To complete the test, simply ask yourself: “On a scale of 1-10, how happy or unhappy is our team?”
We like to use this litmus test to get a high-level read on a culture.
Believe it or not, it gives us a pretty good read very quickly.
Wondering why we use “happy?” The truth is that you can’t make anyone happy. And as the leader you create the context and the culture within which people can be happy. So don’t get tripped up on the word “happy”--whether you call it “employee happiness in the workplace,” “employee engagement,” “job satisfaction,” we all know what it is. It’s the difference between a real-deal smile and a fake one.
Now, what’s your number?
Is it 7? We bet it is.
Since we've done this litmus test with so many organizations and kept track of the answers, we have a good grasp on the average. When we ask leaders, 78% of the time they answer 7.
Now you’re asking, “Okay, what’s the significance of 7?”
What does it mean if I answered 7?
- Our culture is good, but not great.
- I chose 7 because I don’t really know.
- I chose 7 because I think our culture is okay, but honestly, I’m not sure.
- I chose 7 because I’m on the fence. Some employees are pretty content and others aren’t.
It also means that getting to 8 or above is both meaningful and quite attainable. In fact, over the years, we’ve worked with a lot of 7s. And through that work we’ve developed proven methods that work to move companies beyond 7.
What if our culture is less than 7?
If your answer was below 7, you’ve probably got culture elephants roaming around your organization.
In our experience, we find that 12% of organizations answer 6 or below, so if this is the case for you, it’s time to seek some support. And you know what? That’s why we’re here–we’ve got you. We acknowledge you for courageously asking the hard questions. This means you both care and are willing to do what it takes to create a culture you and your team can be proud of.
What if we’re above a 7?
If your answer was 8 or above, congratulations! Well done!! This often means you have a great organizational culture. Unfortunately, we find that only 10% of organizations answer 8, 9 or even 10. (We wish this percentage were a lot higher. . .)
Thank you for being one of the ones who has intentionally invested time, effort and energy into prioritizing your culture. Really, thank you.
(We do need to responsibly acknowledge that this answer does come from your perspective. In many cases, when we ask this question of other people in the same organization, leadership and management tend to answer 1-2 points higher than the rest of the team. We also occasionally run into the delusional leader.)
Keep up the good work! As you know, culture is not a one-and-done. Culture takes consistent intentional attention to sustain it. You know not to take your culture for granted and that it’s important to regularly nurture it and keep it fresh. If you would like support in sustaining your great culture, we can customize any of our workshops to highlight, protect and expand on your culture’s secret sauce.
