Based on 2 songs - for Slalom City Limits Education Series

1. Sound of Silence
and the LIGHT of CULTURE
The

2. What is Culture?
• A shared set of beliefs, values
and practices.

3. Why
OBSESSS
over culture?

4. Culture doesn’t just help us
attract amazing people…
• it amplifies our current teams abilities to do their
best work and bring their best selves.
• it models how to act in various situations.
• it rewards desired behavior.
• it inspires teams to be better, do better.
• it demonstrates our company’s personality.

5. Business Impact of Culture
There is hard business data that reports that 91% of
companies with a strong culture also have strong
financial performance and stand out from their
competition. Human Capital research shows that
only 12% of organizations truly understand their
culture and only 19% believe they have the right
culture.

6. CULTURE
HAPPENS
• whether planned or not
• all companies have a
culture whether they talk
about it o not
• It’s reinforced through
communication and
action

7. Many
Companies
DECLARE
Culture

8. Enron, whose
leaders went to
jail and which
went bankrupt
from fraud, had
these values
displayed in
their lobby.

9. What if companies
posted their real
values?

10. It’s a build up of bad habits and the
belief that if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.
This causes more people to disengage
and it kills the bottom line.
Organizational Debt

11. What is
ORGANIZATIONAL
DEBT?
Organizational debt is the baggage
that prevents people from
delivering astonishing results

12. IMPACT
• No trust → I will try to do this myself
rather than cooperate with you. I
don’t believe in my leaders.
• Fear → I will not ask for help when I
need it. I will not take any risks that
might improve things.
• Cover your *ss → I will not report
important information. I will not
speak up to avoid disaster.
• Alone → I will disengage. I will be
powerless and not valued.

13. Have you ever worked a company that you..
• Hated the leadership?
• Questioned the actions of your peers, leaders or another team?
• Felt out of place from the values of the people?
• Found someone lying, cheating, or acting unfairly?
• People disparaging each other behind their backs?
It’s typically SILENT but deadly
And most people fear complaining, so they simply
leave.

14. It’s all about BEHAVIOR.
• The actual company values, as opposed
to nice sounding values, are shown by
who gets rewarded, promoted or let go.
• Actions speak louder, even people who
leave the company and never speak up.

15. Hello darkness, my old friend,
I've come to talk with you again,
Because a vision softly creeping,
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence
In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone,
'Neath the halo of a street lamp,
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence
And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking,
People hearing without listening,
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dare
Disturb the sound of silence
"Fools" said I, "You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you,
Take my arms that I might reach you"
But my words like silent raindrops fell,
And echoed in the wells of silence
And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning,
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets
Are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls"
And whispered in the sounds of silence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9Dg-g7t2l4&feature=player_embedded
The Sound of
Silence

16. “If you don't stick to your values when
they're being tested, they're not values:
they're hobbies.”
― Jon Stewart

17. Do you know all
our Slalom Values?

19. We take our core values seriously. We use
them to guide how we work and interact
with our clients and each other. They’re not
a list of words that sit in a binder on a shelf.
They’re an active part of everything we do.
Our core values remind us to stay true to
ourselves while we continue to drive
amazing outcomes for our clients.
John Tobin
AT OUR CORE

20. ORG FOCUS
Culture is the foundation that
Strategy and Tactics sit on.
But culture is like an iceberg
– a powerful force that is
underwater where you can’t
see it. Sure it’s possible to
work at the levels of tactics
and strategy, but that is
unlikely to make any lasting
change or draw great
benefits. Lasting change
requires working at all three
levels so that the tactics and
strategy support the culture.

21. • Experts focus on
Tactics: problems
and work execution.
• Achievers focus on
Strategy: outcomes
and the system.
• Catalysts focus on
Culture: vision and
break-through
culture.
WHO OWNS IT?

