Creating a Culture of Permission
We all want to solve the secret code to a great company culture – the one that will build a successful business that leverages influence for impact. As a result of the variety of individuals & clients I have the honor of working with through DirtyWork, I often get asked what works & what doesn’t.
One such conversation recently really got me thinking. As I processed with a trusted friend what was holding a particular organization back, the conclusion I came to was the absence of a culture of permission. Failure to create a culture of permission stunts the growth of any organization.
Delegating responsibility & giving permission are not the same thing.
Giving people a job to do does not mean you also give them permission to do it. Fostering a culture of permission where people feel empowered is a tricky thing. I honestly don’t know that I could tell you how to do it exactly, I just know it needs to be done :) But the key, as a leader, is that those around you don’t just hear that you’re empowering them but that they feel empowered.
I think the answer, at least in part, is how you cast vision – the passion, charisma, and intentional communication behind it. It’s in valuing people for who they are above what they do for you. In doing so you subconsciously build into their self-confidence. The result is a team that feels released to make decisions and get things done to bring a vision to life.