How To Build Your Creative Culture.
One of the best tools I have ever picked up — and that I use every single day in my own culture and in coaching other creative cultures — is this…
Culture is the sum of what you…
Communicate
Demonstrate
Celebrate
Tolerate
Now, I can’t take credit for this breakdown… I remember sitting in the back of an App Session at an ARC Canada Conference (by the way, future church planters… ARC is well worth checking out) and listening to Dan and Amber Sweaza from Connect Church in Calgary, AB talk through their thoughts on culture.
We love to talk about ‘culture’ as though it’s this buzz word with magical connotations but it’s actually the sum of an intentionally inaugurated and maintained set of values that has been explicitly communicated, authentically demonstrated and beautifully celebrated. Culture doesn’t just happen; it doesn’t appear out of thin air after you get your branding right, open the doors to your building and get your website online. Culture is the byproduct of who you are and how you lead.
Let’s break down the four elements that create culture…
Communicate.
Many leaders experience cultural frustration because they have expectations or values that have not been explicitly communicated. If I can be vulnerable, my journey as a parent is a great example of this… I expect that when my kids are finished their breakfast all of their dishes will be neatly piled next to the sink and ready for the dishwasher. That expectation is something that usually has to be reiterated numerous times each morning. Our oldest, now 8 years old, is on it — I rarely have to remind her to do things like this. But our 4 and 2 year olds are in constant need of a reminder. It wouldn’t be fair of me to ever expect this of my kids if I never communicated my desire. The same is true of the people that are in your culture. How can they met your expectations if they don’t know what they are? Make these cultural expectations accessible and prominent in your meetings, media and meeting spaces.
Demonstrate.
This is where you truly win the hearts of your team. How many times have you sat down with someone and asked about their feelings towards or experience with their leadership and culture to be told something like, ‘they’re the real deal… they walk out what they say.’ That warms my heart and, thankfully, is something that I hear regularly from creatives when they describe their leadership. But think about all of the other things that they could say… ‘They’re a gifted communicator… They run great meetings… They give me creative liberties to experiment…’. All of those would be valid and great things to hear about someone’s leadership. In fact, we spend a lot of time focused on those being trademarks of our leadership. But what I’ve found is that more often than not people are drawn to, and motivated by, the authenticity of good leaders.
“Good leaders demonstrate their values and common practices, giving flesh to the bones of their communicated expectations.”
Celebrate.
In the busyness of the purpose-filled, life-changing ministry vision that we execute on a daily basis, it can be easy to forget to take time and resources to find tangible ways of celebrating the people who uphold and promote the values that make your community special. Celebrating the people who are at the forefront of your organization with pay massive dividends in the future. You are not only encouraging someone who is serving actively in your community; you are showing other team members an example to be followed. What is celebrated is replicated.
FREE IDEA — In a season that you ask a lot of your team — Christmas, for example — find ways of celebrating both your team members AND their families. With extra pre-production meetings, practice time, rehearsals and rehearsals and rehearsals… You are asking these people to invest on a serious scale especially during an otherwise busy season. Remember, for every time on of your team members says yes they also say no to something else. Sometimes, that yes can also mean that a spouse says yes to solo-parenting for a night or a weekend. Take whatever budget you’ve got for honouring volunteers and spend at least half on a gift for that person’s spouse or significant other. You can thank me later!
Tolerate.
From small habits to significant character shortcomings, what you tolerate will ultimately determine what the sum of your values, vision, mission and relationships (aka, culture) is.
“Good leaders are comfortable upholding their values. With gracious patience, they refuse to compromise for any reason and remind people of the standard that has been set.”
Many leaders have learnt this lesson the hard way. They have come to realize that all of their efforts will ultimately be determined by what they choose to tolerate. I have watched — and been, for the record — high-capacity, capable and influential leaders become demotivated and leave great opportunities because of continually tolerated behaviours and practices. The foundation of your house will develops cracks that affect its structural integrity if you allow people to undermine the hard work that’s been done. Culture is not just set, it’s maintained, fought for and stewarded.
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What do you think? What has been your experience? Drop a comment below OR take the convo to INSTAGRAM and share!
