What steps can you and your senior leadership team take that would take your company culture to another level?
I had the pleasure to facilitate a meeting of CEOs that included a presentation from the Chief Culture Officer of a regional private bank of 2,000 employees. They have a distinctive culture and it appears to be a big part of their ongoing success and growth.
Below are some of the strategies that were shared that help this company develop and maintain a distinctive and positive culture.
- They have a Pay it Forward program in which each employee is given $1,000 every year that they then, in turn, give to anyone who they feel is in need. (The presenter also handed out $10 to each of us in the meeting so that we could also be part of that program!)
- They have a branded program that celebrates those who go above and beyond each quarter.
- Every year they celebrate together in a big way. They do this by flying each of their employees and their significant other up to the head office for a huge party and concert.
- They record and professionally produce videos that capture their culture in action. These are distributed throughout the year and form a big part of content for their company town hall meetings.
- They recognize all employees’ birthdays and anniversaries with personal cards and calls from executive leadership.
- They spend a majority of the time onboarding new employees by describing their culture and why it matters.
These are just a few of the strategies that were shared in the hour long presentation.
My key takeaway is this:
To get culture right, senior leaders must 1) get clear on defining their aspirational culture and 2) take massive action to live it out.
In what ways could you and your team help the rest of the organization see and experience the culture you aspire to in tangible ways?
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