It’s hard to believe 11 years have passed since I opened the doors of GRIT (then Moxie).
11 years of wonderful successes and amazing relationships (both clients and team).
11 years of mistakes made, and lessons learned.
From the start, I instinctually knew one thing would make the difference between success and failure (and no, it wasn’t sales, amazing creative or the bottom line). It was answering the question of what personality I wanted the company to have and what experience I wanted to create for my team and clients. It was about culture.
I don’t like to think of myself as the “boss” or the “owner” – that’s just not who I am. I’m just another part of the team. It’s hard for me to comprehend that my team members (particularly younger ones) look at me as I did my bosses when I was young with all the insecurities that are inherent when you are just starting out. But they do, and every day I must remind myself of that fact.
What I’ve also learned, and didn’t think about when I started the company, is that on any given day my personality and attitude impact the culture more than anything else. How I’m “programmed” as a person (the good, the bad and the ugly as I’m sure some of my team members over the years would attest), drives what that culture is.
So, what’s the big deal about culture and company values? One word, EVERYTHING!
The culture of an organization impacts employee engagement, financial success, recruiting efforts, retention and is also a key driver of innovation and creativity. You can’t create an authentic culture, it either exists or it doesn’t, and it happens over time. Keep in mind, culture is the byproduct of consistent behavior, which is why there are good and bad cultures. It’s not a one time thing.
The culture of an organization starts with the leader. It’s the hardest thing to create but the easiest to tear down. Because each person impacts the culture both negatively and positively.
Core values (more than a mission or vision statement) drive and define a company’s culture. Figuring out who you are, what you aspire to be, and what is important is critical in finding your tribe – the people who will go to battle with you every day and more importantly, have each other’s backs. I’m very fortunate to have found that tribe here at GRIT but it took identifying really who we were (and who we were not) for that to come to fruition.
At GRIT, each of our core values have behaviors associated with them. We look for these values when recruiting new team members (and even clients). Whether it’s taking initiative, asking questions, or being honest and fearless, the behaviors that are outlined in our values drive our culture. They are the things that have made us who we are for the last 11 years.
- Work Smarter Together
- Make an Impact
- Be Courageous
- Be a Contender
- Dig Deeper
Want to learn more about the behaviors for each of our values or maybe what drives your organization? Get in touch.