Rock Paper Scissors was a game we all played as children in the playground. However, there is a department in a company nearby, where, each week, they name someone as a Rock Paper Scissors Champion.
On Thursday of each and every week, the people in the department gather on their lunch break for a few minutes to play Rock Paper Scissors to determine who will be drinking out of the coveted Rock Paper Scissors Champion coffee mug for the week. The champion proudly brings the cup to the morning meetings and brags. The team laughs and jokes with each other. They have a culture where things get done, but they have fun doing them.
The word "culture" has been overused and over-thought but can be defined as the way we are expected to behave when we are in a certain environment. Culture is really the rules of the team, both spoken and unspoken.
We talk about certain gangs as having a culture of fear, or schools with a culture of excellence, or perhaps countries with a culture of hospitality. We know of businesses that operate in a culture of chaos, drama, greed, bureaucracy or corruption.
We also know businesses where fun, caring and awesome customer service is the context in which they operate. How we are viewed is directly the result of how the people in our organization, family or group or country behave.
So, what is the secret of creating phenomenal culture in our businesses?
Rock - These are the goals or expectations of the organization. Our people need to be clear about what these are or else they are going to set their own expectations of behaviour which might differ from the vision of the leaders.
I always told my staff that my goal was to provide a working environment that was safe, fun and rewarding so that no matter what was happening in their home life, they could look forward to coming to work.
I also set high expectations about how we would treat the customers, our suppliers and each other. Also, what were our expectations about the high quality of products we would sell?
As well as setting these expectations we need to model them. As leaders the buck stops with us.
Paper - When we fail to reward the great things that happen in our company we are implying that great performances are no different from failure or mediocrity. Research has shown that companies where the environment is fun, healthy and productive outperform their competitors by 20 to 30 per cent. Rarely do these companies have trouble attracting talent since people want to work in a positive environment.
But what if we can't notice the great things people in our organization do? It's true, sometimes our businesses have more people than we can touch in a day. This is when culture takes over. If we have teams that understand that great behaviour needs to be celebrated; if we have systems in place that give, praise, offer financial bonuses, or even trophies to celebrate our staff's achievements, we create culture.
Don't get me wrong, I am not talking about those phony paper certificates or plaques that rotate throughout the office. I am talking about meaningful rewards for meaningful contributions.
Scissors - We need to cut the crap. Our companies don't run on the policies or strategies that we write down on paper, because nobody believes what they read until they see it in action. Our companies, just like our families, are modeled on the behaviour of their leaders. If leaders tell their employees that they must be polite to customers and clients, but they are disrespectful, rude, dishonest, or even lazy, employees will pick up on that behaviour and this will become a norm - the company culture.
Often culture depends on what leaders allow. As leaders, when we don't speak out against disruptive words or actions we create a dysfunctional culture. The person who is consistently late encourages a culture of tardiness. Those rude comments by an employee to co-workers permit a culture of drama. The constant gossiping, lack of performance or even moodiness or depression create a culture of despair. Overlooking uncleanliness tells people that it's OK to be messy. When we don't monitor unacceptable behaviour, we are acknowledging that it is acceptable in our workplaces. We shouldn't be surprised when it becomes the cultural norm.
You don't have to be some big business leader, CEO, or hire a guru to create phenomenal culture in your work environment. It starts with you.
If you want to work in a place that is fun, start making it fun. If you want to work in a place that is excellent, start making it excellent. If you want to be part of somewhere that customers love to come back to, you must start giving customers reasons to love you.
Leadership isn't a title you inherit just as culture isn't something you can dictate. Leadership starts when others want to follow your lead.
Paul, who is not the department manager, told me that he started the weekly Rock Paper Scissors Championship in his department to add fun and excitement to his workplace. Paul knows that for teams to thrive they need to get to know each other and enjoy each other's company, which also makes the work time fly by. Playing Rock Paper Scissors each week is Paul's contribution to a great department culture.
What contributions are you making to better your organization?
Dave Fuller, MBA, is the author of the book Profit Yourself Healthy. He coaches and consults business leaders to develop teams that thrive. Email [email protected].
