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Creating the culture you want has a cost

Doing a culture shift to no compromise is not only a worthy undertaking; it's a non-negotiable requirement for success in these economic times. No one knows this better than Bill Chrismer. He acquired the upscale chain of Gentlemen's Quarters salons a few years ago. As with any acquisition, he not only purchased the brand name and assets - he acquired the culture of Gentlemen's Quarters as well. Although there was nothing inherently wrong with the culture, Bill's vision of what his company's true potential was required that he lead it through a culture shift to no compromise.
I received the following email from Bill Chrismer. He so eloquently describes what few leaders realize when embarking on a culture from what is to what can be.
"The cost of building the culture you want is high. Tony Robbins says, "You get what you want by doing the things you don't want to do." You work through your leadership blockages. You step up and lead.
Yesterday we launched a nametag program and, after a thorough reengineering, re-launched daily Huddles and Scoreboards with no compromise as the mandate. All have been very successful. Many of the systems we've been compromising on are getting turned on. But it doesn't stop simply by flipping on the switch. You have to keep at, time after time. Discipline, accountability and no compromise must prevail.
Rest assured, a culture shift to no compromise can lead to unpleasant things, like an incident that occurred today. During our daily huddle, we had a little outburst from a new employee. No compromise says that we cannot tolerate that kind of behavior. In the past we would have. I am committed to building and preserving our new culture - even though we may have lost a new employee today. I feel good about the changes, the new disciplines, and the new culture that we have been building.
Yes, the cost of building a new business culture is high. However, in the end, the company will appreciate in value because of the quality of construction."
The lesson in Bill's email is that all leaders need to be tenacious and courageous enough to see their culture shift through to completion. As Bill and many others have learned, not everyone wants to make the voyage with you. Some employees will quit, and most certainly, others will need to be let go simply because they were a bad fit to begin with.
In these crazy economic times, a culture shift to no compromise may be just what your company needs to survive and thrive. Just be sure you're willing to go the distance before you hit the culture shift switch.
Pass this email on to your business colleagues, managers and friends. They'll appreciate it.
Neil Ducoff, Strategies founder & CEO, and author of No-Compromise Leadership
Doing a culture shift to no compromise is not only a worthy undertaking, it's a non-negotiable requirement for success in these economic times. No one knows this better than Bill Chrismer. He acquired the upscale chain of Gentlemen's Quarters salons a few years ago. As with any acquisition, he not only purchased the brand name and assets - he acquired the culture of Gentlemen's Quarters as well. Although there was nothing inherently wrong with the culture, Bill's vision of what his company's true potential was required that he lead it through a culture shift to no compromise.

I received the following email from Bill Chrismer. He so eloquently describes what few leaders realize when embarking on a culture from what is to what can be:

"The cost of building the culture you want is high. Tony Robbins says, 'You get what you want by doing the things you don't want to do.' You work through your leadership blockages. You step up and lead.


"Yesterday we launched a nametag program and, after a thorough reengineering, re-launched daily Huddles and Scoreboards with no compromise as the mandate. All have been very successful. Many of the systems we've been compromising on are getting turned on. But it doesn't stop simply by flipping on the switch. You have to keep at it, time after time. Discipline, accountability and no compromise must prevail.


"Rest assured, a culture shift to no compromise can lead to unpleasant things, like an incident that occurred today. During our daily huddle, we had a little outburst from a new employee. No compromise says that we cannot tolerate that kind of behavior. In the past we would have. I am committed to building and preserving our new culture - even though we may have lost a new employee today. I feel good about the changes, the new disciplines, and the new culture that we have been building.


"Yes, the cost of building a new business culture is high. However, in the end, the company will appreciate in value because of the quality of construction."


The lesson in Bill's email is that all leaders need to be tenacious and courageous enough to see their culture shift through to completion. As Bill and many others have learned, not everyone wants to make the voyage with you. Some employees will quit, and most certainly, others will need to be let go simply because they were a bad fit to begin with.

In these crazy economic times, a culture shift to no compromise may be just what your company needs to survive and thrive. Just be sure you're willing to go the distance before you hit the culture shift switch.

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