Why is it that companies struggle with the very notion that those with a robust culture are much better positioned for future growth? When building the business of the future ensuring that all the right blocks are in place. We cannot build without a solid foundation.

Culture forms the key cornerstone of a robust culture. So what exactly is a culture and how is it formed? And probably the more pertinent question is: why is it that culture forms the cornerstone of the successful companies today?

The drivers of culture

I decided to explore the idea of what drives culture, or, what makes companies with great cultures retain their greatness and lay foundations for the future. So far this research has covered more than 25 countries and has yielded some amazing success stories, as well as some companies on a trajectory to disaster.

What became clear from the research was that companies with a robust culture had two very strong characteristics. 

One of the leading questions in the research was to describe the culture of the organisation, and specifically to define the drivers of that culture.

The purpose of the organisation

More than half of the companies on a success trajectory described their culture as being driven by purpose. So then what actually is purpose and how does it become a driver of culture?

Many companies assume that the vision and mission defines the organisation. The reality is that most vision and mission statements are quite organisation-centric. Quite frankly, the format of most vision statements is essentially (fill in the blanks here):

Our vision is to have the best product / customer service ……. By having the best technology / people / systems …… in the ……… industry.

This is not the purpose of the organisation. The purpose of the organisation needs to be something greater, something that allows all team members to identify and take as their own.

So, the things to consider here are: what is your purpose? Do you have a purpose? And does your organisation have a purpose?