Define Your Culture Or It Will Define You

All right, so let's talk about culture, guys. Talked about leadership in the last one. Now we're going to kind of transition over to culture. This is typically the second thing that we work through inside of our process. Right. Of our contractors blueprint. So a lot of companies.

Whether you.

Know it or not, you have a culture inside of your company. Let's be honest about it.

Right?

But what defines culture inside of the company?

It's the way that you do things. It's your personality, it's your character. It's kind of like saying what defines a human being? Like, what defines Jim or Nathan or Tommy? And you say, well, how would you describe Nathan? Okay. And there's gonna be some physical attributes. Maybe, you know, dark hair, tall, glorious mustache.

Whatever. I wasn't gonna say bad mustache.

Whatever. Whatever it happens to be, right? Then you're gonna. Then you're gonna taller than average. Qu. Then you're gonna get some, probably some internal traits, like maybe the way that I talk to people or how I behave myself, or whether somebody thinks that I'm very serious or I'm a thinker or I'm funny or I'm. Other characteristics. Right. Smells terrible, whatever. And so if you were to take your business and try to describe it the same way you would describe a person, I would say that's your culture.

Okay. I think it's how two components perceive you. The people that work for you, how do they perceive the business? As a. As, like you said, like a human being. Is it a place that's fun to work? Is it a place that's competitive to work? Is it a good environment? Is it a bad environment? Is it a family? Is it like, what does that feel to it? I think there's also this outside perception. What's the reputation of it? Are they ethical, unethical? Are they aggressive? Do they have big trucks? Like, all that kind of stuff plays into it. But I believe that there's actually a recipe for that, designing a culture. Because if you don't design it, it will be designed for you. It'll happen organically. The people that work for you will create that culture, and it may not align with you as an owner. Our whole joy and work fulfillment aspect of things needs to be that. We created this little baby that we've got that's a business, and it's going to grow over time. We want that to be a place where we feel fulfilled, working, happy working, joyful working, and that we're aligned with it. And so if we don't design it and we Allow the people to design it for us. It may become something that we don't want to be a part of anymore. So I think it's really important to understand that, yes, I have a culture. A lot of times that culture is predicated on the leader. He attracts certain people, and those people are a lot like him. And so it starts to have a culture very much like him. But if he brings somebody into the equation that's not like him because he sees some value in him for some reason or another. He sees, like, he can sell a lot or he can be a great production manager, but he doesn't fit me necessary, but I don't care. He just does a good job at what he does. He might bring something into that culture that's more of a virus, more of a thing that causes dysfunction in a family. You can think of it as culture, as like, a family, a little bit like, hey, this family gets along, or it's dysfunctional, and if you don't design it, you have a very high likelihood of it becoming dysfunctional over time. When you hear things like, I have a lot of turnover, there's drama in my business. People aren't loyal, people aren't doing what I ask them to do. That's usually a sign that culture is dysfunctional.

So, okay, so two questions come out of that that I have is number.

One, and we're going to start with.

This one, and we'll spend some time here for a little bit. How do you figure out what your culture will be in your company?

Ooh, great question. I believe it has one key component that delivers everything else. When we start a business, I think a lot of us have some kind of foggy notion, at least of what we dream that it's going to be someday, that it's going to deliver this thing for me that I have in mind, whether that's wealth or a vehicle that has growth for people. People, whatever the thing may be, we also look at it as this thing that's going to provide something to me. We usually describe it as the dream. What's the dream with this whole thing? Why am I doing all this in the first place? Because if I can start to identify that dream of why I'm going after the thing that I'm going after, that becomes very much about me and the owner or the ownership group, like, why are we doing all this in the first place? That helps you develop a vision about the business itself. I know what my dream is. So the vision of the business to facilitate that dream is this. So that's kind of your second component. But you can't do that really well unless you know what you're aiming for. Personally, I don't think. Do you agree with that?

