Sustaining a Culture of Value

In all the years I worked in behavior-based safety, much of our work was based on the premise that we can’t see someone’s attitude or emotions except through the action they take. That applies equally (if not more) when it comes to valuing others. I can say it over and over again, but there's little reason for anyone to believe those words unless I’ve chosen to prove it through availability. Overcoming time constraints on occasion helps, but sustaining a culture of value requires a whole different level of commitment (read: discipline).

When Cindy and I launched our Executive Leadership Elite Think Tank in January 2019, immediately after launching our Leading At The Next Level program in late 2018, we were incredibly intentional about minimizing the time it would require from the high-level leaders and business owners participating in that inaugural group. The quarterly half day sessions went well that year, with engagement increasing each time we gathered in person. Most of 2020 required a different approach but we managed. We were able to re-engage somewhat normally in January 2021 to continue building the model. 

A defining moment occurred in July 2021, the evening before our Q3 session. Cindy and I were at a local networking event when we bumped into one of the executives who would be with us the following day. He said, “Oh! I’m glad to see you. This reminds me that I need to do my homework for tomorrow.” Like we’ve done with every lesson we’ve ever delivered, we closed each ELETT session by challenging members to detail the specific action step they would take immediately, what result they wanted to achieve through their action, how it would improve their leadership culture, how they’d measure return on investment, and steps they could implement to sustain the change. Since our previous session had been in April and he mentioned needing to complete his homework yet that night, there was clearly a disconnect.

That was my fault, not his. The sole reason we chose to limit the in-person sessions to just half a day quarterly was based on the busyness we knew every executive and business owner who ever took part in the group would deal with. We blocked time at the end of the session so they could detail their action steps before walking out the door. But the moment they left, life would inevitably hit them; that’s what comes with leadership. I realized that it was my responsibility to build a process that provided each of them with the necessary support to take action on and sustain what they detailed during the final segment of each in-person session. Rather than looking at how to minimize the time required, I needed to ensure they got the most value from that time. Beginning the following year, and every year since, Cindy and I have held monthly one-on-one Strategic Leadership Coaching sessions with each participant - and we’ve seen each of them achieve amazing results (through the action steps they’ve identified) within their respective organizations.

When even some of who I considered to be best-in-class leaders defined their immediate action steps and initially put them in place, then got derailed by all the urgencies of running a business, there was little chance of sustaining the change they had hoped to achieve. The same holds true for overcoming time constraints once (or even occasionally) to be available for our teams. Creating a system, like I did by meticulously using my calendar, allows us to show consistent value and builds a resilient team culture. My challenge for you is to commit to routine (daily, weekly, or even monthly) check-ins to maintain availability, sustaining a culture of value. When you do, you’re well on your way to passing on a legacy of value - and we’ll wrap up with that next.