Culture is everything.
Big claim, but the longer I do this tour thing the more I’m convinced about culture. Mission, vision, values, goals are words. Culture, the way the team actually operates, is what matters.
Last week was our 5th FRONT RANGE TOUR. We always begin with a clear set of morning expectations.
- We’re a team of servant leaders (“support team” isn’t code for “slave”).
- Everyone helps load and unload the trailer.
- We want to begin riding promptly at the appointed time.
We all agree, and every year this crazy thing happens. Folks start eating breakfast, that extra five minutes feels awfully good, and suddenly there’s a mad rush to pump tires, fill water bottles, and scramble to the starting circle a few minutes late. Oops, the trailer’s not completely loaded, but we need to get started, so the support team is left with a bunch of loading and lifting.
We’ve talked about it. Nobody likes it. We needed a culture change.
We were using a white board to list basic information about our evening schedule. At a team meeting Vicki described the notion of “capers” she used as a Girl Scout leader.
We listed the morning tasks and each rider offered to be responsible for one of them. Simple, but the results were incredible.
For the rest of the week, mornings became less stressful. Stuff got done. And our Helmets Up circle actually formed early. We had a few moments to chat and enjoy the beauty of the morning.
I forgot lessons learned from 35 years in a classroom. Each year I worked with my students through an intentional process to establish a classroom culture that enhanced learning and promoted healthy, safe interactions.
I forgot that it’s not enough to say, “Here’s a nice set of principles. We’re all adults,” and imagine somehow the right things would magically happen.
Jesus was all about culture. He didn’t write a book or provide a list of rules and principles. He didn’t tell us to figure out how to do life based on some lofty mission statement.
He stepped right into the middle of our mess and showed us, clearly and intentionally, how to do it. He lived as God intended and said, “Follow Me.”
I’ll bet His mornings weren’t rushed.
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Culture’s a big deal in any organization. Our 2017 DREAM Sponsors demonstrate a culture of generosity and community service.
Breeze Thru Car Wash scrubs cars throughout northern Colorado. Andrea Agnew has been a loyal, generous supporter for years…and she’s a great photographer as well!
Bighorn Development is a new sponsor, but Ric Hansen has been part of the team for a long time. Ric and Myrna consistently encourage us with their positive attitudes and their faith in our mission.
First National Bank and Mark Driscoll have been part of Rich’s Ride and the FREEDOM TOUR from the beginning. This year Mark and FNB sponsored the men from Harvest Farm, allowing them to ride with us from Cheyenne to Fort Collins.
BC Granite And Marble joined us through a connection with Becky. Tammy Bork loved the story of our journey, and we’re excited to welcome the BC Granite team to our circle.
Verafin combats international cyber-crime and money laundering, including activities involving human trafficking. We’re connected through a team member (thanks, Woody!); they’ve been a sponsor for three years.
These logos represent lifetimes of dedication, passion, and commitment to a culture of service. We live in a generous community, and we’re fortunate that these wonderful folks chose to join our journey of hope.