When I interviewed James Bergl of Datto, he shared that their motto is “work hard, play hard.” It sets the tone for a particular kind of corporate culture, one where everyone is all in when it counts, and then savour the rewards of the effort.
What does your motto say about your corporate culture?
I did some work with Rob Evans of AllBids and his crew on their culture manifesto. They have a really inclusive culture and enjoy each other's company. They set about determining key phrases to characterize their culture and customer service ethos. One of them is “treat everybody's goods as if they were your own.” As an online auction house, their customer service sets them apart from others.
In another culture session I facilitated, St. Vincent De Paul's (ACT) crafted their own, “what would Frederick do?” Frederick is their founder and an example of altruistic service to others in need.
What DON'T you want to see in your corporate culture?
Here are some other fabulous Mottos:
Google is famous for one of its’ principles: “Do no evil”.
The All Blacks have the “No d***heads” rule. So does Atlassian.
The three Musketeers: “All for one and one for all!”
The Navy SEALs have “Earn your Trident every day.”
One of my personal ones is “how you do one thing is how you do everything.” This is a conscientious filter for every choice, I can assure you!
Having key phrases to anchor the culture is critical for creating community and focus when it comes to how we interact with each other. It's how we build a connected culture that is worth belonging to.
The Manifesto is the Culture Charter component of the Culture Compass I explain in my third book, Loyalty.
Here’s a quick start tip:
To craft your own, start with what you DON'T want in your culture.
Next determine what you DO want (usually the opposite of what you don’t want).
Work to summarise key themes in a catchy phrase.
What motto could you have for your culture? What kind of impact would that have on your organisation and your day to day life?
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About the author, Canberra leadership expert Zoë Routh:
Canberra based leadership expert, Zoë Routh, on developing a motto for your corporate culture.
Zoë Routh is one of Australia’s leading experts on people stuff - the stuff that gets in our way of producing results, and the stuff that lights us up. She works with the growers, makers, builders to make people stuff fun and practical.
Zoë is the author of four books: Composure - How centered leaders make the biggest impact, Moments - Leadership when it matters most, Loyalty - Stop unwanted staff turnover, boost engagement, and build lifelong advocates, and People Stuff - Beyond Personalities: An advanced handbook for leadership. People Stuff was awarded Book of the Year 2020 by the Smart WFM Australian Business Book Awards.
Zoë is also the producer of The Zoë Routh Leadership Podcast.