There are two things we know to be fairly true in this world. First, people love games. Sports, video, board, you name it, there is a group of fans rallying behind the game. Second, people hate business– mostly because their experiences have been unpredictable. As leaders, one of our core responsibilities is to create a predictable environment for our people by eliminating the anxiety that results from an unstable workplace while also giving them the tools they need to keep the business running in our absence. How do we do this? By building frameworks.
Simply defined, a business framework is a system of rules that are used to govern a process or make a decision. In the absence of any frameworks, teams, and often whole organizations, are left flailing. In the most recent episode of Best Places to Lead, I reviewed the top frameworks every leader should have defined to generate consistency for their organizations. Here are 3 lessons about building frameworks to curate and maintain a positive culture at your organization:
- Every framework should be clear, teachable, trackable, and written down.
- Your first framework should be a North Star Framework.
- Culture-building frameworks are the operating system of the organization.
Lesson #1: Write down your frameworks and share them with your people!
There are 4 qualities to any good framework. First, the steps in the framework should be clear. An unclear framework will end up doing the opposite of adding clarity to the workflow. Instead, all it’s going to do is confuse people more. Which leads to the second quality: it should be teachable. A teachable framework is an understandable framework. If when teaching someone your framework, you also get confused, your framework has not satisfied this second quality and is in need of revision. Third, it should be trackable; in other words, the results should be metrics that are also easy to understand. I recommend using quarterly metrics, which are already drafted to be tangible and achievable.
Last, and perhaps most important, your framework should be written down. If the framework is clear, teachable, and trackable but only lives in your head or your notebook, then it’s not helping the business. Not only should it be written down, but it should also be easily accessible by your people. As your business grows, clear and accessible frameworks will help lessen the friction from growing pains, allowing you to scale faster and get back to business sooner.
Lesson #2: Your North Star Framework is essential for weathering any storm.
The first framework you want to build is your North Star framework. We’re all familiar with the importance of outlining the mission and vision of our companies. But too often, I see leaders situate neither mission nor vision within a framework tied to the company’s objectives. Even more worrisome is when I see an organization that cannot name the important and painful problem they solve. This lack of clarity impacts everything from resource allocation decisions to misidentified markets.
A clear North Star Framework is like a roadmap that tells your people where they’re heading. During times of change, be it social unrest on the national or global stages, or something more internal like a merger, the North Star Framework ensures no one in the organization loses sight of the destination.
Lesson #3: Culture-building frameworks are the operating system of the organization.
When I think of organizational culture, I think of how I want someone to be able to answer this question, “How was work today?” What I really hear in that question is, “Did everyone act in a way we’re proud of?” Culture-building frameworks ensure that, more often than not, the response is neutral, if not positive one. And most importantly, the answer illustrates folks clearly embodying the company’s mission and values.
Culture-building frameworks state clearly what we do and do not tolerate and hold people to those behaviors. They also explain what and how we celebrate. Relatedly, a thorough Culture Building framework will make evident what kinds of qualities and behaviors are promotable (which gives us something to celebrate!). While your first thought might be, “This sounds like HR stuff,” it’s not. Everyone in an organization has the responsibility of co-creating the environment they’re working in with others. Strong frameworks in this area will help your people know how to maintain the kind of culture they can feel proud of telling their loved ones about.
To learn more about the other kinds of frameworks, you should consider defining for your organization, make sure to check out the full episode!
About Best Places to Lead
Your company has the potential to be great. The leader’s responsibility is to unlock that potential – or doom it to mediocrity.
On the LIVE Best Places to Lead show, you’ll learn the hard-fought lessons from the front lines earned by business leaders who have already had their teeth bashed in and lived to tell about it. We’ll share the tips, tricks, mindsets, and frameworks that allow great leaders to lead differently.
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