I came across an article “Don’t F*ck Up the Culture” and found its message very valuable. Below are some excerpts with Turn – Key Tunneling, Inc. core values and ideals inserted where applicable.
Culture is simply a shared way of doing something with passion.
Our culture is the foundation for our company. We may not be remembered for much after we are gone, but if Turn – Key Tunneling, Inc. is around 100 years from now, the thing that will endure for 100 years, the way it has for most 100-year companies, is the culture. The culture is what creates the foundation for all future innovation. If you break the culture; you break the machine that creates your projects.
We can build our culture by upholding our core values in everything we do. 1) Safety first; 2) at the end of the day, we are all one team; 3) mutual respect – treat everyone like a customer; 4) Turn – Key Tunneling work ethic; 5) do it right the first time – never surrender, are our core values. It is living the core values when you hire; when you write an email; when you are working on a project, when you are walking in the hall. We have the power, by living the values, to build the culture. We also have the power, by breaking the values, to f*ck up the culture. Each one of us has this opportunity, and this burden. We all can be overcome by a situation or emotions. Before you consider breaking the values (examples would be gossip, venting on social media, etc..) think about the culture we are building together and the impact our actions have in being successful in building it.
Why is culture so important to a business? Here is a simple way to frame it. The stronger the culture, the less corporate process a company needs. When the culture is strong, you can trust everyone to do the right thing. People can be independent and autonomous. They can be entrepreneurial. And if we have a company that is entrepreneurial in spirit, we will be able to take our next “(wo)man on the moon” leap. Ever notice how families or tribes do not require much process? That is because there is such a strong trust and culture that it supersedes any process. In organizations (or even in a society) where culture is weak, you need an abundance of heavy, precise rules and processes.
There are days when it is easy to feel the pressure of our own growth expectations. Other days when we need to start an emergency project. It is easy to get consumed by these. And they are all very important. But compared to culture, they are relatively short-term. Problems will come and go. But culture is forever.
Personally, the Turn – Key Tunneling, Inc. culture is one of many reasons I am proud to be an employee of Turn – Key. When we practice our core values, our customers, owners, coworkers, etc. witness our culture firsthand. What does this do for Turn – Key Tunneling, Inc.? It validates our reputation, improves relationships and the probability that we will be around 100 years from now!
Julie Wills, Accounting Manager
