Want To Improve Your Culture? Just Keep It Real.
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash
It was kind of sad.
I entered a client's office in Mexico City and saw their walls covered in culture statements. "Teamwork", "Diversity", "Work/Life Balance" were written in bold colors all around the place.
But I noticed it was all fake.
This client had a huge digital transformation initiative. They wanted to automate their processes with a Business Process Management (BPM) system, but they were at least five years behind.
The problem? They had high employee turnover.
I asked them how long an employee stayed, and their answer shocked me: about six months, often less than that.
There was no possible way they could progress with such high turnover.
When digging further, they told me that they were so behind that they worked 12 or more hours per day, worked on weekends, and didn't take vacations. They spent most of their time in meetings just to "coordinate" their efforts. Areas didn't collaborate among themselves.
Teamwork? Work/life balance? Right.
To define your culture, start by seeing what you really have. Don't add hollow statements; check how decisions are made, how leaders allocate their resources.
Once you figure that out, investigate the root causes defining how people work. Then, and only then, can you establish the culture you want to create and define a realistic plan to get there.
But most importantly, don't fool yourself, just keep it real.
Jorge Téllez is a LATAM Tech Growth Leader and Expert in Regional Expansion & GTM Strategy. He is advises several startups and is a Techstars alum.
