How ‘Company Culture’ Became Overused

Brian Gottlieb (00:00): Again within the early days. I feel the one rule of enterprise is just to remain in enterprise. Generally it is the principles that we create in our personal thoughts that restrict us. It is my perception. Should you’re a enterprise proprietor, one factor’s for certain. If individuals love what they do, they have an inclination to do it a complete lot higher.

John Jantsch (00:14): Hey and welcome to a different episode of the Duct Tape Advertising Podcast. That is John Jantsch. My visitor in the present day is Brian Gottlieb. He’s the founding father of Tundra Land Dwelling Enhancements and creator of the upcoming guide we’ll discuss in the present day Past the Hammer, a Contemporary Method to Management, tradition and Constructing Excessive Efficiency Group. So Brian, welcome to the present.

Brian Gottlieb (00:35): John. Thanks a lot for having me. Recognize it. Let’s have a very good chat in the present day.

John Jantsch (00:39): Yeah. So is there Tundra Land? Is there some story behind the identify there? I discover myself tripping over it each time. I wish to say Thunder Land or one thing like that.

Brian Gottlieb (00:47): Yeah, individuals did mistake it for that at the moment. To start with, I needed to discover a identify that did not exist on from a URL standpoint. So the enterprise was Wisconsin primarily based, which is the frozen tundra. So I assumed, why not Tundra Land? And it appeared to work actual nicely. After which in fact I dialed one 800 Tundra Land to see who would reply in some plumbing firm, someplace answered. And I stated, Hey, can I purchase your telephone quantity? They usually stated, certain. So I had the area and I had the one 800 quantity. So he was a contented man.

John Jantsch (01:16): They most likely did not even know what you have been shopping for, proper? I imply, they weren’t utilizing it for that. It simply occurred so as to add up.

Brian Gottlieb (01:21): Proper, proper.

John Jantsch (01:22): So within the bio, I did not learn this half, however to you discuss beginning your corporation with $3,000. So I am not going to ask you what challenges you face as a result of it is apparent, proper? However discuss a little bit bit concerning the early days and actually was there a pivotal second, since you’ve clearly grown it to fairly an enterprise now.

Brian Gottlieb (01:43): Yeah, proper. 2009 at the back of a pal’s warehouse on a plastic folding desk with $3,000 in money. I assumed it was a good time to start out a enterprise. So look, there have been lots of people that in 2007 and eight misplaced their jobs, which additionally meant there was a chance there, some nice expertise on the market, and it was to me, a good time to start out a enterprise. However certain, within the early days, all the pieces was a problem. I imply, all the pieces was a problem. $3,000 does not go very far. So that is Duct Tape Advertising. It’s important to exit and it’s important to make a lead, and it’s important to make a lead, and it’s important to promote a lead, and it’s important to set up a lead, and it’s important to do all these issues simply to remain in enterprise one other day. Again within the early days, I feel the one rule of enterprise is just to remain in enterprise. However over time, we began to develop and develop. And after I bought all the companies that unique enterprise, tand spawned into a few different companies that lined a number of states in the US. We had 600 workers and doing about 150 million in income after I lastly bought all the companies a few years in the past. It was fairly a enjoyable experience. A number of studying alongside the best way although.

John Jantsch (02:47): Nicely, your guide is basically a, I dunno, would you name it a pacesetter? Yeah, you’d name it a management guide, I suppose. And I feel any person who’s at some stage managed 600 workers can truly name themselves a pacesetter. A number of your guide is pegged to the phrase perception and this concept that it actually begins with that. And I am a fan of the thought of the ability of the universe delivering in case you have beliefs. So unpack type of that concept and what it means to this complete guide, or actually even to your whole desirous about main.

Brian Gottlieb (03:22): Yeah, so what all of it actually got here from is that when you concentrate on again in 2009 after I began the enterprise, for those who’ve requested me what my enterprise was, I’d’ve stated, nicely, we’re a building firm.

