Cultivating Culture as an Entrepreneur

In a recent episode of The Jens Heitland Show, Jason Skeesick, a seasoned entrepreneur, shared his unique approach to building culture within a business. Episode 231, "Entrepreneurial Insights: Building Businesses, Overcoming Challenges, and Driving Success," offers a glimpse into how Jason creates an environment where culture naturally evolves, using his experience of organizing a Christmas party at his gym as an example.

Creating the Right Environment

Jason’s philosophy centers around setting up the right environment or, as he calls it, the "Petri dish," where culture can organically develop. He believes that rather than imposing a culture, facilitating an environment that allows culture to grow is more effective. This approach is about understanding people's interests and giving them the space to express and cultivate these interests collectively.

Empowering Community Participation

A key takeaway from Jason's experience with the Christmas party is the empowerment of community involvement. By forming a party planning committee and involving enthusiastic members, he fostered a sense of ownership and participation. This not only led to a successful event but also strengthened the community bond within his gym.

Letting Culture Evolve Naturally

Jason emphasizes that building culture is not about dictating how things should be but rather about letting them evolve naturally. By bringing people together with common interests and giving them the freedom to express themselves, a more authentic and engaging culture emerges.

The Role of Leadership in Culture Building

As a leader, Jason's role in this process is akin to a shepherd. He guides and nurtures the developing culture, ensuring it aligns with the organization's values and goals. His approach demonstrates that effective leadership in culture building is less about control and more about guidance and support.

Listeners of The Jens Heitland Show can learn from Jason's experiences that building a thriving organizational culture is less about rigid structures and more about creating the right conditions for growth. It's a process that requires patience, understanding, and a willingness to let the community take the lead.

Tune in to Episode 231 of The Jens Heitland Show to hear more about Jason Skeesick's entrepreneurial journey and his insightful strategies for building a strong, vibrant culture within your organization.

Timeline:

00:00 Introduction to Building Culture

00:11 The First Christmas Party: A Case Study

00:27 The Birth of the Party Planning Committee

Check out the full Episode here.

Transcript:

AI generated:

And so, you know, we talked earlier a little bit before we started recording about this idea of shiny object syndrome that so many people like me, at least that I've met have complained about and struggle with and continue to struggle with. Me too. So I, I like to think about it in terms of how do I stay focused?

Well, I have a vision. I see a block of marble. I have a vision for this statue. It's a beautiful statue. It's in my brain. It's nothing in the world right now, only a block of marble. And so as I start to chip away at it, I'm excited. I get the broad strokes done. I get it, you know, kind of fleshed out. And then another idea pops into my head.

Everybody listening to this, who's an entrepreneur knows what I mean about.  The way that I decide whether to take action on that or not is does it remove marble and make this sculpture a more pure and beautiful and effective vision or version of my vision? Or am I taping something on because I don't feel like addressing the original Problem. And so that simple test has guided me, you know, to whatever success that I've gotten.