COLIN ON CULTURE
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Winning
Winning is not about crushing the competition or stepping on colleagues; it's about creating an environment where winning becomes a natural outcome of doing things properly.
The quote that never was
In every office, every sports team, every startup, every Fortune 500 company, we've seen it happen. The perfect strategy, meticulously planned, beautifully presented... and it falls flat. Not because the strategy was wrong, but because the people weren't ready.
Cynics and sceptics
What’s the difference and why does it matter for your workplace culture?
Is it still worth doing?
The real measure of a project isn't the resources it consumes but the value that the change creates. When we fixate on time and cost, we optimise activity for predictability instead of possibility.
Entitled or just badly managed?
There’s a trend for CEOs to blame ‘entitled’ employees for the resistance to returning to the office - but take a look in the mirror and you’ll see a lack of managerial skill reflected.
Potential has no expiry date
It’s never too late to learn that new skill, try that new thing or achieve your burning ambition! What’s stopping you starting?
If you can't stand the heat
The culinary (and corporate) world has long perpetuated the myth that enduring abuse is somehow a badge of honour, a rite of passage that transforms good chefs and leaders into great ones.
Fact vs. future
If you're going to invest time in defining the key elements of your culture, do it with conviction and purpose.
Loading luggage in an ice-storm
The most memorable leaders are the ones who aren’t afraid to park strategy in order to get stuck in at the coalface.
Wearing the hat
Have you got a culture people would be proud to champion - as employees or customers?
Culture decay
Dysfunctional workplaces need intervention precisely because they're dysfunctional. Every day you wait the problems become more entrenched, behaviours become more normalised and cynicism grows deeper.
Broken promises
Promises create expectation. When we don’t deliver on that expectation, trust - and more - is lost. Make yours a culture that can keep its promises.
How can we make it easier?
When a workforce grows or a start-up scales, the culture also evolves and more structure is required. But that doesn’t and shouldn’t mean things have to get harder too.
The cost of hovering
Micromanagement is a culture-killer that can unravel even the most productive of teams. Swap hovering for trusting and watch your teams soar
Achieving peak performance
Most organisations wait until performance dips before making a change or just assume that the performance arc that they are on will naturally continue. Take a look at the Sigmoid Curve and see if you still feel that way…
People just want to be respected
All most people ask for is respect. For who they are, what they believe, the value they add, the feedback they provide, the things they’ve achieved and the mistakes that they’ve made.
Is Too Much Culture Stuff a Bad Thing?
If your culture ‘stuff’ is getting in the way of your culture evolution then it’s time to simplify by focussing on what really matters and making sure you move from ticking boxes to taking ownership.
5 Risks of Neglecting Your Culture
You believe in culture but can’t get others on board - sometimes people only pay attention when they know what’s at risk.
In A Hybrid World, Managers Need To Up Their Game
The way we work has changed so it stands to reason the skills of managers must change too. Many feel, understandably, out of their depth when it comes to remote teams. What can help?
Setting Yourself Up for Culture Success
Harness the power of ‘the fresh start effect’ by making defining your culture a priority.