 80,000,000 results. Clearly, people are talking about, and concerned with, Culture. Which made me think about the role of training professionals as Culture Cultivators. Merriam-Webster’s definitions for the word cultivate include phrases like to foster the growth of, refine, further, encourage. 

Ultimately, we CHART trainers have a responsibility to intentionally create and maintain an environment for the growth and development of healthy and effective organizational culture. Through a number of internal discussions, and seeking input from many CHART members, here are a few of the shared questions I have found that help us dig deep into Culture creation. Perhaps they will spark some discussion within your teams, too!

Are leaders, decision-makers, manager and front-line team members in the same conversation? 

• If culture is at the forefront, what is that conversation?  Who is keeping it front-of-mind and how?

Who is the voice of culture alignment when decisions are made that affect the guest or team member experience? 

• Are the right people involved, and is there a mechanism for soliciting broad input?

How do teams identify that culture is sustained through every interaction and experience, beyond orientation and on-boarding? 

• Who determines whether the culture lived each day by team members matches the culture the organization leaders believe exists?

When “video doesn’t match audio,” and words, behaviors, and decisions are disconnected from culture alignment, who is responsible or empowered to address it? 

• Is culture treated as a core strategic brand element? Is it treated as an afterthought that is important as long as it is convenient? 

Through CHART, we know that Culture Cultivators may not have all the answers, but we are responsible for helping teams dig deep to find the answers to developing powerful culture alignment for today and the future.  

Always Learning, Sharing, Growing, & Caring,

Donna