A Family Culture Like Google
For years now we have heard how great a company Google is and if you ask their employees they will be the first to tell you how great it is to be a part of that team. With good reason, they have found themselves tops on the list of Glassdoors rankings of “50 Best Places to Work.” As you look over the list it is full of companies who have found incredible success in their market. One of the main contributors to this success is the culture that each one of these groups creates for their employees.
There have been many studies and much written about corporate culture but it can simply be defined as the beliefs and attitudes of the employees within the organization. So what is it that Google does to have a great culture? They help their workers see that what they do matters. Employees are shown how the products they develop help the everyday consumer. They can see how they are makings lives better.
Google also goes to great efforts to take care of their employees. Simple things like free haircuts or meals at work show them they are important. Google tries to do as much as they can to take care of the employee and show them they have value because they work they provide is valuable. By doing these simple things Google has developed a culture where they have to turn thousands of people away for each job opening.
As a family leader, one of the most important things you can to do to help your family organization is to start to take conscious steps to develop your family culture. The most important influence a leader can have is on the beliefs and attitudes of those they are given the opportunity to lead. What your children believe about themselves and the attitude they have is going to determine their trajectory in life. The culture we create is what gives our children the wings need to achieve their potential.
A family culture develops whether we take the steps to influence it or not. The activities we do the things we say are all things that make a culture. So if we are not careful we develop that culture within our home and it might not be the one we want. As a leader of your family take the time to grab hold of culture in your home and make sure it is one that you want it to be. There are some things we can do to take hold of our family culture.
Values – What are your family values? Values are what determine what we hold dear and what we see is important. This affects how we take on various situations and what we try and accomplish. Do the members of your family know what the family values are? Your values should be the guiding light to the rules in place for the family. Make sure everyone has a clear understanding of what they are and why these values are important.
Part of something more – Great cultures like Google are able to give the employee two things. They show them what they do matters and they are a part of something bigger than themselves. In our families how do we show everyone they matter. Love is what sets apart our family business from any other business so make sure they know the love that is there for each member. Show them the talents and personality they bring to the family is helping the family achieve the great goal of the families mission. Getting the family to our end goal is one of the greatest things we can all be a part of.