Buccee's Culture at Chick-fil-A?

Today I suppose I want to discuss organizational culture. It's always been interesting to me, and it's been a slow-burning interest overall. Culture, first for me, came into play around esprit de corps in the Army. There was a ton of competition for "best" battalion. Who had the fastest runners, who were the best at CQB, and which squad was best at combatives? Everything was a competition, and that competition raised everyone's standards. And we all thought ours was the best. 

It wasn't until later that I realized that all Army units have this same culture. Every single one thinks they are better than the others. 

I remember when Buccee's called me and recruited me to be their Director of Training. That was probably back in 2012? Maybe 2014. I should never have turned them down. I remember asking them about their training because whatever they were doing was working very well. They said, "We don't have any, that's why we want you." I was stunned. To have a culture that outwardly awesome with no training or other underpinning? It made me realize that culture isn't something you can train. In many cases, it's just natural. 

I've made no bones about the fact that I've moved from one organization to another, and I've seen a huge improvement in the culture. I love the culture at my new organization, and I've seen the challenges that the old organization is dealing with from a new perspective. I see now that culture can't be trained. Not only is it the Buccee's lesson that culture can spring up without training, but I've now seen that culture can't be manufactured or forced. 

I heard from my son yesterday, and he has started work at Chick-fil-A. They too have a culture much like Buccee's. Outwardly, it is phenomenal. The workers are all smiles, the enthusiasm can be seen, and the motivation is infectious. I look forward to seeing how it takes hold or changes him. I wonder what he'll say when I ask him about training? Is there training? Is it natural? Does training influence it at all? 

It's funny to see how culture runs irrespective of training.