I clam up with fear if I’m ever in a situation where friends or colleagues suggest describing each other in 5 words (years of horrible old style team building), as it feels almost intrusive and my sensitivity to criticism goes into over drive in case they come up with a word I don’t like or don’t consider to be me! I think most people would feel the same. This concept though has got me thinking about the personality of companies and what words would be used as descriptors of it.
In my career to date I have worked in some capacity with hundreds of companies of varying, size, sector and style. There is the notion that different sectors have different ‘stylistic needs’ such as accountancy being ‘formal’ and more ‘regimented’ and marketing agencies being ‘creative’ and ‘extroverted’. To me this is merely perception and that the internal culture and personality of a company is what creates its ‘style’ and what bolsters or hinders its long term success.
So, what do I mean by Culture: “the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society”? In this case I refer to your company as a society where people come together everyday to work towards a similar end goal. It is the personality of who you are as a group – and be assured, your customers, investors, partners and suppliers see this and make judgements on it.
So with keeping this in mind I pose the question – how would you like your company personality to be described? What would those words be? Do they invoke fear and disappointment or happiness and satisfaction? Whatever your reaction it is important to realise that these words are the representation of your culture and personality.
Those words are how you are seen by the internal and external world and unknown to you (and sometimes unknown to them) employees, potential new employees, customers, investors and partners make judgements on you based on those describing words in their heads. The reality is that actions taken which are good and bad for your company then stem from this.
So having established the personality type you want your company to have and ultimately the culture and environment you want it to display, then it is time to think about where does your company personality come from?
In short, it’s from leadership. The CEO/MD and senior managers have a significant role to play in representing in action the culture and personality that they want the organisation or company to have, and for the most part employees will adapt this style and show it through action to other colleagues and the outside world.
As entrepreneurs and founders be aware that you are much more than the product concept and developer, you are also the leader for the next stage of your business development.
Take time to ask this:
WHAT do you want your company to stand for?
HOW do you show that in actions and not words?
WHY this is how you want to be seen?
WHERE will this culture lead your business to in the years to come?
“A company’s culture is the foundation for future innovation. An entrepreneur’s job is to build the foundation”
— Brian Chesky, Co-founder and CEO of Airbnb
Nuala Foley
Innovation Director
