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34 | FEBRUARY 19, 2014
BUSINESS FLATHEADBEACON.COM

BUSINESS IS PERSONAL Mark Rifey

Your Business Culture Is

Embedded In Daily Conversation

T
HERE ARE A FEW COMMONLY best businesses.
used phrases in business conver-
If you’re the leader in your mar-

sation that raise the hair on my ket, you know that you can look back at
neck.
things you started doing two or three (or
Here are three of my favorites, along 10) years ago and ind that the average or
with one (“innovation”) that we hear lower-tier businesses are just now catch-
bandied about in the tech press on what ing on to them.
seems like an hourly basis.
• Industry Norms
HUMAN CAPITAL

• Best Practices
I see Temple Grandin watching over
• Human Capital
a feedlot. She observes people’s behavior
• Innovation
as they are herded through a Dodge City
They sound like such good things,
feedlot’s gates, chutes and ramps. Occa-
so you may wonder why they’re so hair- sionally, she makes suggestions for how
raising.
to adjust things so people are less likely
You might be thinking that they’re to become upset as they mindlessly pa-
just words, but they could be the lexicon rade along.

of your business culture. The problem If you’re in the inancial industry,
with these phrases is that they sound “human capital” might be a more posi-
like one thing but they usually mean tive term, but in that context is still feels
something entirely diferent.
a bit like something to consume, spend
Does it matter? I think so. Employ- or exhaust in order to achieve a goal.
ees and even contractors look to the Like irewood.
leader of a business for signals that they If you use it in the context of invest-

walk their talk. Words that undermine ment and improvement, I can see a posi-
the stated business culture can do a lot tive, but the word choice is something to
of integrity damage.
be very careful with.
Let’s review the words I mentioned.
INNOVATION
INDUSTRY NORMS
Let me redeine it for you: Innovation
This one is a little sneaky because it lights up the face of a customer.
seems to convey that you are doing as Is that what happens when they see

well as those in your industry who are your latest new feature?
normal.
What is “normal,” exactly?
THIS DOESN’T REALLY MATTER
In this context, I think of it as aver- DOES IT?
age. That means if you are meeting in- Your staf makes that decision about
dustry norms, you are right smack in the you and your leadership team. I suspect
middle. Not doing poorly, but not leading you make it about those you consider
the industry.
leaders.

I wouldn’t consider that a goal unless When you listen to a local, state or
you are currently below average – and national leader speak, do you dissect
even then, it should be a pit stop rather their comments and make any judg-
than a destination.
ments based on the words they use?
When your staf sees industry norm When viewed through that lens, do
statistics in trade publications, I’m your words seem more important?
thinking you would want them to con- Another angle: If your employees

sider those as something they’d want to rolled their eyes every time you spoke,
see in the rear view mirror, rather than how would that make you feel? I suspect
something to aspire to.
it would tick you of if you were face to
face.
BEST PRACTICES
Now imagine them rolling their eyes
This one is similar to “industry because of something you said in an
norms” because it conveys the average, email, on a conference call or perhaps to
or perhaps a little history lesson.
a customer while that employee is with-

To me, “best practices” are those in earshot.
things that are considered the least com-
mon denominator of business practice in WHAT WORDS REFLECT YOUR
your industry.
BUSINESS CULTURE?
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t The culture of your business is re-
be performing them - it means that the lected in the words you and your leaders
businesses leading your market no lon- use every day to describe your business,

ger sees them as something to start do- your people, your products and your
ing or strive for. Instead, they consider prospects in the marketplace.
them assumptions of how to do business, Are they leading your staf and your
rather than something done only by the
business culture in the wrong direction?

Want to learn more about Mark or ask him to write about a business, operations or

marketing problem? See Mark’s site, rescuemarketing.com, or contact him via email
at [email protected].