BUILDING STRONG CULTURE
Over decades of helping people learn to succeed in their faith, family and business, I’ve learned something very important. One of the most critical things you can have is a strong healthy culture. Every person and organization has a culture but they are not all healthy or strong. Culture is what tells people “how we do it here”. Whether it is kids, parents or employees, we are all tempted to take short cuts or do things our own way. Culture creates consistency and clarity on what, why and how we do things. It allows people in families and businesses to be empowered to make good decisions. Here are five key components of a strong healthy culture.
MISSION
Purpose. What do you do? Many people struggle with a clear answer to this question. They might answer with their vocation but this goes much deeper. This is the answer to the question of why we were created. Many people may come up with different wording but a successful mission statement is always going to answer the question of what you do to help people. If the mission is self or stuff, it will lead to a shallow existence. A mission statement will call us to a deeper understanding of why we are here. A mission statement can easily be used to define the win. A couple of mission statement I have used personally and in organizations I have lead are, “Helping the next generation become fully devoted followers of Jesus”, “Bringing Real Hope and Real Change to hurting people”. It may not come to overnight and you may have to wrestle with it a little but when you settle on a mission statement for your life or organization, it will bring clarity for those under your leadership.
Vision
Passion. Why do you do it? What big outcome are you committed to? Are you dreaming of transformed communities, people freed from addiction, ending human trafficking? Painting a picture in your mind of why you do it, the single mom, the trafficked child, the hungry community, the addicted person, the divided family and what you want to see different. Shared vision language unifies organizations and families alike. Our vision statement for our church and family is “That none perish and all reach their full potential.” We want everyone to make heaven their home and to grow into their God given greatness. If everyone can say the vision they can see the vision.
Strategy
Plan. How are you going to do it? What are the things we are disciplined to do every day that will result in our desired vision? Our family does several things each morning individually that help us each move toward success daily. Make our beds, pray, read our bible, exercise (push-ups, sit-ups, lift weights, cardio..), write down our top ten life goals in our journals. These daily habits are more than disciplines, they are a disciplined strategy that has an impact on our thinking and decisions. Our church strategy is to “Worship God, Be Equipped and Change the World”. This is the plan and if we work that plan, the plan works. The strategy answers the daily question of how you are going to accomplish the mission and vision.
Values
Principles. What are your non-negotiable? If you have to sacrifice these things to succeed then it is not success. Values help you remember who you are while you are accomplishing everything else. Our family values are “Humility, Grit, Generosity and Unit. Other values may be excellence, honor, stewardship, multiplication or the next generation. Creating language that communicates how to live each of the values out is also very helpful. For instance. “Grit: Because grit don’t quit.” This will also take time but don’t be afraid to dive in, make adjustment, refine language until you are satisfied with you your values are pushing you to become. I’ll put a link below discussing how to create core values
Goals
Priorities. What are your long, mid and short range goals? Does everything else line up? What are the measurable goals you want to see take place over the next 20 years, five years or one year? If your vision is to be close to your family, is your goal to take a family vacation each year? If you are leading and organization, what do you want to have accomplished in 20 years. Revenue, branches, campuses, staff members…. What needs to happen in 5 years to put you on track for the 20 year goal? What do you need to do this year to put you on track for the 5 year plan. If you aren’t planning 20 years out organizationally, you are either a very young organization or don’t have a big enough vision. What do you need to accomplish in 20 years to be ready for retirement and what do you need to accomplish this year to put you on track? Shared goals create a sense of unity and synergy within the organization or the family.
Culture is the process of clarifying, repeating and celebrating the mission, vision, strategy, values and goals over and over and over again until it becomes second nature. Language, affects beliefs, beliefs affect behavior and behavior affects outcomes. A strong culture will impact all of the above.
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