​EPISODE 34


​How to Build a Strong Culture #LikeABuilder

Biggest Takeaways You Don't Want to Miss:
  • Culture is a collection of organizational habits and the stories we tell ourselves about them. So if you want to change your culture, you need to change your stories and your habits.
  • Whoever controls your narrative controls your culture. To regain control over your culture, you need to regain control over your narrative.
  • Everyone looks to your culture to answer 3 important questions: What are we Building? Why does it matter? And What is my role? In order to regain control over the narrative, you must answer these 3 questions for people.
  • Fortunately, there is a very simple way to answer these 3 questions. Once you are consistent about answering these 3 questions, you can build a healthy school culture.

Did you know that ANY challenge that you face as an administrator can be solved by one of the 4 Disciplines of Buildership? So, over the next 4 episodes, we're going to cover Feedback, Support, Accountability, and Culture because the better you are at practicing the four disciplines, the better you’ll be at solving the challenges you face.

Today is part 1 of the series and so we’re going to start by talking about culture. One of my favorite quotes is one attributed to Peter Drucker -- “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” What that means is that you can have the greatest strategy in the world, you can write an amazing strategic plan, but if your school culture isn’t right, your plans will not work.

So today we’re going to talk about how to get your culture straight and why it matters so much to the success of your school that you do so. Plus, I’m going to share with you 3 questions you must answer for people if you want to shape your school culture and I mean these questions are critical.

You’re also going to discover the 2 crucial elements of any culture. If you want to change your culture, you’ll have to change these 2 things first.

So, if you are currently battling a really toxic culture, or you are just interested in making your culture more healthy, by the time we’re done today, you’ll know how you can build a healthy school culture #LikeABuilder.

Check out these highlights:
  • ​Why culture eats strategy for breakfast.
  • Why a lot of the problems you are currently facing -- from initiative fatigue, to complaining, to failed strategies -- are really culture problems.
  • My easy definition of culture.
  • The 3 questions that shape your cultural narrative.
  • Why people need to understand where you are going as a school before they can invest in your culture.
  • 2 things every school vision needs to be successful.
  • Why people need to believe that the work they do matters before they can invest in your school culture.
  • How to shape a strong school mission.
  • Where people look to determine how they should behave and how to make good decisions.
  • Why you should RANK your school core values.
  • How changing your narrative changes your habits and changes your culture. 
Links mentioned in this episode:

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