Managing is stressful, a great culture makes it easier.
“When I looked at my boss I thought I actually don’t want to do what he does, it actually doesn’t look like fun to me…nor his boss nor his bosses boss.”
Douglas English, Founder & CTO Culture Amp
How true is this when we take perspective of management roles? They are stressful not only because they are expected to save money, grow profit, satisfy customers and amplify people but also because they have to do this to the expectation of people senior to them and to the expectation of the employees they serve.
I had the pleasure of watching Douglas Melbourne 1st Conference. After lamenting on his earlier career Doug recommends that the antidote to all that stress and expectation is best started by shaping the culture around you so that what you stand for pulls and grows the people that also amplify your leadership and your business outcomes.
Culture Amp are one of Australia’s best start-ups awarded winner of EOA’s ESOP of the Year Award SME category in 2016. (EOA-Employee Ownership Australia) They grew their successful business on the very premise that a great culture will drive great outcomes subsequently they are financially growing and will be one Australia’s best exports.
Have you created a culture that amplifies your leadership?
Here is a simple and practically proven way to start;
What do you value? - Don’t be exhaustive, be certain.
Starter leaders.
1. Identify them for yourself. (A list, a drawing, an icon - whatever best represents what is important to you)
2. Assert them every day by practicing the behaviours that bring them alive
3. Grow them through sharing and welcoming values that amplify your impact.
4. Understand their impact and regularly reflect if they are working for you
Team leaders who are clear on their values, follow the same sequence above through facilitated sessions with your teams to distill the teams value list.Asset as team through experience and affirm the value behaviours with each other each sprint cycle. Elite teams will include these as part of your definition of done.
Want to learn more on amplifying with values? Browse my Scrum Shanghai talk - Values Playbook (email me for a copy) or have Steph facilitate a workshop with you.
Business leaders do you truely understand the cultural ecosystems at play?
If you were to,
1. ask every employee what they value?
2. then compare that to your companies values
3. would their be a synergy?
You don’t need to be an industry leader to facilitate a culture shift. you need to be the insightful overseer who sees the patterns at the play and uses the levers to dial up the culture. For a hole organisation audit I do like Culture Amp. As an analytical insight with qual and quant data I love it.
No they don’t pay me! I was fortunate to use their service at SEEK. Over the years this is is the one that stands out for business leaders.
Get Savvy!
Stephanie.
