5 Questions To Challenge Your Culture

Two and a half years ago, I wrote a Blog post called, Employee Training Ends At Competence.

At that time, I illustrated why organizations train an employee or manager only to a level of competence - not excellence. Here's a new reason: there's little loyalty to employers anymore so why would they train you to be excellent and then have you go off and work for a competitor with all of the excellent training still in your head?

The truth is that an employer is only responsible for making you, as either an employee or manager, competent. Nothing more is required. If you want to become excellent at your job then it's up to you to improve. Then, if you leave your employer, you take the training that you paid for with you.

So why don't more employees and managers pony-up and take the initiative to be their very best? Because their Corporate Culture doesn't demand it. Sliding by on "mediocre" is OK for these organizations.

And there is the conundrum: who goes first - the employer or the employee? Here are 5 questions to ask that should challenge your Culture:

1. Can you build a Culture of High-performance if no one is willing to step up and become a high-performer without the employer's investment?
2. Can you build a Culture of Accountability if everyone thinks the responsibility for making you better is on someone else?
3. Can you build a Culture of Service if no one is willing to serve themselves?
4. Can you build a Culture of Leadership if everyone else is waiting for someone else to lead the way?
5. Can you build a Culture of Excellence if everyone is satisfied with being trained to a level of competence?

At some point, these questions need to be addressed among all of the employees and managers - but only if you want your Culture, the pulse of how your organization works, to improve. Otherwise ignore this post and keep on doing what you've been doing.
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Kevin Burns - Management Attitude/Culture Strategist
http://www.kevburns.com

Creator of Filter-Free Fridays™
Creator of the 90-Day System To A Greatness Culture™

Coming Soon Kevin's 8th Book - "Your Attitude Sucks - Finding Your Excellence In A Wasteland of Mediocrity

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