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Posted by Sarah Brown on 10 Mar '26
What would you write on your wall to capture your culture?
The photo above is from the Lounge bar and cafe in Eckington, just south of Sheffield, and it prompted me to write this blog today as I have just returned from having lunch there with Bob, my husband and business partner. Find out more about the Lounge on their Facebook. You really do feel the people at the Lounge are friends; they greet us by name and not just us, they remember what you order from previous visits, but also what is happening in your life. You feel they really care, and surprise, surprise, sometimes we struggle to get a table because it is so full.
The foundations of success
The culture of an organisation is like the character of a person. Just like you are attracted to some people because of their character, others you don’t like. It might be because you can’t trust them, they are not consistent, or it could be because they just don’t have a very attractive character, are not friendly, poor at communicating, etc. Similarly, an organisation’s culture needs to be consistent, or how can we trust it? When we are around, we probably go to the Lounge weekly, and they are consistently friendly and welcoming. That is why I am happy to write about them and recommend them. I trust them to be consistent. It is not just Chloe who normally serves us, but everyone involved; it’s their culture. There are 15 essential principles of success that make up the ROC - the Responsible Organisation Charter (c) in Winning by being Good, and how you address them all is what combines to create your culture. Your culture is how you behave and what you believe, and each element reinforces the overall image.
So what would you write on your wall?
Our mission map sums up what we believe, our purpose and how we do it. This was produced over 10 years ago, but reflects why we were founded 35 years ago and being true to this is as important today as it was when I first set up. We are quite a complex business because of what we do. The Lounge Mission Map is summed up by their board above the entrance:
- Welcoming and caring
- Serving food you would serve to friends
- Not ripping off your friends
- Not taking your friends for granted
- In fact, everything that makes a good friend
So what would you write...?
Here are some more blogs that might help get you started, and maybe I could help you produce your own mission map?
Are your organisation’s values working?
What does “winning by being good” mean?
Does the face you show as a business depend on who you meet?