Yeah, I mean, businesses have to make decisions. What is it that you're using to define what the right decision is? This is a huge problem with a lot of business owners because they get opportunities brought to them, especially if they gain momentum and they've accomplished any amount of growth. Opportunities start coming to them because people either want to participate or they want them to participate in their thing, or they have an idea and this guy's got a little bit of money and maybe he can help them get their idea off the ground. So these opportunities are going to come at you, and then you have to figure out which ones of these opportunities are the right ones, if any of them. And it's not just about the opportunities that come to you either. It's about the ones that you create. What kind of opportunities are we going to create? Where are we taking this company? How big is this company going to get? How long is it going to take us to get there? All of those things need to have some purpose behind it. Otherwise you will kind of wander aimlessly. So if you imagine going into the gym and not knowing you're going into the gym, you want to work out, and that's about all you know. But you don't know what that end goal is. Are you trying to increase your cardiovascular strength? Are you trying to burn fat? Are you trying to build muscle? Are you trying to, like what, what are you after? Are you after flexibility? Those. All of those things? The answers to those questions are what are going to decide how. How you. How you operate inside the gym and what you do. And so you have to answer that question first. That's why if you go talk to any trainer about getting healthy, they're going to go, what do you want? What are you trying to accomplish? And then they'll design a system that you're going to follow to get there. And so they'll be like, well, nope, we're not going to lift heavy because we're going to do this. And so your dream, your dream has to start with whoever it is that really is the company. And generally speaking, that's going to be the owner. Certainly at first, that the owner started this thing and they started it for a reason. What is that reason and what are they after? Because at the end of the day, everybody at that company could leave and the company could still exist as long as that owner Is there?

I think most owners, it kind of happens one of two ways. They either start the business because they think it's going to bring them a lot of wealth. Money like that has a big proponent to it. And sometimes it almost happens by accident, like they are good at what they do, and so they get another job and this thing starts to become a thing and they really aren't thinking about down there. In either case, I don't think they're thinking far enough down the road. Because once you get the money, then what? You start to lose some of that fulfillment, that energy, and everything else about the business. We've seen that actually happen over and over again where we'll help a company grow and they achieve things they never thought they would achieve before, and they'll take their eye off the ball and in very short order, they'll start to decline because there wasn't something bigger than just making the money or hitting the dollar. That's why we always start with the dream. Like, what's that big, huge thing that you're going after? It's not really like a bhag for the company necessarily. This big, hairy, audacious goal with it.

What do you want for your life?

Yeah, what do you want for your life? What kind of impact do you want to make? What kind of lifestyle do you want to live? How do you want to foster the relationships in your life? Like, when you know what that looks like, it's pretty easy to build the vision around your business. And that vision is, for lack of a better term, what you're selling to everybody that you want to become a part of your business.

If you have a significant other or you're interested in a potential significant other, do not discount their thoughts, opinions or understanding of whatever your dream might be. So this is huge. If you're a man or a woman and you already have a significant other, you're married to this person, you need to talk to them about what you see for your life or your life collectively, because there's two of you. And so what are they after? And so if you're thinking this business is generally the vehicle to your dream, you know, you're going to need to know what her dream is or his dream is. Because if they're not on board, I say this and it usually grabs a chuckle. But if your significant other, your spouse, is not on board with your dream and you push for that thing, they can make it happen, they can break it, or they can take half of it. So you want to build a $10 million company and they're not on board for that. You just built a $5 million company, so you need to have them involved.

They got to understand the sacrifice it's going to take.

And there's sacrifice on both sides. Sometimes. Sometimes I might not be home to put the kids to bed, or I might not be able to stop by the store, or I might not be able to do this thing or that thing and somebody else might have to pick up that slack because we're both on board for this thing that we're after. And if they're, if you're not married, then your dream could be a deal breaker in that relationship. If you've ever sat down, this would be an interesting. If you're dating somebody right now and you're going, I have a business and, and I got a guy in mind right now, as I think about this, what's up, Atlanta? But he's not married and he's building a company and he's doing a great job. And he may have visions of what he wants to do with his life. And if the gal he's dating isn't on board for that, does he alter his dream or is that a move on relationship kind of thing? So keep that in mind as you're building your dream is that it isn't just about you all the time.

And if you have a partner in your business. Actually, part of our coaching is, hey, you guys better be aligned in your dream. And if they are different, does the vision of the company facilitate both of them?

Yes, because it is totally possible that one of those partners wants to hunt and fish for the rest of his life. That's what he sees as retirement. And the other guy wants to buy a boat and sail around the Bahamas. Two different dreams and two different views of how they want to live their life or what they want to do. One company could, could facilitate both of those things.

Yeah, so. So that gets us to this vision aspect of things.

