Culture is a buzzword in business today, but how exactly do you define ‘culture’? On a fundamental level, it’s the collective behaviors, principles and attitudes that shape an environment and influence the way people interact with each other. From Day One, Allegiance Title has set out to create something different—something remarkable.
What’s the difference between ‘culture’ and ‘soul’?
System & Soul™ defines soul as the “culture you want for your employees, values that make you attractive to your customers, and the right focus on your people.” Merriam-Webster defines ‘soul’ as “a person’s total self” and “an active or essential part.”
Simply put, ‘soul’ is the heartbeat driving your business.
At Allegiance Title, we believe the difference between ‘culture’ and ‘soul’ is that soul is already engrained in an individual’s core before joining the team. Soul is not fabricated through pizza parties, Zoom meetings, or fluffy words meant to ‘build culture.’
We’re proud of the remarkable company we’re building here in Northwest Arkansas. Our leadership actively encourages team members to communicate regularly and openly with each other, creating a transparent workplace with healthy conflict that drives creativity to find solutions to problems. This starts with a foundational commitment within the whole team to help customers close deals accurately, efficiently and on time. It’s essential to the Allegiance Title mission of making the closing process simple.
With that, we wanted to share three tips we believe are critical to creating a soul for your own team or organization:
Define it and refine it
When setting out to create a winning team, the first step is to hire the right people for the right seats. One way to do so is to seek input from your team. Have them write down what they already love about the organization and what energizes them in their role each day. Use this feedback to define specific core values and organizational habits that are the backbone of your company culture.
When determining your core values check out author Patrick Lencioni’s article in the Harvard Business Review, where he identifies four specific value categories: These are known as:
- Core values
- Permission-to-play values
- Accidental values
- Aspirational values
Don’t be afraid to update and refine your core values as your company scales and evolves.
Empower your team for success
Identify the roadblocks or red tape holding your team back from achieving your mission. At Allegiance Title, we aim to help clients close real estate deals on time.
In the book Brave New Work, by Aaron Dignan, he simplifies identifying this by asking these simple questions:
- “What is enabling you (and your team) to do your best work?”
- “What is holding you (and your team) back from doing your best work?”
Finally, provide your team with clear decision-making parameters and all the tools and technology they need to be productive and efficient.
Create an environment that inspires diversity of thought
Every member of your team brings a unique set of skills, abilities, and perspectives to the table. Ask open-ended questions and listen to their ideas, concerns, and feedback. Understand what motivates each of them and how you can help them achieve work-life integration. Have a cadence of meetings with them to create a foundation of trust where they know you care deeply but will challenge them directly to help them grow. And perhaps most important of all, celebrate their wins—individually and collectively.
What makes Allegiance Title remarkable?
It’s simple, really. Allegiance Title is remarkable because of the team we’ve built.
We strive to do these three things mentioned and more to create a healthy soul at Allegiance Title that our clients and our team can be proud to be a part of. Contact us today, and let’s discuss your needs!
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