Testimonial (03:31): Possibly

Brian Gottlieb (03:31): Quick ahead six years later, after I had 30, 40, 50 workers, I’d’ve stated, nicely, we’re a gross sales and advertising and marketing firm that occurs to be in residence enhancements. However what actually allowed us to develop was once we stated, what are we actually? Nicely, we’re a coaching group. Let’s simply be a coaching and growth firm, and what does that imply? And a part of that course of is believing in individuals and serving to and getting individuals to consider in themselves. And the extra individuals consider in themselves, the extra they’re keen to develop. Generally it is the principles that we create in our personal thoughts that restrict us. So can a pacesetter change that perspective? And the way do you affect the mindset of individuals in your workforce? John, after I first began the enterprise, the success of the enterprise depended upon how nicely I personally executed. However as you begin hiring individuals and constructing a workforce, now the enterprise’ success will depend on how nicely groups execute. And by the best way, that is each within the chief’s presence and of their absence. So getting individuals to consider in themselves, but additionally getting them aligned round a sure set of beliefs round a mission and a imaginative and prescient and issues that basically matter. And these are all the required components to construct an aligned workforce and aligned groups carry out nicely in any market no matter competitors.

John Jantsch (04:42): So how do you get, you are in a kind of industries the place, I imply, there are a whole lot of companies that information staff are introduced in they usually’re informed the mission and we bought to consider and we’re all on the identical workforce. And typically you’re feeling like, I could possibly be unsuitable, I’m unsuitable. However typically the sensation is that, nicely, these individuals naturally get it, however okay, you rent a carpenter they usually simply wish to exit and construct the mantle on the job that they are engaged on and not likely consider themselves as a coaching firm. How do you type of take care of that mindset? Or did you,

Brian Gottlieb (05:11): Yeah, that is an awesome query, John. So to begin with, it is true. There are a whole lot of mission statements which are both, in some instances they’re companies, and different occasions it is simply perhaps a poster on the wall someplace.

(05:22): And the query is, how do you convey it to life? How do you weave it into the material of your group? And the way do you make it so that everyone, whether or not they’re swinging a hammer out within the discipline, only a carpenter or any person that is working within the mall making an attempt to schedule an appointment for a loo mannequin, how do they perceive what’s their position within the mission and imaginative and prescient? How do you convey it to life? I am going to offer you an instance of a method we did that if I may. So we’d set up alternative home windows in individuals’s houses. Nicely, if you put new home windows in individuals’s houses, you usually take the previous home windows out and also you throw ’em within the trash, which usually that is okay, however our mission assertion was to do nicely and do good. And what that meant for us is the aim of enterprise is to make a good revenue decently.

(06:03): So we at all times appeared for alternatives the place we may just do that and the way can we contain others within the group In doing so, a method was with these previous home windows. We might take these previous home windows out of individuals’s houses, and as an alternative of throwing ’em away, we’d flip them into actually cool artwork items by giving these sashes to native artists and neighborhood members and the excessive colleges, and they’d flip these home windows into artwork items. After which annually, all these home windows would get auctioned off and the cash raised would go to make a optimistic impression. Then the lifetime of one other particular person. If the installer wasn’t cautious taking these home windows out, we would not have home windows to public sale. If the marketer did not set an appointment, we would not have home windows to public sale. In order that’s only one instance of how one can take a mission assertion and simply actually weave it into the enterprise. And folks then really feel like their job is greater than only a job. It seems like they’ve goal, and that is actually essential. Additionally they perceive that their work is impactful.

John Jantsch (06:58): And there is numerous, particularly once we have been going by after the pandemic and there was this quiet quitting and all no matter phrases individuals needed to name it. Actually the underside line got here right down to individuals saying, I, I am not uninterested in working. I am simply uninterested in working right here. I am simply uninterested in working for you. I wish to work someplace

Brian Gottlieb (07:15): The place I really feel valued. I write about that in my guide that there was a examine upwards of 60% of individuals in the US have left a job just by the best way, simply to get away from a supervisor. So there are a whole lot of the explanation why you write individuals fairly give up after the pandemic, however then nonetheless there are a whole lot of sad individuals. And that is such a disgrace as a result of look, it is my perception, for those who’re a enterprise proprietor, one factor’s for certain, if individuals love what they do, they have an inclination to do it a complete lot higher. So how can we get individuals simply to like what they do? As a result of the shopper journey actually begins with the worker journey

John Jantsch (07:46): One hundred percent. I imply, I’ve stated it 100 occasions any manner, form and type that your corporation comes into contact with a buyer, that particular person is performing a advertising and marketing perform no matter what their job title

