Work environments today compared to 6 months ago and versus 18 months ago look extremely different for most everyone. Trends I discuss with business owners are centered around hiring, employee retention and culture. I am a strong believer that building culture is a critical first step towards the success of any business. That foundation then becomes the tool used to hire the right team and retain the right team. Culture looks different to each of us, and leaders need to understand that one size does not fit all. Culture starts with the leader and works its way through the business. If an owner or leader is not being genuine about their personal core values or workstyle, the culture will never take root. The culture of any organization is organic and needs to grow and change with the dynamics of the leadership. When I started at BBB in 2013, our team of 3 and the culture we had in place looks vastly different compared to our team of 23 today.
Each new team member as they become a part of our BBB culture has the opportunity to positively or negatively affect our culture. Our goal is to correct and redirect the negative behaviors by pointing them out and helping that individual understand that is not our “BBB way.” When new positive opportunities present themselves, be open and adaptable to realize this new idea or strategy is what can enhance the organization and potentially move forward to the next elevated phase.
Our BBB Culture is based on our core values.
- Accountability – Walk the talk and take ownership of your mistakes
- Adaptability – Insatiable curiosity, always looking for better
- Integrity – Be honest and ethical in every interaction
- Authenticity – Show up as you are – the person at work should match the person outside of work
- Collaboration – Team first
One of the ways our BBB reinforces our core values is by providing opportunities for continued growth and learning as a team and individually. We have done this through team exercises of reading and discussing different books together, like Brene Brown’s “Dare to Lead” and Jocko Willink and Leif Babin’s “Extreme Ownership.”
We also encourage learning on an individual level through professional classes or development opportunities. For me, that opportunity looks like a peer group. I’ve participated in multiple CEO peer groups, most recently joining Vistage. Every group has had its benefits and style, but what I have appreciated about all of them is the ability to show up, be vulnerable, ask questions, learn from others’ experiences, and have a way to share my own experiences and knowledge. Most importantly, I appreciate that when I bring an issue I’ve been wrestling with, I have 15 other CEO minds working on that issue. I get the benefit of seeing from their perspective and learning from their experiences.
Because I’ve had such a great experience with peer groups, we launched a peer group through BBB in May of 2020. To see and hear me talk more about our program, click here. There are a few spots left. If you are interested in learning more, I would love for you to reach out to me at [email protected] and schedule a chat where I can tell you more and we can figure out if this is a good fit.
For our BBB, culture is the foundation for our success and growth. It is how we are internally growing leaders and externally setting an example for how businesses can be better. Being a source of trust in the Oklahoma marketplace begins from the inside – it begins from our team’s dedication to pursuing our values in small and large tasks alike. It’s something our team works on every single day, and it’s something in which we hope you’ll consider partnering with us.