As would be well known by now, I have a strong connection to charitable organisation Operation Flinders.
Besides the extraordinary work they do changing the lives of young people, the culture of the organisation is something to behold.
This seems to happen almost by osmosis, and is probably a function of the type of people they attract.
Sometimes other organisations purposely set out to change or enhance their internal culture, as someone in senior management has recognised the weakness and seeks to change the businesses values.
Recently I was speaking with someone working in the ag sector who said the business he worked for had done just this, with the results nothing short of sensational.
I observed this person's body language, as he was explaining the focus on cultural improvement, and it was evident he was fully engaged in the process and enjoying going to work each day.
Of course the other beneficiaries are the customers they work with.
Personally, I really enjoy doing business with people that are excited about what they do.
Having a more engaged workplace benefits everyone on many levels and the benefits do seem quite obvious.
A leader that recognises there is a culture problem within the business has taken the first big step to doing something about it.
A sign of an even stronger leader is someone that recognises they may be part of the problem and that culture change has to start from the top.
There is a big difference between talking about changing culture and actually doing something about it. Talk is cheap and rarely works in isolation.
Some businesses endeavor to instigate change using internal resources, others choose to engage external experts to guide the business through the journey.
There is little doubt some people will be quite challenged with any change to the status quo and may end up choosing to leave the organisation, as they are not willing to toe the line.
For these people, it's ultimately best for them and for the business that they move on.
Cultural change has to be long-lasting to have any real benefit. An initial sugar hit that fizzles out in a short period of time won't help anyone.
Culture is like a habit - it has to be practiced daily to eventually come naturally.
Any business that goes through this type of transformation will most likely be astounded by the results down the track.
Just like the good agribusiness owners do, this process needs to be measured to see how it's tracking.
As I recently read somewhere, "the competition isn't really that good, therefore it's not really that difficult to be extraordinary".
A good culture will help a business become extraordinary.
Start the day with all the big news in agriculture. Sign up here to receive our daily Stock Journal newsletter.