Yeah.

I was going to ask, is the culture kind of dependent upon the vision?

I believe 100%, because that's what I'm.

Kind of gathering from, from what you guys are talking about.

There's kind of a formula to this thing. Like I got this dream that that's this thing I'm going after. I'm going to build this company to facilitate that dream. And so this is the type of company I need to build. And so that starts to become part of your vision. How big is it? How many people work for you? What's the environment like? Is it competitive Is it corporate? Is it family? You're thinking about these things because they need to be aligned with who you are. This idea of who am I and what feeds me if that company is aligned with that, who you are first, before you go chase why you're doing something and you listen to what the world tells you about why you should be doing things, a lot of times you see these visions not align with who a person is as an individual because of that disconnect between a dream and their vision. I really think it's. It's the most important piece of our culture because it's the thing that you're now focused on. It is the beacon, the North Star. It's the thing that you're telling everybody about all the time. I can tell you in 60 seconds what the vision of my business is, what that's going to be, the role you play in it, and how it's going to benefit you. Hopefully you like the sound of that. And I can explain more and we get a little bit deeper into it, then I get to explain to you why. Why it's so important. And this idea of purpose, this passion behind why we're doing what we're doing. I don't know too many home service contractors that are like, man, I do it because I love putting a roof on or putting a fence up or painting a deck or whatever it is that you do as a home service contractor. Well, I'd like to think that it's something more than money. Like, that could be a why early on, especially for younger people trying to get, hey, I gotta get financially set. But that only takes us so far once you have the money. So you really need to ask yourself, why is my company doing what they're doing? Is it to foster leadership and growth with the people that come to work for you? Is it to give a portion of what you make to some type of charity or philanthropy or maybe a foundation? But once you get why you're actually, maybe it's that you want to protect consumers from nefarious home service contractors. Maybe that's your purpose. Maybe that's why you do what you do. That really speaks to a certain group of people and repels another group of people. And that's what we're trying to do with our culture is say, hey, because of who we are and what we do, how we do it, why we do it, it's attractive to somebody. But some people might go, man, I'm not on board for that. I don't want to see us give part of Our money to charity. I need to, like, that could be money that I would make. I'm not on board for that. So that. Why. Part of it, I think, is really important too. What do you think on that part?

I think purpose is important. It helps to tie. It helps to tie people's greater connectivity to things into the business. So we as people, as much as some of us realize it more than others, but we want more than things and we want belonging and we want purpose and we want to be a part of something.

I think that's something. But, like, you hear a lot how millennials don't want to work. They're lazy and all that other good stuff. They're just not driven like the Gen X people were. I think Gen X people were about money and that kind of thing and the retirement picket fence and work as hard as you have to work to get it done. I think millennials are a little more along the line. Like, hey, whatever I do, I want it to have some kind of impact. I want it to mean something.

Yeah. And even so, one thing to realize too, which has started to slip past some people, is millennials are getting into their 40s. Millennials are not. Millennials are not. They're not the kids anymore. Millen Millennials own businesses and own homes and they're starting to become middle and high level management at companies at this point. They're in their. They're in their 30s. They're creeping into their 40s. Like, millennials aren't the kids anymore. Gen X and Gen, or Gen Y and Gen Z are the young ones at this point.

And so I think they're along those lines too.

They are. I think they're motivated differently.

So stop talking crap about millennials.

They're motivated differently the world a little bit differently. And I think there's some, there's some pluses and minuses with that. I think that human beings are essentially still the same. I think that even though you might be money motivated, there's probably, there's another thing underneath that motivation, which is what you want that money for. And I think that millennials, Gen Y, Gen Z, I think it's a little more on the surface, whereas the older generations, that stuff might have been a little bit more underneath. And so they're being a little more upfront about it and they want to be part of something now. I think that the money part of it is interesting because at least in America, and I can only speak for America on this, the greatest Generation, the boomers created so much wealth with what they did. And so when you think about, you know, the newer generation, so millennials, Gen Y and Gen Z, their great grandparents and grandparents for generally speaking and generationally did very, very well. And so they, I think that they tend to see money as a byproduct and they don't necessarily think of money as the goal because their grandparents and their parents did so well. They, they're not necessarily thinking about just survival, which is what their grandparents were thinking about coming out of the Great Depression. So now they look at life and they go, well, money is just, there's money everywhere. Right. Which isn't necessarily true. So there's a downside potentially to this.

