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By J. Forrest, Owner/Principal Consultant, Employee Strategies
We have watched with enthusiasm as culture has become a major topic of conversation. In 2012, Fast Company published an article titled “Culture Eats Strategy for Lunch.” Two years later Webster’s dictionary made culture its word of the year. In 2016 we gather at the MBTI® Users Conference on the topic “Culture Matters.” We believe culture matters, and that’s why we are here. Hats off to the MBTI® Users Conference.
A story that illuminates culture at its best, comes from September 1991 when I was leaving home for college. Based on my older sister’s previous experience, my ISTJ mother had curated a decent list of what I would need to outfit my college dorm room. After careful consideration, we packed the family station wagon and made the drive to St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. A many-decades-old St. Olaf ritual is to invite first-year students to campus a week early to help them get oriented to college life.
During the ride to campus, we strategized how to get all my worldly possessions up to room 704. Lots of stairs and only two elevators. Good news: with the ISTJ at the wheel we were, of course, the first car to arrive that September morning. Even better news: as we pulled up to my dorm, our 1984 Chevrolet Celebrity wagon was mobbed by juniors and seniors who took everything from the wagon directly to my room. I looked at my parents in utter disbelief. We didn’t have the language to explain the culture of St. Olaf in that moment, but the outcome was ridiculously clear: I felt an immediate sense of belonging.
Why do some organizations foster this type of action, while others do not? At Employee Strategies we believe culture, with intention, can be shaped with the right symbols, rituals, behaviors, and systems. By working behind the scenes with both formal and informal leaders, we have seen organizations move in a better direction. We’d like to tell you some of our stories.
With our Culture Assessment and Planning process, we can highlight stories, data, and tangible improvements made by our clients. At the MBTI® Users Conference on “Culture Matters” in September, we plan to do just that. Our three case studies are from organizations at different stages, in different industries (healthcare, craft beer, and financial services), and with vastly different team type tables. We will highlight specific and tangible examples (such as the St. Olaf moving company) that we have seen positively contribute to culture.
I hope to see you in September. If you like craft beer, there is an outside chance you will be among the first to sample our clients’ new release, INTJ Ale. This delicious beer, brought to you by one of the most decorated craft breweries in the United States, was the brainchild of its founder following an impactful Myers-Briggs® session with his leadership team.
