As a leader you’ve realized your company culture is stuck. The culture needs to change in order for your business to thrive and to compete in a tight economy. Employees want more from their workplace, they want and can make a difference. Once you’ve assessed your current culture what’s next?

1. Don’t wait for a meeting to ask. When you sense, see, feel, think something isn’t right…Ask…Wait….Listen
2. Often a meeting is focused on task…allow some time to ask – what are we presently doing that just doesn’t make sense?
3. Do a plus/minus chart for a recap of the year…what went well – what was negative, something that could be done better, dig deep – and look for the patterns. Drill down…why the patterns?

Does it feel like the ‘same old, same old’ for your team? The same people talk all the time. The quiet staff remains quiet – and you continue to try to solve the same issues as you have in the past. Sound familiar? Staff may say, nothing changes, so why bother. They may have even given up offering an opinion. Think your team is exempt from the rut?

I have a book title sitting on my end table from Vince Flynn, a Minnesota author that writes wonderful fictional books. The name of the book is Protect and Defend, I read it a year ago – but instead of putting it back on my bookshelf, or passing on to friends I keep it on my end table…I like the title, it reminds me of leadership.