This is one of those which came first the chicken or the egg questions. The question is which do you build first your values or your culture? First things first, let me define each word for you.

Values-Involves ones principles or standards or judgments about what is valuable or important in life.

Let me put it a different way, if I came into your house how would I know what you value most? What things would I look at and say that is important to you?

Culture-The set of learned beliefs, attitudes, values and behaviour that are characteristic of a particular social group or organisation.

Again let me give you another example, when people think about your organization, team or church do they think about a certain set of attitudes, do they say they have a winning culture. Do they say they have a sales culture, or a culture of hospitality.  I guess the question is can they even tell that there is some kind of culture in place.

So do you build values first or do you build a culture and values come along for the ride? I say you can’t have one with out the other, if you have good values, values to appreciate customers/visitors (for churches) you will begin to develop a culture of hospitality. Where you spend your time to prepare and plan, will determine what kind of culture you will display.

I love a quote I read this week from the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, Mike Smith.

“I think if you want to change the culture, you have to first change people’s behavior,” Smith said. “And when you change their behaviors, then you change their habits. All human beings are creatures of habit, and we’re trying to create and instill what we call winning habits here in our locker room and here in the building.”

What behaviors need to be changed in your organization, I challenge you to do a check up from the neck up and make sure that you personally have the right attitude, then you can look at the rest of your team and begin to asses what behaviors need improvement.

Let me end with this thought, if someone walked into your store/church would they be able to tell what your culture is? If they can’t then you have some work to do.