Mackay: Employees know when they are not valued; build a culture of positivity

One of the hottest words for leaders today is culture.

Culture affects perception. It influences behavior and it shapes our personalities. Creating culture is a concentrated, conscious choice.

Tony Hsieh, the late former CEO of Zappos, said, "If you get the culture right, most of the other stuff will just take care of itself."

Creating a positive, high-performing, people-focused, result-oriented environment does not just happen. It takes a tremendous amount of work and soul-searching and cannot occur without both. It is what separates the highest-performing organizations.

Every company has a culture, intentional or unintentional, desirable or undesirable.

Managers and leaders influence culture by the attention they give it. Those who focus on culture tend to create a vibrant environment, while those who ignore culture end up with a struggling and confused workplace.

Hence, leaders must make creating a positive culture a priority.

Leadership author Glenn Van Ekeren observes: "Culture is movable, fluctuating, shifting. It requires continual attention, nurturing, direction and adjustments. Culture doesn't function well on automatic pilot. It flourishes when leadership is continually passionate about infusing culture with their influence."

Van Ekeren said you have to be there for people and demonstrate that you have their backs and best interests at heart. He mentioned the conversation between Winnie-the-Pooh and dear friend Piglet.

Piglet crept up to Pooh from behind and said, "Pooh?"

"Yes, Piglet?" Pooh said.

"Nothing," Piglet replied. "I just wanted to be sure of you."

Culture at a company is everyone's responsibility, but leadership is heavily responsible for its development.

Employees and middle managers will learn what their bosses permit and reward, and will enforce it on each other. And if management fails at any point, it requires immediate proactive effort to mitigate the damage.

So how does an organization develop a desirable culture? I can tell you what I did when I started my company, and what we continue to do six decades later.

Know why you are in business. What is your purpose? Set goals, and make them known throughout the company, so your employees understand what's important to your business.

Hire thoughtfully and carefully. Ask questions during interviews and make your position regarding expectations crystal clear. I believe in being completely upfront about what we need, because I don't want to waste my time or theirs training someone who isn't a team player. And I don't hesitate to fire an employee who won't comply.

Love what you do. I know I may sound like a broken record, but if you don't love what you do, you will have a hard time doing it well. Your attitude will show whether you are just in it for the money or if you really want to make a difference.

Mackay's Moral: A team culture is a living organism. Feed it and watch it grow.