Lesson #1: Cultural Foundations
Lesson 1: In order for you to start a great dreaming program it has to be built on the foundation of a culture of trust and accountability.
In 2013, Infusionsoft was rated number 17 on Great Places to Work's annual list and it wasn't just the ping pong table or massive cereal bar. It was something much more that made it a great place to work and why it was primed to start a successful dreaming program. From the very beginning, Infusionsoft's CEO, Clate Mask believed in a very simple people philosophy which was what he called the happiness equation: Happy Employees = Happy Customers = Happy Shareholders. This happiness equation, permeated. Regularly when those outside the organization came to visit they would say things like, "it just has a good vibe here." It was the happiness vibe. How did the founders create this vibe? In a word, Vision. They identified a clear and compelling reason why they did what they did. They called this the Purpose and indoctrinated everyone in the company in that Purpose. Next, they invited everyone to live a set of values. Now I know that most companies post values but there is a significant difference between posting and living values. I was taught the difference early in my career at Infusionsoft. On our team we were in crisis mode because one of our most valuable accounts was at risk because of a mistake we had made. My leader, a director in the company, was in the middle of a heated debate with the manager from another team. I listened silently as the two started to get into it. The the director quoted a value, "This is your ego and you need to check it", he said. I thought to myself, "this is getting juicy." But in an instant I saw the difference between posted and practiced core values because the manager said, "Your right, this is my ego. Let me get to work on it." The senior leadership team had created a thick culture of values by hiring, training on and even firing based on those values. As a result, trust permeated the organization and people felt safe to dream. Whenever, I saw that people were hesitant to share their dreams I usually could tie it back to a situation where leaders were not in alignment with those values. To find out where your Culture stands, take the Culture Health Index below: |
How can we help?Infusionsoft made a purposeful decision on what their company culture was going to be, they didn’t just let it happen. Having employees who are doing the work they love, engaged, and inspired, produces better work, which in turn, means happy customers. 
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Other Key Lessons Learned:
Case Study HomeTo return back to the case study home page, click on the button below.
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Alignment to the BusinessA culture of dreaming needs to align to the company's rhythm and flow.
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Dream Leader CertificationInvolving frontline leaders in the dreaming program is crucial for success.
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Program KickoffKicking off the program is a key step to making a first good first impression.
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