There's more opportunity than there's ever.

There's also more opportunity all over the place. And so if you're trying to attract these kids and your a Gen Xer or maybe you're a baby boomer, you know, and you just go, hey, you just work hard, you make a lot of money and then you can go do what you want. That's not necessarily how they see life. They want their work to matter. And I think the further back you went, work was a matter of survival.

Which, which is why I think it's hard for home service contractors. It's hard for them to connect that their work actually matters. They, they, they have this like self belief that we were just doing roofing or we're just doing siding or like it's not anything that really matters. And maybe that's the case. Maybe that roofing or that painting or that fencing doesn't matter as much as you think. But the vehicle that you've built can matter.

That's where your purpose comes in. Your purpose can be more. And I was talking about this just the other day and you guys might know the answer. This I can't remember. It's either Gen Y or Gen Z is being called the loneliest generation. It's Gen Y, Gen Y, they have the highest amount of technological connectivity to the world that has ever been known to mankind. And they're the loneliest group of people that we have right now.

And don't forget human behavior tells us we want to belong.

We want to belong. So maybe the thing that you might offer is just a tribe. You might offer a family, you might offer a community. And that's part of your purpose for your company. So I know I kind of went, we kind of went down a little bit of a rabbit hole there. But I do have some passion about this thing in that we connect with human beings and it's okay. To draw people who identify with and desire the purpose that your company has built could be charitable, could be fun. It could be about hobbies, it could be about wealth creation. It could be all kinds of different things that your company has a purpose, and that purpose is greater than any one individual there. And if they can resonate with that thing, it brings a whole nother level of joy and fulfillment in being a part of that company. But you got to figure out what that thing is. And it's got to come essentially from you as an owner and from your leadership team for that reinforcement.

And it's got to be aligned with you. It can't be real. Yeah. It can't be fit. You can't go, hey, I want a really competitive company if you're not a competitive person. You can't have a real family type company if you're not a family oriented type person. And so you got to really consider, like, how do I build this culture? Because that's the beauty of it all, is you can actually design it. And if you follow this format that we're talking about with dream, vision and purpose, that's the beginning of the design of it is, okay, where am I headed? What kind of vehicle do I need to build to get there? Why do we do the thing? Because that's gonna be attractive to people, and I want those people to be people I'm aligned with.

Probably already exists too, just so you know.

Yeah.

There's something there already inside of your company. You probably already have a bit of an emergent purpose that exists, and you may not necessarily be aware of it because it's just a function of who you are. Right.

So real quick, before we get down that rabbit trail a little bit too far, let's talk about the implementation of culture inside of your company. How do you.

How do you make it a thing? Like, because I feel like that's where.

We'Re going anyways, but I want to make sure that we.

We get there.

Right. So how do we do that? Like, give me. Give me examples that you've seen either personally or with companies that we've coached or anything like that. Like, how are they making the culture a real thing?

Well, let's take one more step first before we get behavior. Yeah. How do we behave behavior?

Behavior is going to be in my mind at least. And I know a lot of people talk about culture, so by no means are we the end all, be all when it comes to culture, but we have our own philosophies around it that resonate with some people and not with others, because we have a culture. So behavior from kind of our, our thought at least is. Is a result of your, of your, Your core values. What do you value? What are the, the characteristics that are most important to you that are non negotiable, that are non neg. Is correct. Like, you don't get to just say yes to this and no to that. What are your core values? And then your behavior should be an exemplification or a striving toward that core value. Right. So your core value could be professionalism, it could be generosity, it could be teamwork, it could be communication, it could be a number of different. And you can have more than one. Try not to have too many, because we want our people to be able to memorize and know these core values and have them in their mind. And if you've got 15 core values.

That'S kind of core.

Yeah, that's kind of hard to keep all that in your brain. So have your core values listed and communicated. Because if I say, if I say professionalism, that might mean one thing to one person and another thing to another. And they both think they're living out the core value when in fact neither of them might be.

That's part of the implementation.

So that implementation part is the communication. Your core values are absolutely critical. Now, almost everybody that's hearing this and that's in this room has probably worked at a company that had core values and they put them up on a wall. And their core values for a lot of companies were the result of a market.