The Right Culture Doesn't Happen by Magic!

It is a dream come true working for a company that exists to create magical memorable experiences to tens of thousands of people every day. Yet, like all organisations, our culture didn’t design itself.

There are abracadabra moments, of course, but no short cuts. Instead, it requires continuous and careful management because our culture is the magical spell holding everything together.

We know culture can make or break an organisation. It can accelerate growth, or it can be a barrier. Like any living thing, it needs constant nurturing, nourishment and even the occasional prune.

You can feel the culture the minute you walk through the front gate of any business. Whether it be the values, behaviours, policies, procedures, systems, or any element of the company, it is the way we “do things” that really define the culture.

Sometimes it is a magical experience, other times not. Just remember, there is magic everywhere, you just need to look for it.

Whilst there are many aspects of a cultural framework, the following are my favourite starting points to creating magic in an organisation.

1] Inspire the Magic

Once the company purpose, strategic direction and values are well understood, it is time to focus on amplifying a positive mood in the culture. Share strategy-inaction stories often, at the start of meetings or during individual conversations. Personally, I love to embed the ritual of a ‘value sharing story’ at the beginning of each meeting.

At every touch point of employee interaction, tell a story to create pride, passion, and inspiration. Sharing stories will create a deeper connection and a sense of belief in what the company stands for. The power of belief is what drives employees and determines how your company’s story unfolds.

After many years of attending leadership programs, the inevitable question always arises about “who has been an inspiring leader” in your career. Some talked about the leader who gave them confidence and encouragement or taught them well. However, most of the attendees agreed that the leaders who helped them believe in themselves were the ones who helped them achieve beyond their original aspirations. So, leaders should inspire magic and help people believe.

2] Connect the Magic

Connecting the magic requires companies to depend on relationships, collaboration, and communication. Any deficit in these areas will create a culture of disconnection. As leaders, we need to set up a culture that can turbocharge the strategy, where speed is your magical superpower. This can be achieved in multiple ways, such as supporting employees, sharing ideas, removing barriers, hierarchy, and red tape.

“Once you start to change the culture of the company, everything else happens fast”.

Indra Nooyi, Former CEO of PepsiCo

Another thought from our own CEO, Scott O’Neil from his book ‘Be Where Your Feet Are’ talks about the concept of “Assuming Positive Intent (API)”. This is a way of reframing interactions we have with each other. That short, abrupt email from your peer can take on several meanings, and you may even take it as a personal attack. Instead, if you assume there is a positive intent behind it and they may have been rushed or having a bad day, it can de-escalate the situation in your own mind almost immediately. Assuming positive intent is a great lens to free your mind and create wellbeing in the workplace. Give it a try to see if it can help you collaborate and connect the magic!

When connecting the magic, leadership cohesion and behaviours are critical. Personally, a non-negotiable is to ensure our leaders talk positively about each other, by practicing ‘loyalty in absence’. Conflicts should be encouraged to be healthy and to occur ‘on-top-of the table’ and not behind people’s backs.

Another way to show leadership cohesion is through symbolic actions. Encourage leaders to get involved across departments, teams, and business units in a supportive nature, not an interfering way. This could mean leading projects, attending each other’s meetings and other public expressions of cohesion and camaraderie. It is important to remember that it is not always about the individual but the collective cohesive strength of all leaders that will help drive the connected magical culture.

Creating memories and moments together to build stronger connections is also important. Spending time together allows leaders to discover and leverage each other’s strengths. People like to associate and connect with those they like, admire and trust. Find ways to build cross-functional project teams and communities to enhance connections.

Great relationships, communication and connection between leaders helps show employees they have the support to be successful. Last year, in Merlin Entertainments Asia Pacific, 91% of our employees were favourable to the prompt ‘I know what I need to be successful in my role’ and 89% were favourable to “I feel part of a team’. So, connect the magic to drive your company’s cultural change for success.

3] Cherish the Magic

An important aspect of a magical culture is the organisations’ ability to focus on the wellbeing of employees, by its leaders, in the areas of physical, mental, financial, and social health. What is sometimes underestimated is the magical power of appreciation and the positive impact it has on employee wellbeing both directly and indirectly. You know what it feels like when you or someone else is recognised for doing a great job – just makes you happy, right? Cherish and nurture your employees and the magic will flow.

Developing a growth mindset in an organisation is another important area that can enhance a company to create a more fluid problem-solving ability. Helping leaders understand the fundamental traits of a growth mindset is key.

Creating a physically and psychologically safe workplace is integral to a magical culture. I have found that the authentic, humanistic leaders really understand this and are your best cultural ambassadors. They know how to drive ‘people first culture’ and believe that ‘people are the competitive advantage’ in any organisation. In Merlin Entertainments, Asia Pacific, 87% of our employees told us “I can be my authentic self at work” and this is a direct result of cherishing the magic.

Ultimately, the right culture doesn’t happen by magic. The right culture is different for each organisation to design, adjust and change, depending on their priorities.

There are abracadabra moments, but no shortcuts, so take a laser like focus on cultural problems to cast your spell and create a magical organisational culture.