Brian Gottlieb (07:57): Is. It definitely is. And it is fascinating as a result of when you concentrate on scripting within a corporation, it is fairly widespread within the residence enchancment enterprise the place perhaps the gross sales reps are scripted, however actually the installers have to be additionally taught find out how to talk with a buyer. How do you ask for examine? How do you be certain that the shopper is completely happy and all these type of issues? Since you’re proper. The factor concerning the residence enchancment business, in contrast to many companies, is 99.9% of each worker is buyer dealing with, whether or not it is over the telephone or nose to nose. And also you’re proper, and all the pieces represents your model, and also you simply wish to just remember to’re conscious of that.

John Jantsch (08:34): Nicely look no additional than the evaluations, the 5 star evaluations within the residence service business, they usually do not typically point out the corporate. They point out Rusty who fastened my boiler.

Brian Gottlieb (08:44): That is proper. We had a few our installers. What they might do is whereas they have been within the residence doing whether or not a shower venture or window venture, they saved some 9 volt batteries of their toolkit and they’d say, Hey, Mrs. Jones, when’s the final time you modified your smoke detector batteries? I am right here. I am completely happy to do it for you. I am going to inform you what, look, we at all times put in an awesome bathe and an awesome window for individuals, however clients love that little 2% shift. It was a giant deal for them.

John Jantsch (09:09): Nicely, a whole lot of it is as a result of they don’t seem to be getting that in a whole lot of locations of their life. And so I feel that it, I do not wish to say it is easy, nevertheless it type of lowers the bar, does not it?

Brian Gottlieb (09:18): Nicely, individuals deserve, clients should have an awesome expertise, particularly after they’re investing their cash in one thing. Likewise, workers should have an awesome expertise. They’re giving up a portion of their life within a corporation. They need to be completely happy doing so it should not be a depressing expertise. It does not. There could be another

John Jantsch (09:38): Stuff they’d somewhat do. So let’s get right down to some brass tacks right here, some within the weeds stuff. You introduce an strategy to suggestions that you simply name the middle and sphere. You wish to break that down.

Brian Gottlieb (09:51): So what occurs if you have a tendency to provide suggestions to individuals, even when it is just a bit bit constructive, they have an inclination to type of shut down and other people have a tendency to recollect the detrimental greater than the optimistic. So once we give suggestions to individuals, we wish to switch perception every time doable, and we try this by the middle of the sphere. We defined to them that A, we consider in them and we consider in them as a result of, John, I consider in you as a result of I’ve seen you do X, Y, and Z earlier than, and I do know you may proceed to do nicely at that. What I would such as you to work on is fill within the clean, some type of actionable suggestions, however you then surrounded once more with the sphere of encouragement as a result of bear in mind, the aim of a one-on-one dialog if you’re teaching is not essentially to terminate any person. It is to teach them up. And to be an awesome coach, it’s important to be efficient. And the way do you be efficient? Nicely, it’s important to join with individuals and get individuals to actually need it. Reap the benefits of no matter recommendation you are giving them and never appear to be they, you are beating up on them both.

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Brian Gottlieb (12:18): Yeah. What’s fascinating is a few of the finest processes got here from workers that weren’t essentially happy, by the best way, this entire factor that when an worker leaves, you are purported to do an exit survey and an exit survey. Nicely, okay, that is nice. It is an post-mortem is what, let’s name it an post-mortem. Okay, however you mine a lot invaluable data. We began to do one thing referred to as keep interviews. As a substitute of ready for any person to depart, let’s interview them whereas they’re truly working with us. Let’s ask them 4 questions. The primary query is, what makes you wish to come to work each day? The second query is, what would someday make you wish to depart? The third query is, what’s one factor the corporate is doing unsuitable in the present day? And the fourth query is, what’s one thing you are not getting out of your chief that you really want? Mining for these issues actually tells us the place we have to take the group, as a result of what occurs is when a enterprise grows, and with 600 individuals, you possibly can think about the org chart is rising and I am getting additional and additional away from the shopper and actually away from the shopper dealing with individuals.

