Creating organizational cultures don't just happen by chance.

Indeed, the innovative folks over at 37 Signals argue that "You Don't Create A Culture" at all.

According to the article: "You don’t create a culture. Culture happens. It’s the by-product of consistent behavior. If you encourage people to share, and you give them the freedom to share, then sharing will be built into your culture. If you reward trust then trust will be built into your culture."

So, if you encourage and reward something (for example, an attitude or behavior) - on a consistent basis - it gets build into your organization's culture.

Sharing, trust, cooperation, engagement - whatever your organization has as its core values - must be encourage, recognized and rewarded, in order for it to become built into your culture.

Same goes for execution. If you value "getting the right things done" - consistently, predictably and in a balanced way, you need to encourage it, recognize it and reward it consistently over time.

BOTTOMLINE: Start today by creating your own "culture of execution". Determine what shared core values your organization has relative to getting things done, align your resources to do so, and begin to recognize and reward attitudes and behaviors (results, not just activities) that reinforce the kind of execution culture you want your organization to have.

If you have seen professional coaches portrayed on TV or spotlighted in magazines, you may not always come away with an accurate perception of coaching.

Like with any young profession that has experienced rapid growth, misconceptions have surfaced about the nature and purpose of professional coaching. As part of its work to advance the art, science, and practice of professional coaching, the International Coach Federation (ICF) works to educate the public on what to expect from a coaching partnership.

In a recent press release by the ICF, they made the attempt "to correct these inaccuracies by educating the public about our distinct profession and stressing the importance of working with a coach who has undergone formal coach-specifictraining and is credentialed."

One of the common misconceptions about coaching is that "Coaching and consulting are the same."

According to the ICF, coaches are experts in the coaching process and are trained to listen, observe and customize their approach to individual client needs. Whereas, consultants typically give clients answers or solutions based on expertise or knowledge in a certain area, coaches seek to elicit solutions and strategies from the client; they believe the client is naturally creative and resourceful."

At Six Disciplines, we offer our complete strategy execution program through a network of Six Disciplines Centers, which are staffed by professional coaches who are certified on the Six Disciplines methodology. These accountability coaches are not "consultants" in the traditional sense. They offer companies training and assistance on how to adopt the Six Disciplines methodology throughout the organization -- not just at the senior leadership team -- but through an approach of "total organizational engagement." What makes these coaches different from consultants is - they "show" as opposed to "tell" - and, unlike consultants, they don't leave. They are available to the client organizations throughout the adoption and implementation timeframe of the Six Disciplines program.

Visit Six Disciplines for more information.

You know the type.... They always have something to say about how things ought to be handled. How things ought to change. Which decisions the leaders ought to make. The managers who ought to be fired because they are incompetent....

In a newly released PDF that you can download for free from ChangeThis, consultant John Spence condenses his years of consulting and research into six strategies that all great companies focus on, entitled Achieving Business Excellence.

The six strategies:

1. Have a vivid vision: A clear and well-thought-out vision of what you are trying to create that is exceptionally well communicated to everyone involved.
2. Hire the best people: Superior talents who are also masters of collaboration.
3. Create a performance-oriented culture: One that demands flawless operational execution, encourages constant improvement and innovation, and completely refuses to tolerate mediocrity or lack of accountability.
4. Encourage robust communication: Open, honest, frank and courageous, both internally and externally.
5. Create a sense of urgency: The strong desire to get the important things done while never wasting time on the trivial.
6. Encourage extreme customer focus: Owning the voice of the customer and delivering what customers consider truly valuable.

Download the Achieving Business Excellence pdf here.

In case you are wondering, I have been traveling all week. I am in Santa Fe - hiding away to work on two writing projects, my essay collection and Hip and Sage. And you know what my fuel is? Chile,...