June 27, 2019

By Mark David

Having spent the better part of my career working to help companies achieve their best results, I have learned quite a lot about what works and what doesn’t in terms of company culture.

I’d like to share with you what I believe are ten key components for creating and keeping a positive culture; where the flames of success are fanned to burn bright.

The following components need to be present in order to produce a culture that thrives vs. just survives on a consistent basis.

1. Vision – A clear understanding of where the company, organization, team or individuals destination is. Answer these questions: What do you want? Why do you want it? How will you accomplish it?

2. Strategy – Have a strategic plan in place – this plan will allow you to achieve your vision. Inform everyone what their role is/will be – continue to support them throughout the year.

3. Execution – These are the actions a company, strategic plan – all three components are tied together like a road to get you where you want to go. Use V.S.E. as a lens to see your world through. Connect back to your vision and make adjustments as needed to keep everyone on track.

4. No Fear – This allows individuals to release their potential with their energy, ideas, recommendations, solutions and actions. Individuals are encouraged to be themselves and diversity is key to everyone’s success.

5. Confluency – Allows all individuals to tell each other the truth without fear of vaporizing the relationship – confluency lives in the culture of ‘No Fear’. This allows trust and respect to be the currency that builds long term relationships.

6. Actions Not Words – This is the basis for being 100% accountable and taking ownership of your actions. Accountability for always being in the game to do whatever it takes to achieve the vision.

7. Decision Making – This only happens when your words become actions. In other words, making a decision is not an academic process. It’s both mental and physical. Only until you do the physical action of the decision, have you made is it a decision

8. Continued Growth & Development – Individual growth and development of everyone’s talents, capabilities, skills, behaviors, etc. The culture never rests in growing and developing their people. For the culture to knows that the vision to success, year after year, is due to all their people contributing their best.

9. Adversity – Learn to see the benefit of the adversity at the time its happening. You will start to separate your level of thinking from average to elite.

10. Be Present in the NOW – All of these components are being implemented in the NOW. You are consciously doing the basics brilliantly every day. Know this is your power to create your reality each day. The question goes back to #1 Vision – what do you want?

Use these ten components as an overlay against your culture. Whether you’re a Fortune 500 company or an individual contributor, these components all need to be in play.

“At first people refuse to believe that a strange new thing can be done, then they begin to hope it can be done, then they see it can be done – then it is done and all the world wonders why it was not done long ago.” – Frances H. Burnett from the Live & Lead quote book, Innovate

Appreciate the Day,

Mark David