Introspections
A CUL For a company to grow, it needs to establish at least three things: a mission statement (what the company does and why), a vision statement (where the owners want to be in the future), and core values (the magic that brings it all to life). Together these create the beliefs, behavior, and identity that determine how managers and employees interact with each other and the world. And really, people are no different.
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o grow as individuals, in relationships, and as members of our communities, we each need a personal culture of our own. This identity serves as our anchor, our road map to power. It’s who we are when we are by ourselves and how we act when we are out in the world. Personal culture comes with us through the ups and downs and all the transitions of life.
To change an organization, you first need to change its culture. For example, NASCAR shifted in the early 2000s when R. J. Reynolds ceased being the title sponsor for the Winston Cup Series. Subsequently, Nextel/Sprint came aboard; currently, the Cup Series is sponsored by Monster Energy, marketing to a younger demographic across a larger geographic area, expanding beyond the American South. But no matter the audience, it is crucial to adhere to core values from the start. The Marines are defined by a steadfast commitment to their ethos: honor, courage, commitment. Each Marine tries to live up to these ideals because they know the brother/sister to the left and right believes in the same time-tested principles.
Right: Suzanne Pollak 120 | SE P T E MBE R 2019
In terms of structure, personal culture has a lot of similarities to company culture. However, it is not groupthink. It is 100 percent individual, defined by what we write, read, wear, and listen to, the stories we tell, the repertoire of recipes we make, and even the furniture we choose for our homes. Personal culture is also behavior: the way we treat others and engage with the world. As we grow
