Greater Influence

The D4 Concepts Newsletter — August 10, 2023

Wednesday, July 19, was a big day for the city of High Point. It was the annual State of the City put on by Business High Point, our local chamber of commerce.

It’s a regular annual event, but this one felt different.

High Point is changing, and the culture is changing.

Every organization has a culture. Teams have a culture. Families have a culture. The question is whether that culture is positive and healthy, or negative and unhealthy.

As I reflected on the State of the City event, I recognized the common elements for doing the hard — but rewarding — work of changing a culture.

The Culture of a City

To start the event, Business High Point announced their new branding. Rachel Collins and her team have been at the forefront of many of the revitalization efforts that are happening in downtown High Point. And now it’s time to revitalize their brand. Their new tagline: "Do Business Better." And we see that already happening in High Point.

Second, the City of High Point announced their new branding as well. It was time for it, and the new look and feel is a big leap forward. It symbolizes the creativity, design and diversity that have been staples for High Point for years, and we hope they will all continue to be. It draws attention to the types of behaviors and activities we want to be known for.

Finally, Mayor Jay Wagner gave the keynote address. He recapped how far High Point has come in our revitalization journey over the past ten years.

• Over $200 million of new investment have come into the city.

• A multi-use stadium that is home to the minor league High Point Rockers and will be home to the new MLS Next Level Pro soccer team called Carolina Core FC.

• The Congdon Yards campus has gone through 2 phases of extensive renovation, and is now the beautiful and collaborative home to all kinds of businesses. (One of our best clients, Barbour Spangle Design, leases us space with their beautiful design studio. Stop by and check it out sometime.)

• Restaurants, bars and new businesses are popping up all around downtown. (Check out what’s new with people and places in High Point at High Point Discovered.)

Signs of Cultural Shift

In the middle of Mayor Wagner’s speech, something caught my attention. He talked about the prevailing feedback he got when he first took office six years ago when people said,

"That will never happen in High Point."

Now, Mayor Wagner increasingly believes our new motto is becoming,

“What’s next for High Point?“

That is fascinating. People are making a shift. There's a hopeful expectation for future changes.

There’s a new culture developing.

That's a major accomplishment. Changing an organization's culture is difficult. And for a city, it is even more difficult.

That kind of shift takes a lot of intentional effort by a lot of people.

But creating healthy culture is worth it.

Making Changes to the Culture

To change the culture, you have to have a plan, and you have to play the long game. It might take a while, but the benefits will last for years to come.

In a previous management role, I was on a team to help develop a more innovative company culture. We partnered with global design leader IDEO to learn what it would take. (They are the people from whom Mike and I learned design thinking and our innovation methodology.)

Their recommendation? Create and celebrate new behaviors and language that reinforced the message. New language and behaviors would signal to people that there were new expectations.

Over time, that new language and new behaviors would create new expectations and, ultimately, a new culture.

That's what we did. We started to define new terms. We used those in projects and meetings. We created visuals throughout the office that signified new guidelines for brainstorming, and new project spaces that celebrated collaborative work.

It was so rewarding to see people adopt new behaviors and practices, and to have fun as they created and innovated.

The same guidelines can work for you to create the culture you want in your organization.

Creating Healthy Culture

In this visual tool, you can see three practical ways you can start to create a better workplace culture.

Three Practical Steps

1. New vocabulary. Find new words and phrases that communicate your values, expectations and desired behaviors. Be intentional in the words you use and the way you communicate to others.

2. Visual tools or symbols. Visually signal to people and remind them of the shift you want to see. Let these remind people of the changes you want to see in your culture.

3. Common, objective language. A common language will facilitate communication across teams. When everyone knows the language, it saves time and energy. It helps prevent misunderstandings and gaps in communication.

Do these, and you'll be on your way to creating a positive, healthy culture.

Lead Yourself

Evaluate your contribution to the culture you've built around yourself. Evaluate what contribution you are making to your organization. Evaluate the culture you are fostering for your family and your circle of friends.

• Are you helping create a healthy culture?

• Or have you slipped into negative, unhealthy habits that create a negative culture?

Examine the words and language that you use. Take a look at your own behaviors in meetings and in one-on-one interactions.

Decide on one behavior that you will change and make more positive this next month.

Lead Your Team

Teams can have their own culture within the larger organization. We call these "sub-cultures."

Take the time this next week to evaluate the culture you are creating within your team. (You could also apply this approach to your family’s culture.)

• Is our culture healthy and productive?

• Am I setting a good example for my team?

• What language or behavior can I start to celebrate within our team meetings to start to shift our team culture?

• Talk about the changes you want to see in your next team or department meeting.

Lead Your Organization

If you are a senior leader, you have the best chance at shifting your culture. It is almost impossible for a entry level or frontline manager to change the entire company culture.

Here are some suggestions for senior leaders.

• Raise the question at your next leadership team meeting. Ask your fellow leaders to evaluate the culture of your organization - positive and negative aspects. Spend some time talking about what needs to change.

• Once you identify the culture you want, make a list of the language and behaviors that you want to see. Brainstorm ways that the leadership team can speak and act differently in front of the larger team.

• Find ways to celebrate those who quickly adopt to the new culture.

Need help with a plan but struggling with where to start?

Email me with your questions, or click here to schedule a 30-minute call with me. It’s hard work, but we love helping create healthy cultures within organizations.

Ready to shift your culture with better management and leader development? Check out our new pricing and options for Altitude Training.

News & Updates

This past month, we had the great privilege of taking a few days of vacation with our wives in the Jackson Hole area. We were able to visit the beautiful Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Tetons and enjoy great food and shopping in Jackson Hole. After Lesley and Jennifer flew home, Mike and I stayed behind to help WRJ Design with their strategic planning process.

This month, I have the opportunity to lead another workshop for Business High Point within their Interchange Leadership Academy. If you’re in the High Point area, you can email Julie Hill to sign up.

Last Thoughts

Over my career, I have been involved in lots of strategic planning sessions. Every senior leader wants to figure out the plan for how to direct their teams and to execute better. And that's admirable and necessary.

But many of those same leaders never talked about creating healthy culture. They rarely talked about the language and behaviors they wanted to create and celebrate. They failed to realize that culture could defeat strategy every time.

In the struggle between strategy and culture, culture is more likely to prevail.

So let's create healthy cultures where people do their best work and love coming to work.

It’s hard work, but it’s worth it!

Micah Ray

Need help with a plan to create new culture in your organization but struggling with where to start?

Email me with your questions, or click here to schedule a 30-minute call with me. It’s hard work, but we love helping create healthy cultures within organizations.

Read more on our web site about our people development work that can help you create healthy cultures.

Want an easy-to-use system for management and leader development? Check out our new pricing and options for Altitude Training.