Do you remember Nickelodeon's Inside Out Boy? It was the story of a happy-go-lucky kid who swung all the way over the swing set and was turned completely inside out. Oddly, brands are not too far off and often more a reflection of what's inside not outside.

The reputation of a company (its brand) is a reflection of it's internal culture.

Take comcast for instance with their reputation for poor customer service. Based on my experience it must be a dreadful place to work. I imagine dimly lit fields of endless cubicles, lame birthday celebrations, and manufactured enthusiastic pep talks. On the other end of the spectrum, take Zappos and their overwhelming love for customers. That love started on the inside with cultural mechanisms to enjoy life and celebrate work. Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos said "We believe that your company's culture and your company's brand are really just two sides of the same coin. Your culture is your brand."

I agree with Tony. A healthy and thriving inside means an alive and attractive outside.

Here are few questions to ask for creating a great internal culture:

1. What are you celebrating?

Every great team has to take time to celebrate the wins no matter how small. Throwing victory parties are the perfect way to rally the troops.

2. Is your purpose big enough?

Does your mission, vision, values create an ambitious drive or a culture of reaching for low hanging fruit?  Great team member need to feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves making a different in the world.

3. Who is the bad guy?

Every superhero needs a villain. Every team needs an arch rival to identify, surpass, and dominate (once defeated see back to point #1).

By answering a few of these questions a great internal story and culture can be born. One that energizes team members to enjoy work and customers to enjoy buying.

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