Columnist Russ Kathrein collaborates with Peter Ganahl, president of Ganahl Lumber, to share what culture is and is not.
What Company Culture Is Not
I recently wrote an article about establishing company culture. In response, I received some great feedback from Peter Ganahl, the president of Ganahl Lumber in Southern California. He shared an article he had written for his team. His perspective offers an important reminder about what culture is—and, just as importantly, what it isn’t.
Before answering the question of what kind of culture they want at Ganahl Lumber and how they establish it, Peter laid out what culture is not:
- Plaques on the wall with lofty words.
- Giving someone “culture” in their job title.
- Virtue signaling in ads or press releases.
- Buzzwords like sustainable, family, or diversity—unless you define them clearly with specific behaviors.
- Mixing conflicting ideas: You can’t have a culture of meritocracy and a culture of equal outcomes at the same time. Pick one.
- It’s not goals. Goals are future-oriented. Culture is lived every day.
- And above all, it’s not about us. Culture isn’t “best in class,” “most admired,” or “fastest growing.” Those may be nice aspirations, but they don’t define how people behave.
Why Many Companies Misunderstand Culture
Peter summed it up this way: A successful culture is one that creates benefits for customers, shareholders, employees, and communities, in that order, over the long term. But even a strong culture can’t do all the heavy lifting. You also need an achievable strategy and disciplined execution.
I think that’s a powerful warning. Too often, leaders let culture messaging become about feeling good or chasing trends. That’s not culture—that’s marketing.
Lessons from Ganahl Lumber’s Culture
I saw this firsthand years ago when I served on a local school board. We decided to create a mission statement for the district. After eight hours of workshopping, we produced three sentences that I can’t even recall. What I do remember is one board member insisting we include the phrase “Global Village.” Why? Because Hillary Clinton had just released “It Takes a Village,” and the phrase sounded impressive. Never mind that it had nothing to do with our suburban elementary schools—yet it made the cut.
That’s the danger. When leaders let their mission statements or cultural principles be driven by what’s trendy, the result is meaningless. Core values should be a north star. They should guide you through challenges and changing environments. They should not shift with the mood of the country or exist to impress outsiders. They’re for your people—your employees, customers, vendors, and stakeholders.
At Ganahl Lumber, culture is spelled out in clear, practical terms:
- Performance Driven: Reinforced through compensation.
- Skin-in-the-Game: Supported by their ESOP, growth, and rewards.
- Hospitality: Go positive, go first.
- Relationships over Transactions.
- Housekeeping: Take pride in your environment.
- Subsidiarity: Decisions made at the lowest possible level.
At Do it Best, we boil it down even further to three guiding points:
- Our philosophy: Serve others as we would like to be served.
- Our mission: Making the best even better.
- Our goal: Helping our members grow and achieve their dreams.
Why Behavior Defines Company Culture
Notice what’s missing. There’s no “world-class,” “changing the world,” or vague promises tied to social trends. It’s not that ideas like sustainability or diversity are wrong. But unless they’re defined by specific behaviors, they don’t give your people direction.
At the end of the day, culture isn’t about slogans, titles, or glossy marketing. It’s about how people behave when no one is watching. As a leader, your credibility depends on whether your team sees consistency between what you say and what you do. If you want a culture that lasts, stop chasing the perfect phrase. Instead, live the values you expect from your people.
Originally published in LBM Journal.
