Associations often see the importance of company culture—it’s what gives your association personality and a sense of purpose. It’s your mission, values, and why people choose to invest their time and energy with you. But, what if the culture has gone off track? Culture evolves, after all!
3 steps to begin developing your association’s team culture:
Define WHY
Identify why you want to develop a healthy culture. This is often an emotional response to why your Organization exists. An example would be: We want every volunteer and member to feel valued and understand that they are part of a bigger mission.
Define HOW
Determine how you can offer this to your organization. This is the behavior we do to achieve the why. An example would be: We regularly recognize volunteers/members at quarterly events. An easy way to identify it is to think about what your organization was doing right when it was the most successful. Identify these behaviors (or do the opposite by identifying behaviors from when the organization was doing poorly).
Define WHAT
Pinpoint exactly what your organization is offering to achieve the Why and How. An example would be: we offer our volunteers/members numerous opportunities to attend free social events. Keep in mind, not all perks make sense for every organization!
Culture isn’t about what you say or promote about your organization, it’s about what you do collectively. It cannot be built by one person! The values and beliefs manifested by everyone are what creates this dynamic. Continually making the investment to develop your organization’s culture can truly have such a huge impact on individuals and the success of your group.