Developing a Company Creed Drives Organizational Alignment and Purpose - Episode Hero Image

Developing a Company Creed Drives Organizational Alignment and Purpose

The Action Catalyst · · Listen to Original Episode →
Original Title: CLIP: Creating the Creed

TL;DR

  • A clearly defined company creed, developed through dedicated effort and collaboration, establishes a foundational identity that guides decision-making and clarifies organizational purpose for internal teams and external stakeholders.
  • Investing significant time (e.g., three months) to create a company creed yields profound organizational alignment, transforming it from a mere action item into the driving force behind all business decisions.
  • A shared creed enables teams to articulate their unique value proposition, answering critical questions about identity, differentiation, and customer choice, thereby enhancing external perception and internal cohesion.
  • Regularly sharing and reciting the company creed before team meetings reinforces its principles, ensuring consistent application and fostering a culture where actions demonstrably align with stated values.
  • The process of developing a creed, even when challenging, fosters deeper understanding and shared commitment among leadership, ultimately providing a clear mission and direction for future growth.
  • A well-articulated creed empowers individuals to grow beyond perceived limitations by creating environments that foster integrity and support personal and professional development, leading to extraordinary outcomes.

Deep Dive

The discussion begins with the concept of a shared vision within a business. Steve Frody recounts being challenged to articulate who his company, City2Shore Real Estate, was and what they were about, noting that they previously lacked such a defined identity. This led to the creation of what they call a "creed," which outlines their identity, their points of differentiation, and their core values.

Frody explains that developing this creed was a challenging but ultimately beneficial process, requiring his involvement with his wife. He emphasizes that without it, they lacked direction and a clear way to communicate their purpose to team members and external parties, and to explain why someone should choose their services. He highlights the importance of scheduling dedicated time for such critical tasks, noting that Karla Lewis pushed him to calendar these sessions. It took several meetings to refine the creed.

The source then details the impact of the creed on the team. Frody states that their team is now aware of the creed and shares it before their monthly meetings. He describes this as "awesome" and a significant improvement.

Karla Lewis comments on the extensive thought Frody put into his creed, noting it took approximately three months to develop. She reads two specific lines from the creed: "Create environments in which people can thrive and operate with integrity while making a solid impact in the communities of its stakeholders" and "Provide opportunity for people to grow beyond what they ever thought they could do. Taking ordinary people and making them extraordinary." Lewis presents these as powerful examples of Frody's commitment.

Lewis then shares a story about how Frody utilized the creed at a company Christmas party. He invited agents, their spouses or significant others, and vendors like loan originators and insurance companies. Frody planned ahead and asked several agents to stand up and read the creed in front of their peers and the vendors. Lewis observes that Frody is now so committed to the creed that every company decision aligns with it, transforming the company's driving force from a reluctant acceptance to a core operational principle.

Frody expresses humility regarding the creed's impact, stating he doesn't know where they would be without it. He likens it to a mission statement that guides their future. He reports that business has been great, team growth is strong, and they are expanding to new locations.

He reflects on his personal journey with his wife regarding the creed. While she handles more of the business-side operations and he is transitioning out of day-to-day real estate tasks, they both feel a greater sense of purpose and direction. Instead of simply selling real estate and seeing what happens, they now feel good about where they are going and are focused on the "next chapter."

Action Items

  • Create company creed: Define core identity, differentiation, and value proposition for team and stakeholders.
  • Schedule 3-5 sessions: Dedicate calendar time to collaboratively develop and refine the company creed.
  • Implement creed sharing: Mandate team members read the creed aloud before monthly meetings to reinforce alignment.
  • Audit decisions against creed: Evaluate 5-10 recent company decisions to ensure alignment with core values and mission.
  • Design team growth framework: Develop opportunities for individuals to exceed perceived capabilities, aligning with creed's impact.

Related Episodes

Key Quotes

"And they have a vision. I think I think Carla might have asked me, so what are you guys about? Who are you? What are you looking for? What are you trying to do? You know, these are the questions that you've probably asked, but, uh, we didn't have, we didn't have anything. And so I was challenged to create some, we call it a creed, where we, who we are, um, why we're different and why we're choosing, you know, these are the just some characteristics there."

Steve Frody explains that he was challenged to create a "creed" for his business when they lacked a clear identity. Frody highlights that this creed defines who they are, why they are distinct, and their core choices. This process was initiated by questions about their business's purpose and identity.

"And it's been awesome. And it was tough to go through. I had to get my wife involved with, which she was like, what? But, you know, working through it together and, uh, but it was so good for us. So because we didn't know where we were going, you know, like who you really are and how do we explain it to people that are on our team or others that are not on our team and why would you choose us?"

Steve Frody describes the creation of the creed as a challenging but ultimately beneficial process that required his wife's involvement. Frody emphasizes that the difficulty stemmed from their initial lack of clarity regarding their identity and how to communicate it to both internal teams and external stakeholders. He notes that the creed helps answer fundamental questions about their business.

"One of the things that I think is so cool about Steve and the creed is he'll tell you it, it took a long time. It probably took about three months. However, that means he really did put a lot of thought into it. And it wasn't something that he just did because it was an action item that we discussed. It was something that we talked at length about."

Karla Lewis points out that the extended time Steve Frody took to develop his creed, approximately three months, indicates a significant investment of thought and deliberation. Lewis clarifies that this was not a superficial task but a deeply considered process. She stresses that the duration reflects the depth of discussion and commitment involved.

"Create environments in which people can thrive and operate with integrity while making a solid impact in the communities of its stakeholders. And another line is, provide opportunity for people to grow beyond what they ever thought they could do. Taking ordinary people and making them extraordinary."

Karla Lewis shares two powerful lines from Steve Frody's creed that encapsulate its core values. Lewis highlights that these statements focus on fostering growth, integrity, and community impact for individuals and stakeholders. She notes the aspirational goal of transforming ordinary individuals into extraordinary ones.

"Because Steve is now so bought into his creed that every decision they make lines up with their creed, with what they believe. And I just think that is that's so impactful to go from, really, I don't need that. Why are you making me do this, Carla? To it is now the driving force of their company."

Karla Lewis observes that Steve Frody's deep commitment to his creed has led it to become the guiding principle for all company decisions. Lewis contrasts Frody's initial resistance with his current dedication, illustrating the creed's transformation into the central driving force of their organization. She emphasizes the profound impact of this shift.

"It really is. I mean, I'm humbled by it, really. I'm sitting here going, oh my goodness, I don't know what we wouldn't be even where we're at today without, you know, it's like a mission going forward. Here's who we are and what we're about. Business has been great. If team growth is great, we're opening up other areas, other locations."

Steve Frody expresses humility and gratitude for the impact of the creed on his business's trajectory. Frody states that the creed functions as a forward-looking mission, clearly defining their identity and purpose. He attributes the company's success in business growth, team development, and expansion to this foundational document.

Resources

External Resources

People

  • Karla Lewis - Executive sales and leadership coach, Partner with Southwestern Consulting
  • Steve Frody - Co-founder of City2Shore Real Estate

Organizations & Institutions

  • Southwestern Consulting - Mentioned as employer of Karla Lewis
  • City2Shore Real Estate - Mentioned as co-founded by Steve Frody

Other Resources

  • Creed - Discussed as a foundational document for businesses, outlining identity, differentiation, and purpose.

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