Culture Ambassadors

Many entrepreneurs start their own companies because they want to build something special, something that reflects their values or priorities. Often, they want to build for others that great workplace experience they always wanted. It is not unusual to hear how a CEO started their business in their basement; how they interviewed every hire during those first few years; how they knew every single employee and their families; how the entire team celebrated successes together; how they were available to everyone; how they created a deep sense of community that felt personal, non-corporate. And they liked that culture! Unfortunately, it's just not sustainable.

As business growth puts more distance between leaders and that small-company atmosphere, leaders struggle with how best to continue to personally drive their culture. The question I often hear is: “I alone could drive my company culture when we were 75 employees; can I drive it when we are 500?” The short answer is “yes.” The longer answer is “yes, but it will require a shift in approach.” Here are some ideas to help you get there.

Reflect to identify your foundation

There is never a bad time to reflect on adjustments that need to be made, whether they relate to culture or not. However, it is especially important when you are transitioning away from that “no way I can do all this on my own” realization. This is your first opportunity to define what your workplace should look like when you can’t control it all yourself. Start by reflecting on those things that you and your employees have identified as positive culture characteristics. Think about the true value of the action, not necessarily the action itself. That will help you identify true core values.

For example, there is no way you can interview every hire now but ask yourself what exactly you valued about that. Was it that you wanted to hire people who were not just a cultural fit, but who actually added value to your culture? You can no longer know every employee and their families, but what did you love about that? Was it the strong sense of community that grew from those connections? You can no longer celebrate every team success with everyone, but what did you value about that? Was it watching your employees smile with pride at being recognized for their hard work? Those reflections will lead to your culture building blocks as you grow. In these examples, the identified culture building blocks could be diversity, sense of community, and appreciation. Not a bad cultural foundation!

Be intentional

Being intentional means choosing to take action on the things that are important to you. Business leaders of course take action on things like revenue goals by targeting profitability, growth – proactively using the tactical to hit the strategic. Maintaining that company culture is important to you? It will not grow on its own. Approach it the same way as your financial goals, with intent and purpose. Set culture goals and implement tactics to help you achieve them.

Use culture ambassadors

As a CEO, company culture will always come from you. You will set the cultural tone and define the actions behind it. But as growth puts more distance between you and every employee, it becomes more challenging to control those messages yourself. You will need to rely on others to deliver culture messages on your behalf, and managers are in the best position to do so. Managers are your culture ambassadors.

Every interaction between a manager and an employee is an opportunity to communicate what kind of workplace a CEO prioritizes. As your company grows, a positive work environment will become increasingly dependent on what kind of leaders your managers are. Be intentional in developing leaders who sustain the work environment you value. Set clear expectations of managers related to culture, train them on the specifics, give them the tools to deliver, and hold them accountable. HR can help you do that effectively.