Starting a business or already at the helm? You could allow your corporate culture to just happen by accident. Don’t. That’s one of the biggest mistakes you could make. Companies with exceptional social environments haven’t happened by chance. Instead, they’ve been arranged thoughtfully so everyone’s on the same page.
Still, the term “culture” can be a bit confusing. What does a corporate culture mean, exactly? And how can you put up guardrails without stifling the natural ebb and flow of cooperation and innovation? These are all questions best answered by introducing yourself to some modern culture experts.
Below are five big players in the modern corporate culture space. Whether you’re an entrepreneur with a dream or a soon-to-be Fortune 500 company leader, you’ll benefit from their wisdom and perspectives. There are also steps to change your workplace culture. After all, you want your culture to be safe, healthy, and inclusive; they can help.
1. Jessica Kriegel
As the Chief People & Culture Officer of Experience.com, Jessica Kriegel has built her branding as inventor of The Culture Equation™. For Kriegel, the secret to building satisfying cultures isn’t magical; it’s methodical. Coming at culture from a data-driven, analytical background, she’s found a way to demystify it and make it tangible. Once culture measures are put into place, Kriegel’s signature Culture Dynamic Drivers can help any company boost its cultural ROI.
In addition to being a consultant and public speaker, Kriegel has written “Unfairly Labeled,” a must-read for managers of Millennials. She’s also a well-known podcast guest on all topics related to workplace strategies and culture in general..
Bottom line: Kriegel will help you improve your culture from a scientific viewpoint while remaining empathetic to your people.
2. Jeff Bettinger
Jeff Bettinger isn’t just the SVP, Global Chief Human Resources officer for premier anti-aging company Nu Skin. He’s also an award-winning executive known for leading cultural transformations. His focus is on ensuring that human resources and global business strategies inform each other. When both strategies are coordinated, organizations can set KPIs that matter to both—and drive a high-performance work culture.
Bettinger’s previous work has taken him to many top-name employers, including Petco and Walmart. Thanks to his diverse background, he’s confident in making cultural workplace recommendations for businesses in almost any industry.
Bottom line: When you feel like your business and cultural goals are running parallel, Bettinger can help move them closer together.
3. Suzanne Lucas
Known affectionately as Evil HR Lady, Suzanne Lucas freely shares her insights in human resources. Her blog serves as a thought leadership space for her musings on how to deal with all things culture and employment. Expect to get the real scoop from Lucas, who spares no details when giving advice.
You can find Lucas’ writings on her own site, as well as throughout other publications. She’s also a frequent guest on CBS. Thanks to her penchant for using social media, Lucas has gained prominence on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Bottom line: When you want to get a real-world perspective on any personnel or culture topic, go to Lucas. She’s probably written about it.
4. Bruce Daisley
Laughter and joy. They’re not usually what most people think of when they’re considering workplace culture. From Bruce Daisley’s outlook, that’s a shame. Daisley recently served at Twitter as the company’s European, Middle East and African (EMEA) VP. He resigned in 2020, but left a lasting legacy with the company.
Now, Daisley focuses on positive messaging for companies. He’s a bestselling author of Eat Sleep Work Repeat, a book devoted to making work fun. His journey has taken him around the world as a preacher of reimagining what a career should look like.
Bottom line: When you want some cultural inspiration, watch a Daisley TED talk. You’ll be amused, encouraged, and enlightened.
5. Greg Savage
Recruiting the right people is an essential part of building a stronger corporate culture. Greg Savage, author of The Savage Truth, believes that recruitment is changing. He’s a proponent of using automation to find more time to be people-centric in hiring. As such, Savage recommends that hiring managers build genuine relationships and connections. In other words, he looks for ways for AI to augment the recruitment process to better serve everyone.
At the same time, Savage helps would-be recruiters better drive their individual success. A communicator with the street cred that shows he walks the walk, he’s a terrific resource for ideas.
Bottom line: When you want to have a seriously successful corporate culture, don’t be afraid to apply the Savage touch.
Your job isn’t to sit back and wait while your corporate culture comes together. Your company isn’t a petri dish, after all. It’s more akin to whipping up a world-class recipe. Be sure you’re combining high-quality ingredients in the proper way and order. That way, you’ll serve up a terrific workplace experience for all stakeholders.
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