I visited a small church in rural Washington that had to be one of the oldest churches in the state. It was exactly what you’re picturing in your mind. A small white chapel, dirt parking lot and basement full of hymnals with songs that haven’t been sung in decades. The average of the church members was 71 years old. Man, were a few of them pissed that I didn’t tuck my shirt in for service… A friend of mine spent 3 years of his life trying to revitalize this church. I say trying because it wasn’t much of a success…. Shifting culture is much harder than creating culture. As an entrepreneur you only get one chance to create a healthy culture. Four things to keep in mind about creating a healthy culture:
Culture ultimately mirrors that of its founder
So be who you need to be before you plant/start. Some of the best work you can do while you are in the startup phase is on yourself. Be someone who you would want to work with. Find who you really are and be the best version of who that is that you can can possibly be.
Culture can work for you or against you
It is something that should be closely guarded because it will inform every single decision and direction that you and your team will make. People imitate what they see done, so creating a healthy culture will dictate the way your teams work.
Culture is present even when you are not
“You (maybe) decisive, communicative, and respectful but its your culture that helps everyone know how to act when you are out of the room. Give that voice clarity and authority” — Brett Martin
Culture is defined by the words that your team uses
When creating the iPhone apple banned the word “phone” from being used while it was being developed. This is because the word phone conjured up connotations that Apple didn’t want to confine the team. Let the culture of your team work for you. Let culture become your cofounder.