Ducks in a Row: If Culture is Simple Why is Creating It Difficult?
by Miki Saxon
Have you noticed that all the stuff written about culture and how to create one that sparks innovation, attracts Millennials, boosts productivity, retains people, etc., consistently boils down to some pretty simple advice.
That lesson was driven home again in a Harvard Business Review post by Melissa Raffoni called Eight Things Your Employees Want From You.
Now think about the kind of culture created when the boss provides them,
- Tell me my role, tell me what to do, and give me the rules.
- Discipline my coworker who is out of line.
- Get me excited.
- Don’t forget to praise me.
- Don’t scare me.
- Impress me.
- Give me some autonomy.
- Set me up to win.
The descriptions change from writer to writer, but the underlying principles stay the same and have for decades. In fact, workers have craved these basics for centuries, long before the idea of business culture took form.
So, if the desire is that ancient and the pay-back that great why don’t more managers provide the desired environment—they certainly talk enough about it.
Both experience and observation tell me that the lack of implementation tracks back to the boss’ MAP—and the boss’ unwillingness to change it.
Image credit: Svadilfari on flickr
