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CHAPTER 7 BUILDING A CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM

beings always have a tendency to conform to the culture of
their environment.

I have found that even a person who is usually motivated and
hardworking can soon become indifferent, jaded and laid
back when placed in a work environment where everyone is
laid back. In a culture like this, even a motivated person may
not be willing to go the extra mile for fear of being rejected
or ridiculed by the others for being overly enthusiastic (‘spoiling
the market’ or being ‘seow on’). At the same time, even a
usually lazy person can become inspired and turned on when
placed in a positive, dynamic and fun work environment.

If you don’t decide on the kind of culture you want to have
and train your people to follow that culture, a culture will
grow on its own and it’s usually not a very positive one.

For example, what is the culture in your company (or the
company you last worked for)? Is it the culture to help each
other or is it an ‘everyone for himself’, ‘don’t rock the boat’
or ‘cover your ass’ culture? Is it a fun and open culture or a
serious one with a lot of protocol? Is punctuality part of the
culture or is it the culture to be late?

Great companies never ever leave the company culture to
chance. The founder and senior management always decide
on the principles and values of the company and ensure that
it is instilled into every new person that joins the company.

Earlier on, I mentioned that when I spilled a cup of ice-lemon
tea in McDonalds, a staff came up to me with a brand new
cup within less than five minutes. Recently, I was at McDonalds
in Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and ordered my

216 SECRETS OF BUILDING MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR BUSINESSES