Corporate culture: the importance of practicing what you preach
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Corporate culture: the importance of practicing what you preach
Most large organisations have a stated purpose, vision and core values – the familiar trinity of corporate life. But what happens in practice?
Bold statements around corporate culture look wonderful online and in company policies, but such words only have meaning where they mirror the genuine culture of the firm and the way people actually behave. Having distilled its corporate being into a document, the collective behaviour of the firm must then be in line. It is vital to “practice what you preach”, especially for the leaders of a business.
Having a clear corporate culture that is embedded in the business matters. According to research by Harvard Business Review, 58% of companies with an articulated, understood sense of purpose experienced over 10% growth, compared to just 42% of companies that hadn’t articulated a purpose. A good culture and a purpose that aligns with your employees’ personal values will also help to boost recruitment and retention. And from a human point of view, it makes everyone’s working life much more fulfilling and enjoyable.
At Paris Smith our core values are captured by the SPIRIT of our firm: Service, Professionalism, Integrity, Respect, Innovation and Trust. I’ve spent time thinking about what these values mean to me and how I can demonstrate them each day.
During my career I have learned that one’s behaviour carries huge importance and impact. This only grows as seniority increases. Helping set the tone in a business may be everyone’s responsibility, but it falls to the senior leadership team to set the example. At the leadership level, even small gestures can carry heavy meaning.
I have learned a lot in my career so far and my journey to becoming managing partner, particularly around the impact that what I do and say can have on others. Reflecting on this gives us a great opportunity to learn, and is something that all leaders should take time to do.
Undoubtedly I would have done some things differently If I could wind the clock back. Here is the advice that I would have told my younger self:
- Be yourself. No one will be convinced by your acting performance.
- Be aware of your surroundings at all times, who can see you and hear you.
- Think about the context of any discussion and your audience, both intended and unintended.
- Don’t force humour. It comes naturally from interactions with others.
- Listen to your tone and volume. It’s not all about the content.
- Be aware of your gestures and expressions.
- Don’t talk over others. Let them speak and listen properly.
- Never scoff at others’ views.
- Never criticise the personal qualities of others. Weigh only the issues and positions.
- Expect others to behave as you do.
- You will make unintended mistakes. Learn from them, but don’t dwell on them.
- If you owe someone an apology – say the words and don’t play games. It’s not a competition.
Having respect for others, regardless of status, pays dividends for the whole business. It builds personal capital, confidence and trust, helping to maintain healthy relationships.
There is little point in spending time drafting corporate values and articulating your organisation’s purpose if the way people behave is totally different. For leaders it is vital to lead by example and understand the impact – both positive and negative – of the way you behave, as well as the words you say.