Why Great Cultures Don’t Cut Corners

I recently stayed at one of my favorite hotels. While appreciating the Loccitane shower products, I couldn't help but think about our clients.

A trend among many of the most successful CEOs and leaders we work with is that they don’t cut corners when it comes to hiring great people, investing in developing their leaders and team members through coaching and learning, and building cultures that people want to be a part of.

This doesn’t mean they are lavish with their spending, but it means they see their people and their culture and their team as an investment, not an expense.

Have you ever been to a hotel or Airbnb where the fancy branded soap bottle has been filled with Suave shampoo? Or where the toilet paper is so thin you can see right through it?

We typically notice these small ways in which corners are cut, especially if we are expecting something else based on the bottle or the photos in the listing. 

The same goes for leading and building teams.

Cutting corners has an impact — whether that impact is needing to rehire for key roles in 6 months because we weren’t quite willing to invest in the *right* person up front; losing great people to our competitor who invests more in developing their people; or a workplace that simply doesn’t feel good to be part of, because we haven’t been willing to invest in our people or our culture or even our physical space. 

Reflections

• What are our priorities and values —and what could it look like to invest in these?

• What recent examples of surprise and delight have I witnessed lately?

• Are we cutting any corners?