Three Keys to a Winning Culture: Part II

Former Chick-fil-a executive, Mark Miller, discovered three words to help any organization build a stronger culture. The second word is Amplify.

Once you’ve painted a picture for your team of your aspirational culture, the next key is to amplify the vision. Telling stories, rewarding those on your team who are modeling your aspirations, and emphasizing your values repetitively are ways to amplify your culture.

Over the years, I’ve been blessed to meet Truett Cathy and many of Chick-fil-a’s top executives. I’ve noticed that they frequently talk about their culture and sharing encouraging stories of team members modeling those values.

Psalm 119:24 says, “Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.”

It does not matter how well intentioned someone is if they have no aim or goal to work towards. Throwing adjectives like “friendly”, “hard-working”, and “helpful” at your employees is not always an effective strategy because each employee will interpret those descriptors as they understand them. However, sharing a clear story exemplifies what you actually want.

If you desire to build a winning culture, remember to share stories and testimonials to amplify your message. You employees need to be able to envision what they can do.

Questions for Reflection

• What are your greatest stories of success from your employees? Who has really knocked it out of the park before? What has made your successful employees successful?
• When was the last time you recognized the hard work of your employees? How could you encourage them or reward them for their efforts?