Is Ninjaology REALLY Another Name For Company Culture?

I’ve been giving a lot of thought to company culture. What exactly defines “company culture”? Sure, we all think of the powerhouse Walmart and their almost fanatical approach to company culture – nearly everyone has heard about the meetings at Walmart where employees yell out their company cheer like they are going into a SuperBowl overtime. It seems a bit over the top, a bit “socialist”. . .and yet. . .and yet it does something for the make-up of that company. It inspires employee buy-in, employee belief. If you say it, you begin to BELIEVE it. . .perhaps? Interesting theory, Cheatham. . .

If you haven’t had the chance, you should watch the Frontline documentary “Is Walmart Good For America?” It shows the absolute strategic nature of this economic and global retail chain authority. Love them or hate them, they have a formula in place, find the next location that fits that “formula”, and mold their employees into what they want with their well-thought-out company culture. Genius. Terrifying. Effective.

There have been many studies on company culture. It is well known that companies with an adaptive culture that is aligned to their business goals routinely outperform their competitors. Heck, some studies report the difference in revenue of more than 200% for companies who have such a culture. Really?

Indeed.

I have one word for you – Ninjaology. (Is this a real word? Yep, it is. I made it up, and therefore it is real.) But. . . what IS Ninjaology?

Ninjaology is another word for Think Tank’s company culture. It is a way of bringing the team together, empowering them, motivating them, and giving them tools for effective decision making. It molds and grooms the leaders of Think Tank’s tomorrow. It gives us something to hold on to, believe in, and talk about. It is the culture I gave my company long ago as I sat down and thought out how I wanted to form Think Tank. It is the culture we Ninjas believe in, and that we hold near and dear to our hearts. It is our Walmart cheer, only more deadly.

Oh yeah, we are deadly. Our firm has tripled in size in the past 12 months, and I directly correlate it to our company culture. (And our amazing, energetic, and talented staff.)

So. . .here it is – the $64,000 question. . .how do YOU create your company culture? How do you triple your business over the course of twelve months in one of the worst economic downturns of our time? The answer is simple. Channel your inner Ninja and find YOUR Ninjaology. Where to begin. . .

First, start by assessing what your current company culture is. Next, sit down and really think about the company culture you want to create. What is your mission? What is the focus of your business? What makes sense? How do you plan on developing your staff?

Third, and most importantly, define your company goals. Look at companies you admire. How can you implement a strategic plan for employee buy-in? Brainstorm how this can be done, put it on paper, and begin your implementation. Don’t make your company culture a secret. Shout it out loud to your employees, your clients, your friends – shoot, you should be screaming it off the rooftops to everyone. (And, if you don’t know how, I know some Ninjas who could do that for you!) Create your company culture. Believe in your company culture. Give yourself over to your company culture. And watch success roll in.

So, now I have told you the secret of Ninjaology. The secret of the Think Tank Ninjas. Now, what are you gonna DO about it?