A few weeks ago, someone asked me, “If you could do anything other than be a writer, what would you choose to do?” I didn’t have to think about it; I have thought about it before: I’d be a musician. As a writer, I get to process life, ideas, and experiences through words. I love being a wordsmith for this and many other reasons. Musicians get to process the world through music, and music touches people on a soul level, in the same way and in different ways books do.
Did you know that music is made up of just twelve notes? Think about all your favorite songs and then consider the history of music in every genre: twelve notes.
Dynamic Cultures are made up of less than twelve notes. Half that many, in fact: just six. In the coming pages, instead of telling you a hundred things you should be doing in your organization to transform the culture, I’m going to teach you to do just six things, and I’ll encourage you to do them with growing excellence. And I cannot tell you how excited I am to share them with you, and teach you how to drive them deep into the life of your organization and enjoy the fruits of a Dynamic Culture that you helped create.
The music of Dynamic Cultures is made up of six notes. Learn to play these six notes really well and your culture will become something to marvel at.
My preference would be to reveal them one at a time in the coming chapters, but something tells me that a bird’s-eye view of the whole model from the outset may serve you better. So, here they are, the Six Immutable Principles of a Dynamic Culture:
Principle 1: Make Culture a Priority
Principle 2: Mission Is King
Principle 3: Overcommunicate the Plan
Principle 4: Hire with Rigorous Discipline
Principle 5: Let People Know What You Expect
Principle 6: Grow Your People by Creating a Coaching Culture
There they are. Building a Dynamic Culture is about mastering these six aspects of organizational life. The heart and soul of this book is about teaching you how to become an advocate for each of them, regardless of your role or position within the organization.
Extract from The Culture Solution, Matthew Kelly, Blue Sparrow Books
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