For the past 26 years, I’ve focused on cultivating what I believe to be the “secret sauce” of many successful companies. Culture! It goes beyond what was called mission statements in the 1990s and 2000s. The usually dull, starchy words that hang in so many companies’ lobbies for some visitors and maybe a new hire to see do not reflect a thriving culture.
Culture is what everyone feels when they enter a company’s physical or virtual space. Herb Kelleher, who founded Southwest Airlines, pioneered building a company around Culture.
Steelhead Productions, based in Las Vegas, is a local company that significantly impacted how I look at culture. The second you walk in the door, you absolutely feel what the company culture is all about! The first step in building a strong company culture is to build strong core values.
CORE VALUES
At my companies, I asked all our teammates to define our “why” in four to five short sentences. Not what we do, but why we do it. It was a great exercise to do for many reasons. It helped show our team that everyone had a voice, developed our “North Star” (our core values), and tested our alignment. I was pleased to see that our team members, spread across four states and working at offices and remotely, were aligned.
CULTURE
Core values are the backbone of a strong company culture. Articles abound about how the newer generations of workers want to be inspired by their work environment.
Gone are the days of simply offering paid time off and medical benefits. I believe in the saying: “There is no stronger dedication than that of a volunteer.” While no business owner expects unpaid work, imagine the ideal scenario where employees are so dedicated to the company’s “why,” paychecks and perks become secondary. When a leader inspires alignment and focuses on the company’s “why,” anything is achievable. I recently expressed to my leadership team that we could be successful in any industry because our alignment and dedication are so strong. It’s all about alignment.
INSPIRE AND TAKE ACTION!
Company culture and core values are only as good as their daily implementation. For example, our employees rotate through our five core values quarterly, including one in their email signature. This reinforces our culture in every email. I challenge every CEO or entrepreneur to find creative ways to put action behind their core values.
In 2023, we took this challenge to heart. One of our company’s core values is “Earth-Minded Stewardship through Repurpose and Reuse.” Our main business involves repurposing empty plastic containers. To put value into action, we partnered with 4Ocean.
We donated enough money for every repurposed tote sold to remove 1 pound of plastic from the ocean. We also created a sales contest where our top performer and other team members traveled to 4Ocean’s headquarters and personally helped remove plastic from the ocean. It is what putting core values into action looks like!
INSPIRATION + CULTURE = SUSTAINABILITY AND PROFITS
Companies must be financially sustainable, and that means making a profit. Profit should be viewed positively in our communities. When a leader inspires by example, when employees feel part of the “why” or “purpose,” and when all those elements align, anything is possible. Let’s remember that a company is simply a group of individuals with a common goal.
Sean Clancy is CEO/president and co-founder of Intermediate Bulk Containers. He started the company with Gary Clancy in 1998. His passion for business extends to his love for the ocean and related activities. He is a two-time Ironman finisher and has completed 16 marathons. Additionally, he holds a Level 1 Master Guild of Sommeliers certification and a 100-ton USCG Captain’s License. He serves on the board of the Nevada Make-A-Wish Foundation and has been a longtime board member of Entrepreneurs’ Organization’s Las Vegas chapter (EO Las Vegas).