By Beth Mendoza

I don’t know about you, but this year I am going to be healthier.  This year I am going to work out… eat more fruits and vegetables… run a marathon… hit my ideal weight.  This year.

Sound familiar?  Right now, many of you are creating New Year’s resolutions.  Maybe you are contemplating a workplace resolution for 2020.  Did you know that one of the biggest challenges for businesses (in 2020) continues to be creating a living and sustainable company culture?

Creating a healthier lifestyle and creating a living, sustainable workplace culture are actually very comparable.  If you want to live a healthier lifestyle, you have to make time to work out daily, not just the first two weeks in January.  The same can be said about creating a living, sustainable culture.  It takes years to create the culture you want; you must create sustainability and live your culture daily.  One manager training session will not do it.  And, just like with your health, it only takes a few bad choices to slide downward.  It may take only a few decisions to transform your culture in the wrong direction.

Some essentials to living healthy include fueling, exercising, connection (with family and/or friends) and positive thinking.  Likewise, essentials to a healthy culture are comparable and include Fueling Knowledge through Communication, Exercising Decisiveness, Creating Connection with Others and Setting a Positive Course.

Fuel Knowledge through Communication: It is essential to communicate often with employees and be transparent in your communication.  Share information with employees in an authentic way, tying your message to the values that drive your culture.

Exercise Decisiveness – It is important to make timely decisions, at the right level, that align with your organizational values.  This alignment helps create repetition of the culture you are building for your employees and customers alike.

Create Connection with Others – You need to not only understand yourself, but also those around you and the system you are a part of.  You have great opportunity to both influence the system and be influenced by it.  By choosing to form connection with your coworkers and create community, you can influence the livelihood and sustainability of the culture.

Set a Positive Course – The CEO and Executive Leadership Team create the culture and have the ability to create a positive one.  So, it is important for you to show up, be present, and live your values each and every day.  You manifest what you focus on as a leader; it is important to be positive and stay focused on what your organization values.

As you ring in 2020, consider hitting refresh and finding one thing you can focus on to breathe life and sustainability into your organizational culture.  This can help to ensure your healthy culture lives on year after year.  And, as a bonus it may help you and all of your employees create a healthier lifestyle!