Does a company really need a Corporate Anthem?

Before I answer this question, I’d like to take a step back and define the 5 ‘Cs’ to corporate culture success. I don’t remember where I read these first, but they have stayed with me throughout my career in HR and management. The 5 Cs are :

1. Core values: The absolutely vital ‘guiding stars’ of an organization. The entire organization should look at them for direction on a daily basis, and individuals decide to choose behavior that aligns with these values.

2. Co-creation: Writing down values is easy, but to make them an integral part of our culture requires, that people buy into these values, and start to believe in them. This requires the leaders across our organization, to be living examples of these values. Culture finally; is a byproduct of what we behave like, on a day-to-day basis.

3. Celebration: We are all hungry for appreciation, and repeat what is appreciated. To cement behavior, celebrate that behavior.

4. Commitment: Time, sweat and blood, and that too with a lot of energy and excitement, over years…of course, it's tiring…but that is what it takes to build a solid corporate culture.

5. Communication: After all is said, and all done…this is what cements a culture. Top-down and bottom-up…digital and verbal, printed and plastered, sung and filmed. What gets communicated is what is believed. The rest is a pipe dream.

 

Now to the Corporate Anthem bit. Every well-written and composed Anthem, corporate or not; is targeted at building an ‘emotional high’ in the listener. It creates pride, reminds us of where we align, of our commitments, and our values, and gives a common meaning to an otherwise diverse group.

The anthem could be targeted at building momentum for a shorter-term goal, like ‘this year’s target’, or a long-term alignment like ‘this is what we stand for as a company’. Whatever may be the reason, an Anthem can get people to listen to words set to music, in a way that hits the heart directly. That then, is every culture builder's dream. So does your company need an Anthem? Well, depends on how seriously you take culture-building communication.