(13:20): So keep interviews actually connects the chief of the enterprise to what the mindset of the workforce is, the true tradition of the group, how are individuals pondering? As a result of how they suppose impacts how they act and the way they act is how they behave, which is how the group performs

John Jantsch (13:37): Nicely. And people are some fairly robust questions, and I feel that any person who has requested these questions goes to really feel heard. It is like, oh, you care what I feel?

Brian Gottlieb (13:45): And is not that what individuals need? However all of us wish to really feel heard, valued, and appreciated. Extra so than a paycheck, by the best way.

John Jantsch (13:52): Yeah, yeah. No, it reveals up on a regular basis when individuals are surveyed. So how a lot of this, the phrase tradition has definitely been fairly fashionable the final 10 years. How a lot of this actually, the issue I’ve with the phrase tradition is a whole lot of occasions individuals, that is what it ought to be. That is what it should be, versus, that is what it’s, as a result of that is actually what tradition is. I imply, there’s issues you are able to do deliberately. So how a lot of this may you say is tradition and the way a lot of it’s simply determining who you might be and being it?

Brian Gottlieb (14:19): Nicely, I feel, look, let’s discuss what tradition is correct there. I feel the phrase is overused. Each enterprise has a tradition, whether or not you need it or not, you have bought a tradition. Now we are able to discuss what that tradition is, however I consider tradition is what do individuals take into consideration the group? What do they consider their, how do they suppose and really feel concerning the enterprise itself, and the way does that have an effect on organizational efficiency? We had a saying in our enterprise that for those who needed to repeat our efficiency, you first needed to copy our tradition, which suggests you needed to copy what goes on within our individuals’s heads. And that is so much to me. In case you have the fitting tradition, and you’ll at all times examine your tradition, take a look at any group. I visited loads of corporations. I do know you will have too, John, and for those who take a look at how an organization hires, how they terminate individuals, what does that course of appear to be? How they promote, how they reward and compensate. That’ll inform you numerous concerning the tradition as a result of it will inform you what the priorities are within the group, which additionally tells you the way individuals suppose and really feel concerning the enterprise.

John Jantsch (15:22): So there is a line, I feel it is immediately from the guide. Firm tradition is formed by the bottom stage of acceptable habits in an, that is a reasonably daring assertion, Mr. Gotlieb.

Brian Gottlieb (15:35): Yeah. Nicely, what occurs? It is a vital assertion. It is simple. It is the supervisor that creates a poisonous surroundings, shapes the tradition of the group, the excessive performer, low tradition match, the individual that actually will get outcomes, however they don’t seem to be good round the remainder of the workforce that you simply attempt to isolate shapes the tradition of the group, the low performer, excessive tradition match, the particular person you in gross sales, it is just like the particular person you like, however they can not even shut a automobile door, however you retain them round since you love them. All of these items form the tradition of a corporation. This is the reason it may well’t be ignored. One of many pillars within the guide is that leaders are conscious of the echo of their voice, and the thought is you can’t ignore these type of issues since you’re proper. The tradition is formed by the bottom stage of acceptable habits.

John Jantsch (16:22): I imply, it actually type of disempowers the those who say, Hey, I am doing this and doing that, and look what they’re getting away with. I suppose they do not care.

Brian Gottlieb (16:31): It sends a wild ripple impact by the whole group.

John Jantsch (16:35): Yeah, yeah. So that you briefly talked about Home windows for a trigger. You had one other one, baths for the Courageous or for the Courageous. Discuss a little bit bit about, you began speaking about the place they got here from. What impression did they’ve actually on your corporation to the purpose the place you most likely sought out my subsequent enterprise, we’ll do X, proper?

Brian Gottlieb (16:54): Yeah, yeah. It is fascinating as a result of the factor about Home windows for trigger is because it makes an worker, a co-producer within the mission assertion, it additionally makes the shopper a co-producer. And that is actually highly effective when you may create a co-producing buyer. IKEA does that basically nicely. Should you purchase something from ikea, all the pieces is available in a little bit skinny field and you bought to place it collectively. You already know that going into ikea, however IKEA clients are co-producers. Maintaining the prices of Ikea down Bathtub for the Courageous was one other instance. It is so unhappy. The factor concerning the Bathtub enterprise is it’s totally joyful, however there’s a whole lot of disappointment too. There are those who have, there are a whole lot of veterans, actually, which have served our nation proudly, however they’ve a bathe due to mobility points that they are frightened of. They cannot step over their bathtub safely. They cannot take a bathe safely in their very own residence, they usually do not essentially have the monetary means to do something about it.

