I recently took a trip to one of Australia’s premier wine regions, and with wine in hand at a local cellar door, I was lucky enough to speak with the head viticulturist.
And so, with ambitions of grandeur and a hint of delusion, I asked about the process of cultivating grapevines from scratch whilst thinking, “how hard can it really be?”
The viticulturist began by explaining the importance of location - how one side of a hill compared to the other can yield different results. He spoke about the soil and about the preparation required before planting even began. He spoke about the actual process of planting and how timing was everything. He went on to speak of the growing process, the care and management needed as the grapes grew, testing for quality and finally about harvesting. It was clear early on that this is a long and in-depth process that needed to be followed to the letter in order to yield maximum results.
I walked away from that conversation with two very clear thoughts. One, I had no idea about the complexity of grape growing, and two, how developing a high-performing and positive culture in an organisation is similar to growing grapes.
It’s fair to say that every business owner, or leader wants a solid culture in their organisation. But do we really know how to cultivate it?
To develop that amazing culture is a process that needs continual nurturing and focus. It starts with the selection - choosing the right people with similar values. The soil - is the environment conducive with growth? Then the growing process - communicating a clear vision to the team. The care and management - continually coaching and developing our team to drive engagement and personal growth. Testing for quality - having solid metrics to identify if we’re on the right path and finally, harvesting the results.
Culture is not something that happens overnight, it requires a concerted effort and investment from the leaders of an organisation. It requires discipline to see it through. But once the a high-performing culture is established, the yield tastes ever so sweet.
So I ask, are you actively cultivating your culture?
