curating culture

After chatting with a CEO this week about curating culture for a growing business, I drew up this simple framework.
It’s based on 15 years of success and failure with cultural initiatives at COOK.

Strategy
FOCUS
There’s always a temptation to try and solve many issues at once.
As with all strategic initiatives, distraction is the enemy of progress.
Seek to be as tightly focused as possible.

FOLLOW UP
A lot of time and effort inevitably goes into launching cultural initiatives.
But the follow up is often neglected.
The most glitzy, inspiring or involving workshop isn’t going to change anything on its own.
It’s through the follow-up that you make real progress.

FRAMEWORKS
Closely connected are the frameworks you’ll use.
Give people a simple toolkit they can adopt and adapt to put the ideas into action.
Make it easy.

When it comes to execution, there’s inevitably some form of launch event.
It might be at a team, dept or company-wide level.
And it needs to mirror the strategic thinking.

CO-CREATION
People support what they help create.
Let people participate in shaping the initiative in some way.
Involvement grows engagement.

COMMITMENT
Make sure people leave having made some form of commitment, ideally in public.
Write it on a postcard, a post-it, or record it more creatively.
Keep a record everybody can return to.

CHECK-IN
Design in moments of re-connection.
Not just with the idea but with the experience.
“Remember how …” is incredibly powerful.

Hopefully a helpful little checklist.
Let me know.