1. Lois Raats MEd CCC BCC
Business Growth Consultant
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

2. Expertise:
 Strategic Planning
 Marketing & Sales Force Development
 Leadership & Team Development
 Process Improvement & Innovation
 25 years’ experience
Mission:
 Help people and organizations
get stronger and better.
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

3.  What is culture all about and why should you care?
 How does culture development fit with your business’s
growth stage?
 What are some culture styles and which one does your
business resemble the most?
 What are some strategies and best practices for
shaping culture to align with values and vision?
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

4. Symptoms of a team that needs a culture shift…
Business symptoms:
Low productivity, low profits, high #complaints, low resolution
of said complaints, high turnover.
Team Symptoms:
Low morale, low engagement, lack of trust, poor
communication, confusion, duplication, anger/sarcasm, gossip
, tribal warfare - individuals vying for same space
Personal Symptoms:
Stress, anxiety, sense of failure or incompetence, long-term:
low self-esteem
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

5. INNER OUTER
WHY HOW
WHAT
IDEOLOGY: IMPLEMENTATION:
-Values -Mission
-Purpose -Culture
-Vision -Goals
-Projects
-Next Steps
LEADERSHIP MANAGEMENT
“ROOTS” “FRUITS”
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

6. © 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

7. ∙Back to Start-up ∙Focus on ∙Accurate
∙Leverage Quality &
Experience to valuation &
∙Productivity Innovation exit strategy
Tap New
∙Innovation Markets
to Increase
∙Time & ∙Continuous Value
Priorities Improvement
∙Survival ∙Delegation
∙Target ∙Cashflow ∙Standardization
∙Product ∙Market
∙Niche Opp’s
© 2011 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

8. Step Tasks
OPTIMIZING Continuous Innovation
Continuous Individual Competency Dev.
improvement Coaching
Leadership Development
MANAGED Performance Alignment
Align, Quantify, Competency Alignment
Transfer Knowledge Team-based Practices
Mentoring
Participatory Culture
DEFINED Define Competencies
Identify Core Knowledge & Skills Analysis
competencies Person-position Fit
Workforce Planning
REPEATABLE Compensation
Training
Create basic Performance Management
structures & Recruitment & Selection
processes Communication
INITIAL Few Processes
Move away from in place
chaos & reactivity Fire-fighting
© 2011 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

9. INNER – “ROOTS” OUTER - “FRUITS”
• Values • Conversations
• Vision • Activities
• Thoughts • Behaviours
• Feelings
• Attitudes
= CULTURE
• Decisions
Strong roots
produce
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates www.ready2grow.com
delicious fruits.

10. Values
+ Purpose
+ Mission
+ Vision
= Identity
Implementation
(a.k.a. “how we do things around here” Culture)
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

11. BEHAVIOUR
attitude
ACTIVITY feeling
thought
value BEHAVIOUR
thought
ACTIVITY
feeling
attitude
CONVERSATION
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

12. Vision
Values We are guided by this vision of the future…
Passions
Purpose
Intentions Because we are all about…
Inklings
Mission and Culture
Customers We will accomplish our purpose in this way…
Goal
Specific targets we will set to fulfill our mission
Supporting Projects
Specific projects that help us accomplish our goals…
Next Steps
What we need to do today toward Projects X,Y,Z…
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

13. 1. from the inside out.
2. from the top down.
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

14. The enduring principles
we will never give up
that help us decide what
to do on a daily basis.
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

15. We would hold this value even if:
 We started another company
 It is 100 years from now
 It becomes a competitive disadvantage
 We are not rewarded for holding this value
Also:
 It’s such an important part of our identity, that people
who don’t hold this value really couldn’t work for us.
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

16.  The underlying reason why we do
what we do each day
 Reminds us what we are committed to
 Answers the question “Why?”
(To figure out Purpose, state what you do, then keep asking
“Why?”until you can’t answer any more)
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

17. “To build into people and communities…”
 To help people build better lives.
 To help people improve their lives.
 To support people.
 To help people know they are supported.
 To prevent loneliness, isolation, pain.
 So people can know they are not alone.
 To create a better life for everyone.
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

18. Standards that shape our attitudes and
behaviours to reflect our Core Values & Core
Purpose
e.g. Core Value: INTEGRITY
- We take responsibility.
- We do what we say we are going to do.
- We do our best work at all times.
- We always seek the best for our customer.
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

19.  "Underpromise, Overdeliver"
 "We always err on the side of the customer"
 "We're honest in our dealings with each other and
the public"
 "We take immediate responsibility for our actions,
both personally and as a company"
 “We forgive others’ mistakes.”
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

20.  “For every problem, there is a solution.”
 “Find a way.”
 “No excuses.”
 “Money is a means not an end.”
 “We do what we say we’re going to do.”
 Treat others as I would wish to be treated
 Treat others as they would wish to be treated
 "We're compassionate in our dealings with each other and the public"
 Be fair
 Be respectful
 Be professional: aware of what I do and say and how it affects others
 Admit mistakes and forgive them in others.
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

