What Matters

GRASS is my shorthand way of remembering what matters most when it comes to leading and shifting Culture: Gatherings, Rituals, Actions, Symbols and Stories.

G.R.A.S.S: Gatherings, Rituals, Actions, Symbols and Stories. 

Grass gives us some useful metaphors for culture.

• Grass needs care and maintenance; it’s not a one-and-done intervention.
• Grass can be wild or a well-trimmed lawn. Both are beautiful when they are healthy.
•  Weeds can grow even in the best quality grass.
• There are plenty of varieties of grass. It can grow from seed or be imported as turf, or you can work with...

In my book, Shift: Everyday actions leaders can take to shift culture, I share my GRASS model.

GRASS was born out of my frustration with culture models that were either too stuffy or too fluffy for leaders who just wanted to know what to do.

After synthesising decades of research, I narrowed the list of moments that matter most down to 8.

The three most well known are first impressions, when things are going well and when things aren’t going well. These are all moments of truth for team members and leaders. I call these the groundwork. We need to work on these in every relationship.

GRASS...