Culture - Finding Out What You have

  If You Haven't been to my blog before you might want to subscribe to my feed

Recently I wrote about the importance of culture in supporting high growth persistent businesses. I've had a couple of requests from business owners if there was somewhere they could get a sample list of questions which they could use as a starting point for a survey on culture. Not having found anything immediately available I put together a list of 20 sample questions that I thought might be useful.

The question on culture are as follows, fell free to use them as you wish. The most important factor to consider is that answers should be anonymous otherwise your employees will be too busy trying to second guess what they think the answer should be rather than what is the truth.


1. Is the pressure to perform unreasonable?

2. Are targets set by managers unreasonable?

3. Would you prefer to work for a fast moving innovative company or a slow moving cautious company?

4. Is it sometimes difficult to ask questions or raise concerns?

5. Are we a  quality company?

6. Is bad conduct rewarded, tolerated or punished?

7. Is there a close tie between performance and rewards?

8. Do employees consider that the company understands and sufficiently care about the needs of its customers?

9. Is the quality of products and/or services a high priority?

10. Are employees proud of our products and/or services?

11. Do we sell our products based on price or quality?

12. Would you get more criticism for violating an ethical principle than not meeting a deadline or target?

13. It is safe to voice your opinion…true or false?

14. The company turns a blind eye to unethical behaviour if it means getting a sale...true or false?

15. There is one code of ethics for everyone....true or false?

16. We are encouraged to admit mistakes and learn from them...true or false?

17. Are you asked to perform tasks that your mangers would not be prepared to do?

18. Do you ever feel let down by your colleagues?

19. Are your mangers supportive?

20. Which words do you think best describes the company culture as Open, Oppressive, a Meritocracy, Political, Supportive or other?... please specify.

Once you have this information you can follow the steps from my article Culture - getting the one you want on how you can implement changes.

Exigent Consulting provides specialist services for High Growth Business , Business Turnaround, and Mentoring to the Small and Medium Business. We help business owners improve the profit performance of their business. 

Tweet

Culture - Getting the One You Want

  If You Haven't been to my blog before you might want to subscribe to my feed

This short article will give you practical steps to identify the culture you have now and the culture you would like to have to support you as a high growth business.  We have talked earlier about the importance of a strong company culture in a high growth business and how it should be a critical part of your business strategy as it can provide real competitive advantage.

Whilst many owners in high growth businesses understand the need for a strong company culture, their business have developed without any clear focus on this aspect. There is a need therefore for a simple process to identify he differences between the culture you have now to the culture you want, and identify how to go from one to the other.

It is worth repeating that if you run a business you will have a culture. You get this by default, your company culture will be created by your values and the values of your employees. Those with the strongest personality or who are the most vocal will tend to create a dominant culture. To enable you as an owner of high growth businesses to grow faster for longer getting the right culture is a must.

Step 1 Find out what you have now. 

The simplest way to do this is for you to identify the 3 to five words which you think together describe your company culture, so for example; honesty, reliability, easy to do business with, supportive, positive.

Step 2 Find out if your staff agree

Produce a list of maybe 15 to 20 words and include you 5 initial words in that list. Ask your staff to highlight 5 words which they think best describes the company culture. By the way make sure the response to this survey is anonymous otherwise you'll have staff telling what they think you want to hear, rather than what they really think.

Step 3 Analyse the results

You are most likely to get one of three results

(a) there is a lot of similarity between your view of your company culture and that of your staff

(b) there doesn't seem to be any prevailing view of your culture amongst your employees. This suggests what ever your culture is, it is weak.

(c) your employees have a completely different view of your company's culture from you.

Step 4 Identify the culture you want

Using the same technique as in step 1. Find a few keywords that will identify your new culture.

Step 5 Create culture champions

As a busy owner of a high growth business you don't have either the time or the capability on your own to change your staffs attitudes. You will need the help of other key members of the team to become "cultural champions" to keep reinforcing the new cultural message. 

Step 6 Implement your new culture

Encourage and support your cultural champions to work with your staff to implement those changes into you company culture. Where are you most likely to be successful? Recruitment is great starting point as you can filter out those potential staff who like and agree with your culture. As I have stated before this is especially important in a high growth business as new recruits become productive faster.

This last step may take some time depending on how different it its from your current culture. Don't let that put you off as evidence has shown that a high growth business with a strong supportive culture will grow faster and for longer than a business which has not.

Exigent Consulting provides specialist services for High Growth Business , Business Turnaround, and Mentoring to the Small and Medium Business. We help business owners improve the profit performance of their business. 

Tweet