Leaders commonly try to influence their company culture with a lofty statement of purpose. But despite the time and money an organization pours into crafting its own special statement, the result is often vague and generic — it sounds like every other well-meaning company’s purpose statement.
Use Stories from Customers to Highlight Your Company’s Purpose
Leaders commonly try to influence their company culture through a lofty statement of purpose. But despite the time and money an organization pours into crafting its own special statement, the result is often vague and generic – it sounds like every other well-meaning company’s purpose statement. One simple way around this is to highlight specific stories that illustrate the values leaders want to emphasize. Stories are free, always available, and are such a core part of our human DNA they automatically make us feel good. Especially when they’re true. That’s why leaders at companies like Sweetgreen, Lyft, and JetBlue look out for, and socialize, stories of specific employees whose behavior fits the values the company would like to see, whether it’s going the extra mile for a customer or helping a colleague through a hard time. Best of all, by bringing true stories to light, the culture becomes one of paying attention: leaders and managers learn to keep their eyes and ears on what’s most important, and that in turn helps drive superior performance.