Getting Power from the 'Soft' Words of Corporate Culture (Ep. 103)

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The strength and power of soft “culture words”

Today we are talking about culture and how it relates to what I call the “soft words” of corporate. I’ve touched on some of these before, but I’m coming at it from this angle because it continues to be relevant, clients are still talking about it on the daily, and, also, because I love this stuff.

I also find it amusing that I speak so much on these topics given my background in finance, where “love” or “vulnerability” were replaced with F bombs.

We’ve all heard that culture eats strategy for breakfast. And it appears to be a nugget that many organizations continue to struggle with addressing. There is a breakdown from a macro, values-driven charter in an organization and the micro, individual interactions that people have in their day to day work.

I’ll be direct - I recognize that at first blush, many often interpret soft words and terms like Forgiveness, Love, Vulnerability, Psychological Safety as weak. I get it - I see it in my client’s faces when I discuss it with them. However, after speaking through this with them, they very quickly see the strength and power that comes from adopting them.

Our insecurities, on an individual level, convince us that other people will see us as weak if we are vulnerable, if we forgive, or share some kind of “work-appropriate” emotional component at the office. We feel it would be a crack in our power armor, and one that impacts our ability to succeed.

However, when I think of leaders who are effective; those who impress me and I wish to emulate there is a consistent theme. It isn’t based on perceived power - it’s the fact that they appear comfortable in their shoes and are comfortable with themselves.

I often talk about my time in finance, especially working in communications during the financial crisis of 2007 (stress, anyone?). I see a lot of similarities then to what we are beginning to experience now. Those executives I worked with fifteen years ago that were most successful, and survived the “down economy” were the ones who had this figured out.

Why it matters
We spend crazy dollars to bring in expertise, and yet we don’t invest the same money and effort in creating and driving an environment in which they can be themselves. We don’t want to hire insecure people, yet there is some aspect of insecurity in all we do. I know it - because I’ve both dealt with it myself and have constant conversations about it with clients.

Recognizing that insecurity is a cost of doing business, we as leaders need to be the example in helping people learn how to articulate their challenges (many of which are emotional) and work through them in a logical and productive way.

Radical transparency does that - but if it’s set up in the right way … there is a civility and manners component as well … People who often PROMOTE radical transparency don’t quite have the civility and manners component down … a little too blunt …

How it manifests
You may have heard me drive home the “macro change requires a focus on micro you.” This is the same - there is a personal component. Since these words are driven by insecurity - we must teach individuals to address it.

In manifesting these words, philosophies and behaviors, we have to make them our own. We need to articulate what they mean to us, internalize and then test new behaviors that are authentic to us. And this is where most change management programs fail - we speak about the general values we want our employees to espouse, yet stop short of welcoming the testing phase of how people can make it about them.

This is an incredibly uncomfortable exercise and risk for us to take; after all, we are dealing with our personal insecurities. But the only way to differentiate and evolve is to address them head on. Pick your word, explore it, test it, practice it. You will appreciate it and it will pay dividends.

And that is ultimately what we are looking to teach and manifest in our employees. We want people who are secure in their decisions, abilities and questions. We all have challenges and problems; but if we want to teach people how to survive the new economy, “leaning into” individual security is where our focus, learning and development should lie.