I had the pleasure of attending my first international conference with ~100 “rock star” FocalPoint Business Coaches and speakers on April 25 – 27, 2018. To say it was awe-inspiring and motivating, would be an understatement. But what amazed me the most was the reassuring feeling that I was in a room full of people that shared a common purpose and culture in spite of our geographic diversity. Coincidence? I think not. We all know that square pegs don’t fit in round holes.
As I sat in the conference center of the Douglas hotel in downtown Vancouver, I had a flashback to September 2017 and my very first phone call with the President and CEO of FocalPoint Business Coaching & Training. When I’m talking to people now about my business, I always say that FocalPoint found me rather than me finding them. Why? Because culture REALLY matters and when you find the RIGHT fit, you know it. Looking back now, Steve Thompson, CEO of FocalPoint Business Coaching & Training, had me at “hello!” It was a great conversation filled with lots of laughter and phrases like being the “pebble on the pond” positively impacting the world through integrity, passion, team and balance or blend as I refer to it. All of which was music to my ears. For if I was going to make this bold move and step out of my comfort zone, it had to be the RIGHT fit for me and my family.
Company culture starts at the top. From that very first phone call, I knew that I was speaking with an authentic man full of integrity. You bet that mattered to me and I’m not alone. Employees today are paying more and more attention to company culture when applying for positions. Good cultural fit creates employees who contribute more, stay longer with the company, and build better relationships with coworkers. As was reinforced for me last week by one of our guest speakers (thank you Brian Butler) relationships really matter too. They can motivate or de-motivate and almost always lead to loyalty and trust, which are essential for a diverse and inclusive team.
There are several definitions of company culture out there but the one I like the most is simply that it includes all of the values and beliefs that guide your organization. If you don’t know where you are going, how will you get there? That’s where your vision, mission and purpose come in. Think of those as your goal or destination and the culture as your journey. The key is that the commitment from every level in the organization must be unwavering. The culture needs to drive the behaviors and the actions or steps that you take every day on your journey.
It is one thing to achieve a strong company culture in corporate America and yet another to achieve it in a franchise organization like FocalPoint Business Coaching & Training that I am so proud to be a part of. Whether its franchisees, partners, or employees, make your purpose and culture completely transparent from day one and don’t settle for a square peg.
To learn more on how to build a great company culture, contact me today!
Author:
Sandy Lamb | Certified Business Coach
Owner, Altitude Business Coaching LLC
MBA, Certified FocalPoint Business Coach
Cell: 240-566-2718
