Culture Hacker

1CultureMore Than Just an HR Thing

Brand is just a lagging indicator of a company's culture.

—Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos¹

Every owner, executive, and manager is responsible for his or her team, department, or company culture. No excuses. Culture is no longer just a human resources (HR) priority or thing; it is a fundamental business thing.

Culture is the collective mindset and attitude of your employees. The mindset your employees bring to work every day determines how they will take care of your customers, how much effort they will put into their work, and whether or not they will stay with you long term. The impact of a negative culture within an organization is tremendous. Poor customer interactions, high turnover, and under performing employees cost organizations—depending on their size—thousands, millions, and even billions of dollars. The research from across industries is clear: when your employees are more engaged, your company is more productive and profitable; leading to better shareholder returns. Culture is the most important business thing today.

When it comes to culture, the question is not “Do you have a culture?” because you do, and every company does. The real question is “What type of culture do you have today, and is it meeting the expectations of your owners, customers, and employees?” This question really is at the heart of what every manager must consider: Is your culture making your business better, delivering the desired individual and team performance, ...