What’s It Like Around Here?
Last week I mediated on the beauty of not dimming your light.
Our work as leaders is more than just providing a job to pay the bills to survive.
Work is the opportunity to serve while being seen, heard, and accepted. I believe that is what we all want at the end of our life, I know I do.
THAT is why I believe so strongly in building for the long-term to provide an environment for meaningful work and meaningful relationships. Without the long-term, a relationship might be just a transaction.
I stumbled into a great question in Seth Godin book’s This Is Strategy: “What’s it like around here?”
That question cuts straight to the heart of culture. It invites us to look beyond what we do and ask who we are becoming TOGETHER. It invites us to consider the experiences of those who dedicate their time and talents to the shared vision.
Since we’re playing a long-term game with long-term people, we can make a commitment to COMPOUNDING the right strategies over weeks, months, years, and decades. True cultural transformation takes time. It unfolds like a perennial garden—patient tending yields beauty that no amount of forced growth can achieve.
Here are some seeds planted thus far in our journey at Century:
Clear values – A guiding compass that defines our standards and makes clear what behaviors will not be tolerated.
Clear vision – A succinct summary paired with an in-depth 8-page plan.
Operating leadership teams – Established with a defined purpose and measurable metrics.
Investment in leadership – Coaching, development, and team building
Stronger communication – Monthly town halls, memos, and intentional dialogue
Community-building – A deep, unreasonable investment in volunteering and shared experiences, because common work builds common trust.
These aren't merely operational checkboxes but rather living expressions of our commitment to creating a space where others can flourish and where the light can shine.
Here are some exciting opportunities for our improvement:
Data visualization – Scoreboards for all teammates.
Education on metrics – So everyone understands at a tactical level how effort connects to progress.
Financial education – Helping team understand the company finances and budget for the bigger picture.
Leadership development – More resources, more growth, more opportunities.
Meeting hygiene – Making meetings more effective and intentional.
Daily planning huddles – Aligning our focus and execution.
Community Building – strategic planning around philanthropy to be throughout the year sharing our time, treasure, & talents
A common theme of opportunity mentioned above is communication. I’ve never heard anyone say, “This company communicates too much.” Great leaders find ways to consistently connect people to a noble purpose and a bold vision.
That’s why so many of our opportunities and strategies revolve around communication. It’s the thread that weaves alignment, trust, and progress together. When people understand the bigger picture and their role in it, they engage with more purpose. When transparency is the norm, accountability follows. And when communication is strong, we build not just an organization, but a community.
I know this takes time. I know we have more work to do. But we will keep pounding the COMPOUND.
Let’s commit to compounding these opportunities a little more every day this week.
Onward,
Matt