Skip to content
  • What is an EOS Implementer?
  • Find an EOS Implementer
  • Login to Base Camp
Menu
  • What is an EOS Implementer?
  • Find an EOS Implementer
  • Login to Base Camp
Linkedin
Facebook
Twitter
Youtube
  • What is EOS?
  • Free Tools
  • Resources
    • Base Camp
    • Blog
    • Books
    • Lead Now
    • The EOS Pulse™
    • Podcast
    • Speakers
    • Webinars
  • EOS Conference
  • Get Started
  • Find an EOS Implementer
  • Login to Base Camp
Menu
  • What is EOS?
  • Free Tools
  • Resources
    • Base Camp
    • Blog
    • Books
    • Lead Now
    • The EOS Pulse™
    • Podcast
    • Speakers
    • Webinars
  • EOS Conference
  • Get Started
  • Find an EOS Implementer
  • Login to Base Camp
  • Blog

Your Culture is Your Fault

  • by Ken DeWitt
  • | May 9, 2018
Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin

I was recently with the leadership team of a proud company that had a big challenge. They had been experiencing declining sales and profitability. The senior leadership team understood the gravity of their situation, but they couldn’t get the mid-level managers and the frontline employees to see a need to change day-to-day habits.

Like many companies, the culture of the organization had become stale. The employees had a lackadaisical, “So what?” kind of attitude: “So what if this order is not shipped on time? So what if the customer complains?”

leader

As we set about making our goals for the coming year, one of the top priorities was, “Transform our company culture to one where ALL employees know THEY are in charge of making customers happy.”

There were some heated conversations as we discussed what it would take to achieve this transformation. As soon as one person insisted that certain operational changes must take place, someone else would disagree and say the solution was something else. The atmosphere in the room became thick with frustration and confusion.

Finally, someone said, “Hey! We are over-complicating our business. It’s not as hard as we’re making it out to be. Basically, we buy a product, then do some things to that product, and resell it to our customers. And to our customers, the basics count. If we do what we say and ship it on time, the customer is happy and he buys from us again.”

Everyone agreed that failure to deliver the basics was the reason for their decline, and that if they didn’t do something, all would be lost. They weren’t delivering the basics because their culture didn’t value the basics.

And it was their fault. The senior leaders sitting in the room – it was their fault.

Culture Starts at the Top

Culture is everything, and when it gets lost, or stuck, the cause is at the top. Many leadership teams get trapped into blaming the employees in their company for their own failures: “They don’t get it. They don’t embrace our values. They have lost sight of the basics.”

Becoming a great leadership team means taking ownership of the issues you have created so you can take ownership of solving them. You and your senior leaders must:

  1. OWN it yourselves
  2. COMMUNICATE it incessantly
  3. EXPECT it from every person in your organization
  4. LIVE the message by example

That’s what it takes to drive the culture you want to build beyond your senior leadership team. Transforming a culture is a deliberate act, and one that must be executed by the top leaders. When an entire leadership team makes the decision to support one another completely, honestly, and with the greater good of everyone in mind, it can become an unstoppable transformative force.

Next Steps

  • Download a free chapter of How to Be a Great Boss to learn how to lead, manage, and create a culture of accountability on your team.
  • Learn to make decisions faster and better by downloading a copy of our free eBook, Decide!
  • Download a copy of 20+ EOS Terms Your Employees Need to Know to help your team understand key EOS® concepts and terms.

How strong is your company? Find out with our organizational checkup. Click here to get started!

This post originally appeared on the DeWitt Blog on April 23, 2018.

PrevPreviousUnshackle Your Leadership Talents
NextWhat the Heck is a Departmental Plan?Next

Subscribe to the EOS Blog

Related Posts

Does Your Company Have a Core Focus?

Ryan Henry January 18, 2021

To find your company’s Core Focus, answers these two questions: ‘Why do we exist?’ and ‘What are we better at than anyone else?’

Read on »
your team needs more moments of truth, use the Level 10 meeting agenda

Your Team Needs More Moments Of Truth

Ken Bogard January 11, 2021

The truth is elusive when you don’t have methods for knowing the true condition of your company. Learn how to have more moments of truth.

Read on »
Finding Your "Matts"

How Many “Matts”?

Dan Wallace January 7, 2021

In order to start uncovering your hidden company rock stars, you have to delegate like crazy and make your employees stronger.

Read on »

What is EOS?

  • EOS Model
  • EOS Process
  • EOS Toolbox
  • History & Team

Get Started

BLOG

Resources

  • Base Camp
  • Books
  • Speakers
  • Webinars

Free Tools

2021 EOS Conference

Why EOS?

  • Testimonials
  • Business Spotlights
  • Meet EOS Implementers

Training

  • What is an EOS Implementer?

FIND an IMPLEMENTER

GET IN TOUCH

  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Cookie Policy
  • Media & Promotion Guidelines
Linkedin
Facebook
Twitter
Youtube

©2020 EOS Worldwide | All Rights Reserved | 1-877-367-1877 (USA) | +1-248-278-8220 (Worldwide)

Subscribe to the EOS Blog:

Search the EOS Worldwide Blog

Search
Generic filters
 Tweet
 Share
 Copy
 E-mail
 Tweet
 Share
 Copy
 E-mail
 Tweet
 Share
 LinkedIn
 Copy
 E-mail