People Strategy

CHAPTER 1The Three Pillars of Company Culture

Before we get too far along, I want to spend a little time clarifying what I mean when I talk about culture and explain why it's such a critical component of People Strategy.

So, what is culture? Culture is the summation of all the thousands of interactions, norms, and behaviors at a company. Culture is also the vehicle through which employees can attain a meaningful work experience.

Over the years for many of us, our relationship with our work has changed for the better. Our teams today have very different needs and expectations of their leaders and of companies than those in previous decades. We no longer want companies simply to provide us with something to do for five days out of every week and give us a paycheck. We want them to help us grow and align with our beliefs and causes. This has only become more pronounced as cultural headwinds, such as the coronavirus pandemic, force many to transition into remote work settings.

The Reason You Get Out of Bed in the Morning

Through my work with thousands of customers and hundreds of employees, I've observed that most people look for three key attributes to be truly dedicated and engaged in their work: purpose, community, and growth. These are the three pillars that serve as the foundation of a strong company culture (see Figure 1.1). Ideally, each of these elements is strong all the time. The reality, however, is that it's often challenging to always be firing on all cylinders ...