…you must first win in the workplace! Welcome to the fifth and final key to success in our series on "Leading at the Speed of Business". We’ve spent several months now talking about the importance of adaptability as it pertains to staying relevant in today’s business environment. Whether leading a growing small business, an established large business or a non-profit enterprise, staying relevant will always be a concern. In our final installment, we focus on the importance of the right culture that views adaptability as a norm rather than something members of the organization have to do. It is who they are versus and not just what they do. Adaptability is how the organization collectively thinks in order to achieve sustainable success! It is always important to level-set definitions with the audience so the discussion doesn’t get side-tracked. We define culture as the shared set of beliefs, values, attitudes and behaviors within an organization that guide the actions of its members. Every organization, large or small, private or public, for-profit or non-profit has a culture based on that definition. The question for organizational leaders is, “Is it the culture we need to achieve sustainable success?” Doug Conant's quote in the title sums up the importance of workplace culture as a means to success in the marketplace. The first action leaders must take is how they define the desired culture as well as their role in making it come to life. To create and nurture an adaptable culture, here are a few key themes from my own experiences that must be considered:
Sustainable success can only occur when the organization embraces adaptability as a cultural norm. Business moves too fast to legislate adaptability solely from the top of the organization. In all my corporate executive roles, one of the consistent messages to the organization was “We need 100% from 100%”. It meant that everyone had a voice and any new idea would be acknowledged to help the organization stay relevant! How are you adapting to win in your workplace? Lead Well!