Keeping your culture strong as you grow

Delivered by James Calder Chief Executive

Definitions of Culture

the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively the ideas, customs and social behaviour of particular people or society the cultivation of bacteria, tissue cells, etc.

the cultivation of plants

Why is culture important?

Studies have shown again and again that there may be no more critical source of business success or failure than a company’s culture – it trumps strategy and leadership. “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” Peter Drucker Who joins a business with a poor culture?

Our Journey

Our Journey…….

Small owner managed business The good times Company sold in 2007 to private equity Recession Present day

How did we do it?

Started with the customer in mind Defined the values, wrote it down Shared our values across the business Ensured the whole company is responsible for living the values Drove the culture through others, you can’t do it all yourself Not just top level managers driving the culture through Continually review the culture, don’t assume everything is fine

How did we do it……..

Built from the bottom, staff develop together and build a bond Very specific with experienced hires Evolve gradually blending experience with raw talent 65% of our consultants joined as trainees All of our Associate Directors joined as trainees 80% of our leadership team joined as trainees

How did we do it…….

Set high standards but always reward success Recognition Ownership Never stopped adapting

“If the rate of change inside an organisation is less than the rate of change outside- the end is nigh” Jack Welch

Never feared change, always embraced it Learnt from our mistakes

Our Mistakes

Impatient, poor experienced hires Reacted too slowly Allowed the tail to wag the dog

What we did well

Created a great place to work Created opportunity Listened Rewarded our staff, especially during the recession Acted as we should not as we felt Transparent “your awareness of people’s learning and development needs is

first class” - IIP

Summary

Define what your culture is Drive it through others Be brave Review It takes time to build a great culture but it can be lost very quickly Keep improving your culture as you grow