“The smell of the place…”

I just went through the drive-thru pharmacy to pick up a prescription for my son and was smacked with an overwhelming odor of cigarette smoke from the cars in front of me. I guess the area was confined enough and wind light enough that the odor just lingered in that space. On driving away, I noticed the odor had made it into my car. Fortunately, the temperature was in the 50s and I could roll my windows down to get some fresh air in.

(Please know, my intent is not to offend here. If you or someone close smokes, this is not a value judgment. Rather, just an anecdote to illustrate a point.)

Just prior, I was in a Teams call with a client, talking about interview practices and we talked about getting candidates into the building as a way to introduce them to the company’s culture as they have a very distinct office environment. I relayed that a friend and mentor, Patrick Sbarra, used to refer to that as “the vibe or the smell of the place”. It’s the idea that when you enter a space, it’s often very evident and definitely reflective of the company as a whole of who they are (or at least aspire to be).

Just yesterday, I had the opportunity visit a prospective client in their space. The curb appeal of the home office made sense - very nice, professional but almost understated in a spirit of humility. After meeting with the CEO and another senior leader, I went out to one of their field operations locations. I introduced myself to the team there, was greeted exceptionally warmly and took a quick tour. What I saw there made perfect sense for how the leaders had portrayed both their work product but also their company origin, mission and approach to their work. At each point in the experience, the smell of the place was consistent and I could easily imagine what their customer experience must feel like, as well as that of their partners team members, the communities they operate in, et al.

So here’s that point…. in nearly 20 years of studying company culture and exposure to hundreds, if not thousands, of companies, the vibe or smell of the company exists. And it’s what it is because of your intent and commitment to it - or it is what it is because you’ve abdicated that responsibility and it is a product of whoever is passing through (like my drive-thru experience). That smell is noticeable and accurate! It will be either attractive or repulsive to others. It will either be consistent with what the senior leaders espouse or it will be left to chance to whoever happens to be there when someone drops by.

I will close with this: This is not just the responsibility of the senior team. Everyone owns this! So what about you? What’s your vibe/smell? It is what you want? Have you gotten so used to it that you don’t recognize it anymore? Is it what it is by purpose or by default?