I heard someone say recently, “It’s a CEO’s job of creating culture every damn day.” I completely agree on the statement. But I feel like it’s limited in scope.  The job of every employee is contributing and cultivating the culture every damn day. Otherwise, most company cultures would be built around pleasing middle-aged, tall white guys (Full Journalistic Disclosure: I’m only a quarter-aged tall white guy, so totally different).

My firm had a training session this week covering interviewing skills and what we are looking for in candidates. The biggest selling point and most compelling firm trait we have to attract new talent is…you guessed it…culture.  This is in part because professors tell college kids what employers want to hear, but also the simplest explanation being that it is true.  The culture of the company is its guiding light in darkness, anchor in a storm, and trophy in success.  The hypothesis that it is up to everyone to cultivate culture is based on the fact no one leader is going to be able to push an entire company through all those experiences on their own.  

The pulse of a successful and engaged company can be taken through the strength of its culture.  It keeps people coming back in tough times and makes the good times sweeter. Without everyone involved, how do lower levels of the organization develop? How will they train, retain, and explain the company’s goals to the next generation? The culture of the company is that intangible relationship that maintains a common language up and down the ladder.  My firm’s great culture comes from the top.  We care about each other and help out when we can but realize that if you slack off, you’re going to kill someone else’s schedule.  We have a majority of our firm under the age of 35. This leads to common experiences for everyone at your level and a shorter age difference between a manager and staff than other firms so they can connect easier to discuss professional and personal development.  I believe without our culture, there would be times of chaos, and those that don’t abide by the culture stick out like a sore thumb.

Moving aside from my personal experience, I would fear of working at a company that did not make culture a central figure of someone’s responsibilities.  Even if I did not particularly care for the culture they are going for, not being able to speak to it communicates all I need to know.  Here’s why, think of a company with low diversity.  If their culture does not actively seek out new ideas, their diversity will correlate and stay low.  This likely will lead to a first generation only company that fails after the founder is done with it, or a company with zero adaptability that will not survive in a time of crisis.  While low demographic diversity might not guarantee either of these outcomes, their likelihood would grow.  Think about it in another way, a company that has low diversity and does not encourage change, will always have the same struggle.  Their culture does not deem it important. Translate low diversity to whatever issue your organization is battling, whether it be better life/work balance, improved work flow, or successful financial forecasting. If your culture does not deem it important, it will not change.  

No long conclusion needed here outside of a simple question. How are you contributing to your company’s culture?