Culture: Harder to Build or Maintain?
Recently, I have been wrestling with the idea that culture is harder to maintain than it is to build.
It was almost sixteen years ago that April and I signed the agreement to purchase Footers Catering from my father. Our culture has come a long way since then, and it was far from easy. We had to shift the mindset of what was acceptable in the workplace. We had to overcome skepticism about the changes we were making. And we had to make tough people decisions when someone was not aligned with where we were headed.
We tried a lot of things. Some worked, some fell flat. Over time we learned that culture is not a one-time project. Culture is something you tend to every month, every week, and every day if you want to be intentional about creating a great place to work. Slowly we started to build momentum. The team rallied around our efforts and eventually began driving many of our culture initiatives. Everything felt fresh and fun and it created real excitement.
The Footers Team
But over time, hitting repeat on the things that once worked no longer carried the same impact. If something was not better, different, or new, it did not generate the same energy. That is when we doubled down on applying MIBE to culture. We kept asking the question: How do we take what we have done before and make it better?
That mindset is powerful, but it comes with its own challenges. It can be exhausting constantly try to reinvent everything and it’s frustrating when it feels like your efforts are overlooked. And when the same people are responsible for driving culture again and again, it is easy to drift off track.
What I have found is that maintaining culture comes down to balancing what you keep and what you evolve. It requires honoring tradition while adding new ideas, responding to the needs of the business, and adapting to the team you have today.
So maybe it is not that maintaining culture is harder. It is that it requires a different strategy and a different mindset. What worked before is not guaranteed to work in the future. And just like in leadership, some people thrive in the creation phase, while others excel at strengthening what already exists.
Great culture does not stay great on its own. It needs attention, creativity, and a willingness to evolve. This week, take a moment to look at the traditions, habits, and rituals on your team. Which ones deserve to be protected, and which ones need a refresh? Sustaining a strong culture is not about choosing between the old or the new. It is about blending both so your team continues to grow, stay energized, and feel proud of the place they help create.
Keep MIBE-ing!
Anthony Lambatos
Founder, MIBE Hospitality Leadership Development
Owner, Footers Catering
P.S. Is it time your leadership evolves? Join us at our MIBE Summit January 25th - 27th.
