Stan Slap on the Art of Building Effective Employee Cultures
Nov 20, 2024
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Stan Slap, founder of SLAP and author of 'Under The Hood,' shares his expertise on building effective employee cultures. He explains how culture drives business performance and emphasizes the need for trust in management. Slap discusses viewing culture as a dynamic organism that can evolve rather than resist change. He challenges conventional corporate values, advocating for genuine commitments instead. Middle management's role in maintaining employee connection during growth is also highlighted as crucial for a thriving workplace.
Employee culture significantly influences business performance, as strategies succeed or fail based on cultural support rather than mere planning.
Viewing culture as a living organism highlights its protective nature, making it crucial for leaders to foster commitment rather than impose change.
Companies should frame their values as 'obsessions' to maintain authenticity and adaptability, promoting trust and engagement among employees.
Deep dives
Understanding Employee Culture
Employee culture is a critical aspect of business performance that goes beyond just processes. It affects how companies implement their strategies, and often, strategies fail not because they are poorly conceived, but due to a lack of cultural support. Employees are more likely to embrace strategies if they understand and trust the cultural context in which these strategies are rolled out. The podcast discusses that many companies erroneously believe success comes from meticulous planning, whereas the real key lies in effectively implementing those plans with the organization's culture firmly on board.
The Power of Culture
Culture in a company is a powerful entity, akin to an independent organism that protects its own interests. Its purpose is not to support management but to ensure the safety and emotional prosperity of its members and may resist changes perceived as threats. A robust employee culture can ultimately drive success, making it imperative for leaders to recognize their influence on cultural commitment. By wielding this cultural commitment effectively, organizations can create a strong competitive edge, demonstrating that understanding and nurturing culture is vital for business prosperity.
Creating Context and Building Trust
For organizations to thrive, they must create a context that helps employees link their roles to the company's purpose, thus making it easier for the culture to embrace change. Predictability is essential; when culture knows what to expect, it can allocate its energy toward new initiatives without the stress of uncertainty. Additionally, a sense of self is vital for employees; they should feel positive about their association with the company. Leaders are encouraged to secure trust through consistent actions that align with company values, emphasizing that trust must be earned through credibility over time.
Leadership and the Role of Managers
Management’s role extends beyond just conditioning employees to execute strategies; it requires understanding and respecting the culture. Managers must acknowledge that their cultures have intelligence; they are not unintelligent or resistant to change. Instead, they are meticulously discerning and will ensure their safety before committing to new initiatives. Effective leaders should cultivate relationships within their teams, acting as trustworthy guides and facilitators for cultural engagement, which will inspire commitment to the shared organizational goals.
The Impact of Culture on Change Management
Companies in growth phases often face cultural challenges, as new hires bring in varied cultural backgrounds that can disrupt existing cultures. Rapid scaling can lead to instability if companies fail to actively manage their evolving culture and maintain a sense of belonging among employees. Emphasizing the importance of cultural integrity, companies are urged to retain their core values while adapting to external pressures, ensuring employees feel connected to their purpose amidst change. By respecting and addressing the voices within the culture, management can effectively navigate growth without losing its foundational elements.
Rethinking Company Values
The podcast challenges the conventional notion of company values, suggesting that declaring values often leads to disillusionment when they change under pressure. Instead of rigid values, companies are advised to articulate these as 'obsessions'—living principles that prioritize action and transparency over unattainable ideals. By framing values as obsessions, organizations allow themselves the flexibility to evolve while remaining anchored in their core principles. This shift fosters a culture of authenticity that can lead to improved trust and employee engagement, enhancing overall stakeholder relationships.
Stan Slap is the founder and president of SLAP, an international consulting firm that helps organisations get maximum commitment from their manager, employee, and customer cultures. SLAP has worked with the who's-who of the Fortune 500, companies that you've heard of like Costco, Oracle, HP, Caterpillar, Microsoft, Amazon, General Electric, Intel, Viacom, Tesla, Glassdoor, Warner Music Group — and some companies that you haven't; all told, SLAP has worked with companies doing business in 44 countries. Stan is also the author of two books: Under The Hood and Bury My Heart in Conference Room B.
This podcast dives into Slap's ideas about understanding, managing and shaping effective employee cultures. His model for culture is the first coherent model that I've found that is useful and tested at scale; it is therefore more powerful than most other formulations of employee culture that you'll find.
SLAP Company — https://slapcompany.com/ Under The Hood — https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22571574-under-the-hood Commoncog summary of Under The Hood — https://commoncog.com/under-the-hood/ Bury My Heart at Conference Room B — https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7810760-bury-my-heart-at-conference-room-b
(00:00) - Introduction
(02:32) - Employee Culture is About Business Performance
(06:56) - What a Culture Is
(10:21) - Thinking About Culture as an Organism
(19:40) - What Management Gets Wrong
(22:56) - What To Do When You've Lost The Culture's Trust
(26:36) - Tension Between Managing Individuals vs Managing Culture
(30:09) - Giving a Culture Energy
(35:16) - Introducing Change to a Culture
(42:28) - Doing Cultural Understanding at Scale
(50:48) - Four Step Process for Cultural Commitment
(01:00:04) - Danger of Corporate Values
(01:04:29) - Managing Culture in a Rapidly Scaling Company
(01:10:51) - Dealing with Bad Subcultures
(01:18:14) - Stan's Closing Message
(01:25:49) - Where Folks Can Find Stan
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