From “who?” to “how?”
Besides the obvious rearrangement of letters, these two words take us on two journeys. The first answer is what we want to find in establishing a culture by focusing on who is executing it well and why. Who Does Culture Well? That was our last blog. The second represents a reasonable follow-up. If we know ‘what’, specifically the ‘who’ with a backdrop of ‘why’, the next most important and logical question is ‘how’. How Do We Do Culture Well?
How does an organization ensure a team member can deliver a clear set of behavioral expectations? Expectations are designed with the intention of establishing a desired cultural experience. How does it get others up to speed in knowing, executing, and even cementing these expectations into second-nature behavior?
I have always said that culture is an outcome. It is a byproduct of particular things done or not done that trigger a response in the other party. Good or bad, culture is a result of action. Actions can be what the team member does, and, perhaps most important, what the leaders do to guide and empower the team member to execute those preferred actions. Which means it comes down to choices. How do we influence the choice?
Teach Me, Show Me, Let Me
I like simple. If I have a desired culture in mind and want to ensure a consistent living out of the behaviors I expect to make that happen, then I need a way to help direct the actions of others. A simple way made up of three principles—three concepts that cultivate a type of knowing into a doing process for making culture happen…even if I, as the leader, am not present to see it happen.
Teach me is pure upload. It gives the team member as much input as possible to impact the output. Help them to know and understand the vision. Share the why and the distinct reason for this being a thing worth pursuing. This would include the ubiquitous WIIFM and all additional benefits to all parties involved. Think ‘greater good’ and not just because someone said so, or maybe through stories about specific examples that provide context and reflect on what good looks like. Then, clarify the expectations. Make them clear, make them real, and make them easy to do.
Show Me is demonstrating what good looks like. It is the process of practice, practice, practice. It’s more than just practice though. It is about practicing, getting feedback and practicing again. It is also talking about all the possibilities the expected behaviors will encounter. Maybe presenting different scenarios for a broader perspective. Maybe through role plays and simulations. Where practice meets problem solving and creative thinking. And then we show them in real time in real situations.
Let Me is what it sounds like, and more. It is allowing the individual to cultivate their personality into the most authentic way to deliver the desired expectations. It’s also giving them something to aim at. Some type of target to guide desired outcomes. It becomes stronger when encouragement, observation, and coaching with feedback and correction comes alongside the efforts. AND perhaps most important, it’s trusting them to do it.
Bottom line, the more we learn, practice, and engage in the possibilities, the more we cement second nature behavior. Creating a moment when a team member can pull from memory and feel confident to deliver a culture experience that is not a mistake or accident. Something that’s engrained.
How many of you have been told to do something, but not given the how to do it?
We can create the most amazing mission statements. We can craft compelling guiding principles and core values. We can define our vision and the type of culture we have or want to have. At the end of the day, telling me what you want me to do and why will never yield the full measure of telling me how you want me to do it, as well as how much and how often. Remember, max input produces max output, and HOW goes a long way in establishing and executing a culture.
If you’re interested in growing a HOW culture, consider some of the following questions.
- Remember the definition of culture, how well do others know it?
- What kind of environment do you have in creating understanding?
- How often is it mentioned, developed, and practiced?
- How are others exposed to what is possible through your modeling behavior?
- How are you promoting observation, feedback, coaching, measurement, and recognition?
- Do others feel safe and trusted in their delivery?
- How do you reinforce the culture over time and repetition?
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