Coaching for Culture: 5 Small Actions that Have Big Impact [video]

After working with lots of leaders, I’ve found that building culture is less about big events or initiatives. Yes, those are helpful. But I’ve found that a lot of culture is more built in the bricks than the big pillars – the little moments, the little conversations. I call them cultural moments.

Cultural Moments

This idea came from a friend of mine who’s a marriage and family therapist. I was talking to her about breakdown in family and marriage – and what are the big things. I thought it would be affairs or overspending or disrespect moments or fights or misaligned values. But she said, “Mike, it’s usually more death by 1,000 paper cuts than big moments.” Now, obviously, those big moments have impact, but she said it’s the little moments that add up.

So the remedy that she gives to people is to find one thing that your partner or your family member doesn’t like to do and do that thing for them. Or find one thing they really want from you and do that one thing. For me, my wife hates the dishwasher. She hates thinking about it, loading it, unloading it – so I took responsibility for that. It’s something small, but the impact for her was appreciation.

Find one thing that the other person doesn’t like to do – and do that thing for them. Or find one thing they really want from you – and do that one thing.

I use that same notion with leaders, where I help them to find what are 20% effort, 80% impact things you can do in your leadership to really build your culture, build your people.

I’ve got 5 for you:

1. The Thank-You

The first one is the thank you. This is not rocket science. The idea: 20% effort—say thank you, but not just say thank you. “Thank you for…”

• Thank you for the way you interacted with that client.
• Thank you for the effort you put into this project.
• Thank you that you went the extra mile and helped a team member learn how to do this.

Whatever it might be, add the specific thing you’re thanking them for.

Appreciation is a fuel. It’s a currency. And the impact is that people are going to feel valued. It shows you what’s important. And when people are valued, they’re way more likely to give more effort.

So if you ever see an organization where appreciation is low, I will show you a proverbial broken down car, a broke economy, and a lot of turnover.

The idea of just saying a quick “thank you for…” is a big game changer. It doesn’t need to be splashy like a team event or town hall. It can just be like a quick text, email, or phone call. “Hey, thanks for doing [that]. Really appreciate it.” It’s going to add a lot of value.

2. The Check-In

The next one is the check-in. So randomly calling, texting, Slacking, whatever app you use, just to check in and say, “How are you doing?”

It’s just a way to say, hey, I’m checking in on the person. Because as they say, we are human beings, not human doings. A little bit corny, but I like it. It’s like there’s a being part of us. Or another way you could say it is, “I saw that you had a meeting, event, interaction, sales call today. How do you feel it went? How’d it go?”

And the impact of this is that, again, people want to be seen as a person, not a thing that completes tasks. So checking in on how they’re feeling about their day shows you care about them as beings, not just doing. And it also shows that you’re not transactional in your approach, which leads, again, to more trust.

3. The Follow-Up

The third one: the follow-up. This is simply remembering.

• “Hey, the last time we met, you said you were going to do X. How’d it go?”
• “I remember you mentioned that you had a loved one who’s sick. How are they?”
• “The last time, you mentioned a good idea of how to move X project forward. How’s it going?”

So the idea is that people, when you remember, it says, you know me, you care about me, you’re focused, intentional in our work. And the impact to people is they will begin to trust and feel more comfortable to give their best. It really expands that you’re not just someone who’s lost in the moment, but actually a bigger leader who sees the whole big picture.

4. The Thoughtful Line of Sight

The fourth one here I call the LT Meeting Recap. So within 48 hours of an leadership team meeting, send a quick recap of what you discussed and the action items, again, that are appropriate to share. And this can be done by email, by one of your Teams or Slack channels. What it does is it gives people visibility. And human beings, when we can see – both literally and figuratively – we are better. It’s called line of sight.

It gives people the ability to see where we’re going so then they can order their steps. It also shows that you value transparency. There are a lot of stories that are made up in bad cultures. Good cultures, when they have transparency, gives them light. And when there’s light, we can see.

To avoid some of those dark moments, or dark stories, it just gives people that transparency that you are leading with the value that people need to see where they’re going.

They value transparency.

5. The Meaningful Connection

AKA, not another #%*!ing pizza party.

Often when I talk to leaders, they’ll say, “Should I do a pizza party or take them bowling?” That’s fine, but that’s not what I’m talking about. It’s about connection.

In good cultures, people are social beings. So when possible, break bread, have coffee, a drink, take a walk, eat lunch together in the lunchroom, and just talk about life. Because again, we’re social beings. People trust people they know and like.

It’s a very feeling, emotional connection to it, which leads to trust. And everything in life, I find, is more efficient and more effective when we have trust. So having social moments—20% effort—you’re going to get huge impact from that.

Everything in life is more efficient and effective when we have trust.

What will you do with this information?

What’s a 20% effort, 80% impact activity that you can do as a leader to build your culture?

These are things that should take very little time, but are going to have big impact – especially in a busy world.

If you’re someone who wants to work through that, feel free to reach out. We have incredible coaches who can help you think through your culture and how to activate it and bring it to life.