During my service, I learned that our Marines come to the Corps from every socioeconomic, family, and ethnic background across the country. They all come with the desire to earn the very extraordinary title of Marine. We bring them in, put them through 10 weeks of Bootcamp or officer’s candidate school to find out if they have what it takes to be a Marine, and we start the process of teaching them our core values of honor, courage, and commitment and our ethos as warriors. It is, however, the Marine’s first unit that shapes their spirit by developing their habits of mind and body. I will go further and say that whether in the military or a civilian organization, the culture of the first organization a young person joins has a tremendous impact. Their first immediate supervisor significantly shapes that person’s understanding of the organization and the role of supervisors and managers. Leaders and culture sustain the individual after the excitement of winning the title Marine or the new job wears off.
I believe and espouse what I call a culture of performance, and yes, it includes people’s values and beliefs. A culture of performance produces an environment where people feel valued, want to come to work, and are encouraged to innovate because they understand their role and the organization’s Mission. Culture is the product of the Mission, organizational dynamics, and the leader. It is affected by every aspect of the organization. You can’t direct a culture, but you can shape it through various actions.
So, this week think about your organization at work or at home and visualize how it could be better. Then consider something you could do to improve it within your authority and responsibility sphere. Now, take action!