22. Culture is the Core of Our Organization

23. How do you know if you if
your culture is healthy or not?

25. Who is responsible for
improving our culture?

26. On any team, in any
organization, all
responsibility for success
and failure rests with the
LEADER

29. 1
Leaders must lead down
the chain –
communicating the
strategic vision
2
There are no bad teams,
only bad leaders. It’s not
what you preach, it’s
what you tolerate.
3
A leader must be a true
believer in the mission if
they expect others to
follow.
4
Ego clouds and disrupts
everything. Leaders
must leave their egos at
the door.
5
All elements of the team
must work together,
mutually supporting one
another.
6
Simplifying as much as
possible is critical to
success.
7
Leaders need to
PRIORITIZE and
execute. Relax, look
around and make a
call.
8
Teams must be broken
down into small
manageable size and
decentralize command.
9
Leaders must identify
clear directives for the
team.

30. 10
Leaders must OWN
EVERYTHING in his or her
world.

31. Leadership is the
most influential and
critical element of all
businesses.

32. IMPROVED
PRODUCTIVITY
Employees who understand
their workplace culture
have a better grasp of their
goals and are more in tune
with the needs of their
managers, fellow
employees and customers.
They're invested in the
company and demonstrate
loyalty.
INCREASED
MARKETABILITY
Company culture is a part of
the brand you create for your
business, and it will make an
impact on how you hire
talent and what type of talent
you attract. Job seekers look
for company's that fit their
lifestyles.
Advantages of Workplace Culture
EMPLOYEE
UNITY
Employees and organization
members take cues from
management as they form
their opinions about the
culture of a workplace. Once
employees adopt the shared
norms of a company, it
unifies employees and
management.

33. How do leaders DIRECTLY
improve culture?
IDENTIFY MODEL INCENTIVIZE RECOGNIZETIE

34. IDENTIFY corporate and
department goals and
processes that support
corporate objectives

35. EXAMPLE:
Identify how
objectives ladder up
to values and vision

36. TIE corporate/department
goals and processes to
rewards, incentives and
recognition

37. EXAMPLE:
Department goals
and supporting
behaviors

38. MODEL our corporate
values in various
situations and share
stories that emphasize
cultural values

39. INCENTIVIZE behaviors
that support objectives at
EVERY LEVEL and
consider punitive
guidelines as well.

40. RECOGNIZE and
congratulate employees
that demonstrate
corporate values and
culture in unique ways.

41. The power of
positive recognition
Employees crave appreciation and
recognition.
San Francisco State University
published a study that proves a key
point: recognizing the behaviors that
will move your business forward can
and will transform your company.
The results of effectively recognizing
favorable behaviors include better
retention rates, better safety rates,
and better productivity.

42. Winning companies use recognition and
reinforcement in two key ways:
• Spontaneous, personalized, and timely 2 recognition (from
management or peers) for behaviors that support values and
goals.
• Planned incentives for routine, defined behaviors that drive
strategic key performance indicators (KPIs).

43. Gratitude
We have to remember our employees have lives that
may be hard OUTSIDE of work. And the little things we
do to lift them up, guide, direct and appreciate them
genuinely….
Make a world of difference.

44. Thank you LYRICS
My tea's gone cold, I wondering why I got out of bed at all
The morning rain clouds up my window, and I can't see at all
And even if I could it'd all be grey, but your picture on my wall
It reminds me that it's not so bad, it's not so bad
I drank too much last night, got bills to pay, my head just feels in pain
I missed the bus and there'll be hell today, I'm late for work again
And even if I'm there, they'll all imply that I might not last the day
And then you call me and it's not so bad, it's not so bad and
I want to thank you for giving me the best day of my life
Oh just to be with you is having the best day of my life
Push the door, I'm home at last and I'm soaking through and through
Then you handed me a towel and all I see is you
And even if my house falls down now, I wouldn't have a clue
Because you're near me and
I want to thank you for giving me the best day of my life
Oh just to be with you is having the best day of my life
I want to thank you for giving me the best day of my life
Oh just to be with you is having the best day of my life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=
1TO48Cnl66w

45. Who has
great
culture?

46. “A strong culture comes from
empowering employees by focusing on
a set of values embraced by the entire
company.
Despite their different backgrounds and
customer needs, the central tenets of
the strong company culture were
constant -- focusing on 10 pillars,
including communication, support and
collaboration. Drawing on these values,
these companies were not only able to
retain talent and increase productivity
but also attract new hires to bring the
company to new heights.”

47. A FUN PARTY
That everyone wants to be at
Make your cultu

48. Sound of Silence
and the LIGHT of CULTURE
Thank you!