21. Faith • I believe in my bigger purpose, my business, and other people.
Reciprocity • I willingly give before I receive. I give whether or not I get back,
keeping in mind my boundaries.
Boundaries • I aim to be: Friendly • Firm • Fair
Abundance • I can get whatever I need when I help others get what they need.
Attraction • I aim to attract more than promote.
Passion • I do what I love, and will overcome all obstacles until I accomplish
what I set out to do. I will find a way.
Competence • I am the best at what I love to do. No excuses.
Forgiveness • I forgive people’s mistakes and forgive myself for my own mistakes.
Anger wastes energy that could be spent serving people.
Investment • vs. ”expense”. I invest time, energy, money to keep growing.
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

22. © 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

23. FREEDOM
CLAN ADHOCRACY
Earlier
Values Values
Stage
Relationships Innovation
Family Businesses High Tech
Professional
Service Firms
INTERNAL EXTERNAL
FOCUS FOCUS
HIERARCHY MARKET
Values Values
Later Stage Stability Efficiency
Traditional Progressive
Mfg. Mfg.
CONTROL
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates www.ready2grow.com

24.  Values stability.
 Traditional approach to structure and control
 Typical of traditional manufacturing businesses where success
is based on maintaining the status quo. e.g. Pepsi
 Strict chain of command
 Respect for position and power
 Well-defined policies, processes, rules, and procedures.
 Leader coordinates, organizes, and keeps a close eye on what
is happening.
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

25.  Values efficiency.
 Seeks control but does so by looking outward.
 Manufacturing and service businesses where competition is
high and innovation and quality control are essential.
 Continually seeks to reduce the cost of transactions in the
value chain e.g. hiring employees, choosing suppliers,
negotiating price, security.
 Leader seeks to create value flows between clients and
suppliers with the lowest cost and delay.
 Leader in market cultures driven by results, very competitive,
and seeks always to deliver the goods.
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

26.  Values relationships.
 Team’s energy focused inward vs. toward marketplace.
 Less focus on structure, control, and price. Values craftsmanship and
flexibility.
 Organization relatively flat, people and teams allowed to act
independently.
 Sense of family, loyalty, common cause (defined by leader).
 Rules exist but are more often transferred socially than written down.
 Leader is facilitative and supportive, at times parental. Seeks to align
team around vision, shared goals, outputs and outcomes. Leader’s
vision tied to marketplace, but team’s vision tied to leader.

© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

27.  Values innovation. “Ad hoc” = “organized toward a special project”.
 Typical of tech startups where maximum agility is crucial
to survival during rapid change.
 Highest independence and flexibility, market-driven.
 Specialized teams form rapidly continuously to surmount new
challenges.
 Grows through prototyping and experimenting rather than large, long-
term projects.
 Team’s energy focused on realizing a dream in the marketplace. Team
emotionally connected more with vision than with a particular leader.
 Leader is visionary, innovative, and takes calculated risks
 to make significant gains.
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

28.  What style of culture do you currently have?
 What style of culture do you want to build over time?
 What Guiding Principles ensure that your people are
living out your values, purpose, and mission?
 What Rules provide boundaries for you, helping you
and your employees live out your Values?
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

29.  Leaders walk the talk.
 Set as a regular agenda item in meetings.
 Keep written values, purpose, mission visible in your office.
 Before you post the values, prepare the ground through discussion and
storytelling first.
 Choose one value statement. Ask them what it means, and when it’s
been in play this week.
 Start collecting these stories about how employees have been living out
our values.
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

30.  Create a suggestion box.
 Post your answers to suggestions above the box so people can
read and comment on your responses.
 Have a “caught I doing something right” feedback box that
anyone can contribute to. Offer praise.
 Use social media to communicate values, purpose, and vision
with your staff.
 Create a values logo…
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

31. © 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

32.  First, get clear about your internal organization: your
values, purpose, mission, and vision.
 Incorporate these into all communications: print, social
media, job postings, etc.
 Identify the specific competencies required to
accomplish your mission.
 Word your job postings to attract people who are
aligned with your values and vision.
 Get the right people on the bus and the wrong people
off the bus.
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

33.  Engagement
 Alignment
 Learning
 Shared Leadership
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

34.  Work for more than just money.
 PASSIONATE – Care about their work
 COMPETENT – Do a lot and do it well
 LEADERS – Ownership and accountability
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

35.  Understand the core vision, values, purpose and
mission of the organization.
 Apply the above on a daily basis according to the
guiding principles
 Solve problems in an agile fashion: can make
decisions quickly based on market conditions and
other factors - because they are clear about what is
most important to the organization.
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

36.  Are naturally curious, or are taught to be curious
 Are encouraged to learn
 Are encouraged to innovate
Bring great new ideas to the business and the team
 Are energized by innovation
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

37.  Best model for teams is shared leadership.
 Leaders are self-directed.
 Leaders take responsibility for their actions.
 Leaders do whatever it takes to get the job done.
 Leaders set boundaries and don’t allow themselves to
become overwhelmed.
 Leaders think strategically, not just tactically.
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com

38. Website: www.ready2grow.com
Free Business Scorecard
Free 30-Day Time Tools program
Contact:
 lois@ready2grow.com
 Twitter: lois_ready2grow
 Link with me on Linked In
and Facebook!
© 2012 Ready2Grow Associates
www.ready2grow.com