Culture.

Years ago, I was at a coffee shop sitting across from a CEO who had built his company from nothing. “I don’t understand,” he said. “We have the best product. We pay well. We give people every tool to succeed. But something feels off.”

I let the silence sit, curious what was to follow. He continued, “I guess what I’m asking is, how do you build a company people want to be part of, not just work for?”

I smiled. He was asking about culture.

Culture is not an “extra”. It’s not awesome perks or a “Better Together” poster in the breakroom. It’s the energy your employees feel when they put on their badge, when they’re in a meeting, when they navigate tough decisions. Culture is what happens when you’re not in the room.

I asked him, “If I were to shadow you and sit in every meeting, watch every hire, observe every decision, what would I see? Would I see the values you claim to hold?”

He seemed unsure.

Hope alone isn’t enough. After all, according to Gallup, only 32% of U.S. employees are engaged with their employer, highlighting a significant opportunity for improvement. Culture doesn’t happen by accident. It’s created with intention. And it begins with answering the simplest, most crucial questions:

💠How do we treat each other?
💠How do we treat our customers?
💠How do we operate when no one is looking?

These are not policies. They are real experiences had by real people. They must be felt in the way leadership makes decisions. In who is hired and who is let go, in which behaviors are tolerated, and which are celebrated.
If we want our employees to live our values, we must make sure we have them first.

Culture and brand are two sides of the same coin: one external, one internal. You can’t promise customers innovation if your company fears change. You can’t claim excellence if mediocrity is allowed to pass. You cannot be anything on the outside that you’re not already on the inside.

“So where do I start?” he asked.

You start by defining your values. You teach them. You hire people that embody them. You hold leaders accountable to them. And most importantly, you, as the CEO, live them every single day.

He smiled and said, “I have some work to do.”

We all do.

At JZ Consulting I help leaders create cultures that inspire their employees. Because a company without culture is like a house without a foundation, it may stand for a while, but the first storm can cause everything to come tumbling down.

Do you need help defining and strengthening your company culture? Let’s talk. Send me a message, and let’s create something built to last.