something. I loved that about this place and I saw they're still doing it.”
“After all your visits, that was your first view of Arthur's ‘white spaces,'” smiled Brian proudly. “Don't worry, you'll get better at it. Like gravity, culture isn't something you see. It's something you feel. Culture's like your business's life force, and just like a life force makes the grass and your hair grow, the culture can make your business grow too.”
Sam took a note in his golden notebook.
“Whoa,” sighed Sam. “That was deep. Is culture tough to implement?”
“Don't worry, kid. Culture can seem complex, but I'm going to break it into simple pieces for you. Over years of teaching culture, I've learned not to overwhelm people.”
“Thanks,” said Sam. “You're a great teacher. Where do we start?”
“We start with the first of the three Bs of culture … Beings.”
Sam wrote the word.
“Since you're aware every business has a culture, you're ready to learn the three things that determine how a culture looks, acts, and feels. What you mentioned about Arthur's wasn't about the bagels – it was about the people! Simply put, you can't have a culture without people. So, before a business concerns itself with ‘what we make,' it should focus on ‘who we are.'”
“Makes sense,” said Sam. “Does having the right people always lead to a great culture?”
“No. Creating a great culture would be easy if it wasn't for the people!” said Brian with a laugh. “You need great people, but getting those people to create a great culture takes work. You must understand your people are the centerpiece of your culture – and those people fall into one of two categories.”
Sam bulleted the numbers.
“The first category is Culture Crusaders,” Brian explained. “These people are the ones who not only determine the culture they want, but are also tireless champions of that culture. As CEO, you must be a Crusader. It's your responsibility to create and uphold the culture at Stamina. Most leaders, unfortunately, are taught less about culture and more about delegating. The one thing a leader should never delegate is their culture. But this happens all the time.”
Sam said. “That stings. I haven't been much of a Crusader.”
“That's okay, kid. That's why you're here. Since I've convinced you to stop ‘owning” Stamina and start ‘leading' it, it's up to you to set the culture and embed it into your business. Embedding your culture starts with Crusaders, but maintaining that culture relies on the second category of Beings: your Culture Custodians.”
As Sam took notes, he said, “When I hear ‘custodian' I remember high school. Custodian was a fancy name for ‘janitor.' Does this next group deal with taking out the garbage?”
“Not exactly, but you'll learn one subgroup of Culture Custodians don't take out the garbage, they feed off it! Although the word ‘custodian' can refer to a person who cleans a building, I use a different definition – a custodian's someone who has a responsibility to look after someone or something. A Culture Custodian is responsible for looking after your culture.”
“Got you,” said Sam. “So the Culture Custodians look after and uphold the culture the Crusader has created?”
“In a perfect world, yes. But perfect cultures would be easy if it wasn't for the people! The word ‘custodian' isn't positive or negative. It means they've been given authority over your culture. How they use that authority's another matter. That's why there are two subgroups of Culture Custodians. One of them strengthens culture and the other destroys it. The first subgroup is your Culture Keepers and the second's your Culture Vultures.”
“Keepers, huh?” said Sam. “Sounds like a big fish.”
“Yup,” smiled Brian. “The word's used for partners too – ‘she's a keeper.' You're on the right track because your Culture Keepers are Beings you don't wanna let go. A keeper's defined as a person who manages something for someone. The difference from being a neutral ‘custodian' is that a Keeper's expected to ‘keep' the culture better than the leader left it. If you think about a zookeeper, they're expected to make the zoo a better place, not worse. Or from sports, imagine a goalkeeper. That keeper minds the net he's responsible for, and attempts to prevent bad things from happening.”
“I understand,” said Sam “As we're covering these, I'm already categorizing my staff.”
“That's natural,” replied Brian, “and something a leader should do. Each Keeper's ability to uphold your culture is different, but to be categorized a keeper, they should at least maintain the culture you want. Before you get excited figuring how many ‘Keepers' you've got, let's worry about another animal at the zoo. As much as Keepers help your business, Culture Vultures do damage.”
“Let me guess,” interrupted Sam. “They feed off the garbage?”
“Yes! A vulture's a scavenging bird of prey that feeds off carrion – decaying flesh of animals. You might be familiar with vultures because they're often depicted circling above people in distress.”
“That's how I picture them. They're ugly!'
“Ugly for your business. If you've seen vultures, they're never alone either. Vultures gather and interestingly, a group of them sitting together is called a ‘committee,' while a group of them feeding's called a ‘wake.' So you're right about the garbage. The Culture Vultures not only love to feed off the bad news and negative aspects of your business, but they also gather in committees to enjoy what's rotten.”
“Ugh,” grunted Sam. “I've placed some staff in this category, and one of those placements hurts. Can your business survive with a bunch of Vultures?”
“Sorry, kid. That ends up with a wake.”
Sam reviewed his notes. “This morning's been more insightful than I hoped. I had my doubts, but you've made me a believer. Any chance we can work together? I know you can help Stamina get on track.”
“Thanks, Sam. It's my pleasure to share these lessons. For me to best help you and Stamina, we'll need more than one-on-one meetings. I'm recommending my Cultural Checkup.”
“What's that?” asked Sam. “Checkups remind me of my doctor.”
Brian chuckled. “You're not far off. But instead of your health, imagine the Culture Checkup's an examination of Stamina's health. Many people ignore the health of their business until there's a problem. With my checkup, your business won't get sicker before it gets better. How it works is I meet with you individually for three mornings to teach more about culture. Then I meet with your staff, and do a ‘walk-through' around Stamina. At the end of the three days, I'll share what I found and deliver a treatment plan. Sound good?”
“Sounds great … and expensive,” sighed Sam. “Let's cut to the chase. What's this checkup cost?”
“That's the best part. Unlike visiting your doctor or mechanic, you decide what I'm worth after the checkup.”
“Really?” asked Sam.
“Once we cover my diagnosis and treatment plan, you can decide whether to hire me as a consultant,” Brian said.
