Turning your company’s culture into a BIG competitive advantage

Guest: Marty Parker, the founder and CEO of Waterstone Human Capital. Waterstone is a high-performance culture and human capital search leadership advisory firm for entrepreneurial-minded, high-growth organizations across North America. Marty is also an active member of YPO and the author of two books on corporate culture. He’s also a client of CEO Coaching International.

Waterstone Human Capital is a Strategic Partner of CEO Coaching International. To learn more, visit here.

Overview: A strong culture doesn’t just create a happy workplace - it can be a significant competitive advantage, especially in the battle for top talent and repeat customers.

On today’s show, Marty Parker provides a deep dive on the specific, intentional ways that CEOs can transform culture and create a high-performing organization that attracts and retains the best people. 

Marty Parker on crafting culture intentionally:
“First, you have a vision of what you want to achieve. Then you really have to create some fundamental leadership behaviors. And then it really comes down to the values of your people and supporting that with human capital and business systems.”

Marty Parker on remote work post COVID:
“I think we’re learning that many organizations can work remotely, but it’s likely better if five days a month or 10 days a month, however they decide to do it, they bring people together. The human condition doesn’t work well when it’s isolated. And culture is difficult - not impossible - to build, grow and sustain in a 100% remote environment. It can be done. CEO Coaching International is an organization that has been virtual almost since day one, but they figured out their culture long before the global pandemic. I think we’re going to see a shakeout where there’s more of a balance. There is a real benefit to having people together. It’s really a question of what’s right for your business.”

Marty Parker on how to define culture for your company:
“The attributes that make up your culture, not even one of them needs to be unique to you. The combinations are what make you unique. And the more simply stated and felt that culture is, and the more aligned to culture your company is, the easier it is to build leadership systems, management systems, human capital systems, that allow that culture to live and breathe throughout the organization on a daily basis. It sounds simple, but it’s not. And self-reflection and figuring out what makes you unique is the starting point.”

Links:

How To Create a Turnkey Operating System for Your Culture. Culture expert David Friedman explains how to build a powerful cultural operating system that replaces all those inspirational break room posters with a set of defined, teachable behaviors.

5 Keys To Inspiring a BIG Culture Change. CEO Coaching International’s Andres Molano shares a five-part framework CEOs can use to drive a BIG culture transformation that will kick off a promising new chapter for their companies.

About CEO Coaching International

CEO Coaching International works with CEOs and their leadership teams to achieve extraordinary results quarter after quarter, year after year. Known globally for its success in coaching growth-focused entrepreneurs to meaningful exits, the firm has coached more than 3,500 CEOs and senior leaders across 160+ industries and 94 countries. Its coaches—former CEOs, presidents, and executives—have led businesses ranging from startups to over $10 billion, driving double-digit sales and profit growth, many culminating in eight, nine, or ten-figure exits.

Companies that have worked with CEO Coaching International for two years or more have achieved an average revenue CAGR of 22.8%, nearly 2X the U.S. average, and an average EBITDA CAGR of 37.5%, nearly 3X the national benchmark.

Discover how coaching can transform your leadership journey at ceocoachinginternational.com.

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