(17:45): Bathtub For the Courageous was an initiative that we began the place we shocked free veterans. We shocked veterans with free showers simply in time for Veterans Day. And in reality, it wasn’t simply myself. It grew to become a motion with 30 40 different residence enchancment corporations throughout the nation, all shocking veterans with free bathe initiatives. While you discuss how do you contain an installer in your mission, I’ll share with you, John, the installers would battle with one another. They needed to be the one to put in the free bathe for the veteran that served our nation. And once more, we will not do free showers for veterans if clients do not first purchase showers from us. I feel a tangible mission that creates a co-producing buyer and includes your workforce within the course of is basically one thing

John Jantsch (18:32): Particular. And that is why I really like, from a advertising and marketing standpoint, and the house enchancment enterprise was most likely as dangerous as any, it bought actually robust to search out expert labor there for a very long time, particularly as demand was skyrocketing. And I discovered that corporations that did an awesome job with their workers and have been truly capable of promote how completely happy their workers have been and what an awesome place this was to work. That grew to become an incredible model, did not it?

Brian Gottlieb (18:56): Yeah, that is proper. That is proper. As a result of phrase does get round, does not it? Phrase does get round. It is fascinating. After I bought one in all my companies in 2022, and once more, it was coming off of there is not any labor scarcity. We obtained 9,000 job functions the final yr I had my enterprise 9,000 functions that folks that needed to return. And by the best way, this is not Wisconsin the place there are extra cows than individuals, simply to be clear. In order that’s a whole lot of functions, however individuals need be a part of one thing actually cool. And once more, as a result of actually when you concentrate on even recruitment is advertising and marketing as nicely. It is all advertising and marketing, is not it?

John Jantsch (19:34): Yeah. Lots of people simply suppose it is lead technology or one thing. It is such as you run an advert and other people present up, and it is actually, if we’re speaking about all of the issues being true, individuals wish to work a spot with goal. I assure you some proportion of a performers that you really want, they’re in search of that first.

Brian Gottlieb (19:52): That is proper. After which if a corporation also can create upward mobility, as a result of so long as I have been on this business, there’s been a labor scarcity, and so let’s not even fear about that. Let’s simply be a coaching group the place we are able to take individuals proper out of highschool that did not wish to go to varsity, and let’s train them a ability the place they will do fairly nicely and have a beautiful life with nice advantages and lift a household, and all these issues which are actually cool in life. However it’s important to consider in individuals to do this,

John Jantsch (20:21): Get good at their craft. Did you begin apprentice packages? Was that a part of your

Brian Gottlieb (20:25): We did, yeah. We have been capable of convey anyone in and simply in the event that they have been keen, if they’d the fitting mindset, in the event that they have been hungry and trainable and all these type of issues, yeah, we are able to put ’em on a path of success and did not imply simply because we employed them for this position, that is the place they ended up. Generally we transfer ’em into one other position within the enterprise. Once more, it actually does come down to simply taking a second and looking for the perfect match for any person and never simply kicking ’em to the curb within the position they’re in. It is not understanding.

John Jantsch (20:51): Yeah. Superior. Nicely, Brian, I admire you taking a couple of moments to cease by the Duct Tape Advertising Podcast. You wish to inform individuals the place they could join with you and discover extra about Past the Hammer?

Brian Gottlieb (21:02): Yeah. You’ll be able to at all times join with me on my web site, which is brian gottlieb.com and past. The Hammers out there on Amazon, the audio model, Kindle, and naturally the hardcover guide. It is an awesome learn. I feel you actually loved it. It is a enjoyable story. It is a parable, and it is also actionable, so you may plug it into your corporation in a short time.

John Jantsch (21:20): Superior. Nicely, once more, I admire you stopping by, and hopefully we’ll run into you one in all today on the market on the street.

Testimonial (21:36): I used to be like this. Discovered it. I discovered it. That is what I have been in search of. I can truthfully say has genuinely modified the best way I run my enterprise. It is modified the outcomes that I am seeing. It is modified my engagement with shoppers. It is modified my engagement with the workforce. I could not be happier. Truthfully. It is the perfect funding I ever made.

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