Situation: A company has been growing well and has developed a solid culture. Currently a key individual has decided to leave the company and has said that he is uncomfortable with the company’s culture and values and feels that he could make more money elsewhere. This has caused the CEO to question how he maintains the company’s culture. How do you maintain your culture as you grow?

Advice from the CEOs:

• The individual who is leaving was the wrong person for the company. The company is lucky that he is leaving.
  • As this individual departs the company, conduct an exit interview and listen closely to what he has to say.
• Develop a simple statement of the company’s culture. This is not the current vision and mission but is a statement that represents the core values to be maintained by the company and staff.
  • This will help to identify and evaluate new people as they are brought onboard.
  • It will also help to guide the company as it faces both new opportunities and the numerous business choices that will be encountered in managing both current business and future growth.
  • As an example, J&J’s “Credo” starts: “We believe our first responsibility is to the doctors, nurses and patients, to mothers and fathers and all others who use our products and services. In meeting their needs everything we do must be of high quality.”
  • This statement of values guides everything that J&J does and saved them as they formulated their response to the Tylenol scare.
• The team leads are the key to cultural fit. They determine whether the culture of their teams is consistent with the culture of the company.
• Look at the culture of subgroups within the company. These have a huge impact and represent areas where the company truly excels.
  • Microsoft excels at managing software development but does not have the skill set to manage networks – nor do they care to develop this. Focus on what the company’s leadership are staff are best at doing.
• From what has been said, it appears that the company was founded:
  • To create a professional work environment – to the founder’s standards; and
  • To be of uncommon value to the company’s clients.
  • If leadership conforms to these two standards, they will guide decisions about new opportunities and directions. Either a particular choice fits these standards, or it does not.

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