There is a lot written about the advantages of chemistry and great company culture, but what really are those things? A company is a social organization with rules that govern the relationships between people and among groups. There is a division of activity, and there is agreement regarding certain obligations of the various parties. This is true of all companies. So what causes one to have a culture that is superior to that of another?

In the end, it all comes down to the people. I have often said that the quality of the experience is equal to the quality of the people involved. Associate with high-quality individuals, and you are much more likely to have a positive experience. That’s true in business as much as in any endeavor you undertake.

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by Dan Oswald

What’s your favorite subject? For many people it’s me. I don’t mean me; I mean them. To them, me is them. Got it?

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After last week’s post I received an email from a reader who had a suggestion:

You need to write about the “flip side” of Mr. Naysayer.

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The other day a colleague shared this Dilbert cartoon with me:

My initial reaction was that the message of this cartoon sums up the way the two parties in Washington, D.C. approach one another. ” Everything you said is right, but I have a reflexive urge to disagree with you.” Sounds very much like something a Republican might say to a Democrat or vice versa.

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Recently, Google Inc. cofounder Larry Page reclaimed the role of chief executive at the Internet company. I really wasn’t surprised when I read that one of Page’s priorities was to cut through the bureaucracy at Google. I’ve worked with and for enough entrepreneurs to know that they prize a nimble and fast-moving approach to business where new ideas can take hold quickly and be tested.

But one must keep in mind that Google has 24,000 employees. So while Page’s goal is a noble undertaking, it won’t be easy. Here are some of the things he is trying in an effort to make Google act more like a start-up. They might be things you can do in your organization or department to increase the pace.

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A colleague recently passed along a column written by Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly, which first appeared in the airline’s “Spirit Magazine.” The title of the piece was “Culture Done Differently.” In it, Mr. Kelly explains that at Southwest they try to keep their culture “supportive, active and fun.”

If you’ve ever flown on Southwest, you’ll know that not only do they talk the talk, but they walk the walk. Southwest’s company culture is not only reflected in its policies, but it oozes out from every employee.

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Earlier this week I was meeting with the CEO and owner of a company when the topic of corporate culture came up. I was interested to learn what the culture at his company was like. As he described his company’s culture, it was evident that many of the company’s traits mirrored that of the owner and CEO. His company’s culture reflected many of his personal strengths, but also, he was quick to point out, it also included some of his weaknesses.

In small and mid-size businesses, it’s common for the company culture to reflect the person at the top. Larger companies often have a very entrenched culture that likely was derived from the founder, but has survived multiple leaders. Of course, each new leader can affect that culture, but if the culture is strong, they can only do so in minor ways.

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