A manifesto says more than a thousand words

The power of words bundled in the manifesto

Where do we start with a manifesto? With words: we have all experienced how words can touch and move us. Be it through a touching letter from a loved one or through a pithy sentence, a powerful quote. Words can guide our actions; what we say and write resonates within us, influencing our view of the world and how we move through it.

We humans use words to communicate – we speak, we put something down in writing, we put something into words to make it immortal and understandable for others. We use words to explain our ideas, wishes, fears and worries, we communicate. We can formulate mercilessly, harshly and radically, or we can paraphrase sensitively, colorfully and empathetically. And it is precisely here that what we have created has a special effect. We can sharpen words, bring them to the point, give them power – we can use them to express precisely what we want.

Words as a tool in the manifesto

Awareness of the power of written words seems to have taken a back seat in recent times. Perhaps their brilliance has been overshadowed – by dazzling images, impressive photos, crazy videos and funny gifs and colorful emojis. In the sheer flood of today’s communication, the craft of good writing suffers. Short and fragmented snippets of words fly through Messenger every day. Words are distorted, shortened and distorted in order to save time – sometimes the actual message or the subtle statement between the lines falls by the wayside.

Despite everything – or perhaps because of it – we should remind ourselves once again: In the right form, our words are one of the most powerful and long-lasting means of communication.

The art lies in the clever use of this tool. From a company’s point of view, this means that it is not the mass of “content” that is decisive – but the well-placed and well-thought-out statement. Once again, less is more. But anyone who only thinks of catchy advertising slogans, cool claims or the management’s Christmas address is misjudging the ability to write something that will have a lasting impact. However, we are not talking about contracts, general terms and conditions or process guidelines – we are talking about putting into words what is most difficult to grasp in a company – the corporate culture.

Everything all right?

Looking into any office, it becomes clear that there are rules and regulations everywhere. How high is employee X’s ergonomically optimized desk, how much vacation entitlement does colleague Y have, what to do if the coffee machine is empty? So far so formal. What really defines the course of events in a company are the people who fill it with life and hold it together. And it is precisely these people, in this very specific mix, who develop their own style, quirks, idiosyncrasies, shared ideas, values and behaviors.

Different patterns are more or less pronounced in different places. Departments and levels cannot be clearly assigned to a “separate culture”. A multi-layered and constant cultural exchange takes place within an organization – difficult to control and hardly predictable.

The prescribed culture

For many management teams, the way work is done is a clear management task. This means that work and behavior patterns are prescribed – the corporate culture is imposed. It goes without saying that this does not reach and motivate every employee.

This approach has emerged in recent years in a particularly popular, albeit perfidious, form: The creative-playful workplace. Here, the foosball table, free drinks, yoga sessions and sofa with games console merely disguise the harsh working conditions. The almost inhuman performance expectations and the resulting employee turnover prevent a real culture from developing. But whether employees really find the courage to take a nap in the quiet room or play table football with their colleagues during working hours is another matter.

The manifesto is the signpost for the desired behavior in the company. It shows employees the right way to behave correctly.

Order is a must

However, a good corporate culture with an open, honest, friendly – i.e. sincere – form of interaction is not a sure-fire success. Rules and orientation are needed at all levels to ensure largely smooth cooperation. A guideline for good communication, plus simple rules for everyday processes with a unifying form of corporate vision and full commitment from everyone involved – preferably with a positive external impact. That’s exactly what it would be. Sounds crass, but it can be done, or rather, created.

The path to the word

First things first: it only works together. In order to get everyone on board, it is worth emphasizing the advantages of a joint description of the company and its most important processes. Arguments for this are easy to find: Efficiency of processes through less need for consultation, less emotional strain through more open and honest communication i.e. also fewer sources of conflict, higher productivity by adapting processes to the people and their personalities, stronger connection with the company through shared commitment to vision and values, … and not to forget the possibility of strong positioning – plus applicant activation – through a clear stance in public.

The shape decides

If you want to record how things are going and should be going in the company, there are many different formats to choose from. Overly strict forms such as laws, commandments or rule books are not recommended here; a list of prohibitions also has a negative and unmotivating effect. For those who prefer a more relaxed and application-oriented approach, a playbook or handbook is recommended. These can be either strict or playful, explaining exactly how things work and why. We have linked examples of this below.

The manifesto is a very good way to describe your own culture, vision and values. Although it offers fewer details on the exact work steps – these can also be regulated in detail separately – it benefits in particular from the power of its words and its reputation.

The manifesto

The art of a manifesto lies in making its aims and intentions publicly tangible. Many well-known manifestos fill half books or extend over many pages as an artistic or aesthetic program. In order to give your company a comprehensible framework, you should be brief. With seven to fifteen points and one to three sentences, everything will fit on a poster and in the memory of those involved.

Manifesto is a written agreement, a law of togetherness

Just like laws, a manifesto serves to clarify cooperation so that there is little or no friction between them.

What should go into the manifesto?

In principle, the intended topic or the framework in which the manifesto should work can be freely defined. For companies that want to express their self-image and culture in this form, the following questions are suitable – which we also describe in detail for you in a separate white paper.

What do we stand for and what is our goal / our vision / our purpose?
What values do we live by and how do we do this in our work?
How do we define the individual parts of our company, such as communication, working hours, absences, home office, availability, conflicts, office space, team, product, customer, etc.?
How do we work now and how do we envision the future?
How do we handle communication / working hours / vacation / free time / mistakes / culture?
How do we measure our progress and our mistakes? How do we learn from them?
What is our stance on sustainability / racism / sexism / diversity / digitalization?

Word for word

Once the individual fields of action, problem areas, requirements, visions and characteristics have been compiled, the next step is to sort them. Not everything found and worthy of regulation is relevant for your manifesto. What counts is the overall picture, a certain completeness in the image of the company’s character. It goes without saying that the individual points must be coherent and should not contradict each other.

Less is also more when formulating the individual points. In the spirit of good slogans, you should harmonize a clear message with a friendly tone. A statement in the sense of a manifesto is open in its application and yet precise in its execution. Drafting, improving, weighing up, reformulating – a good formulation takes time, a lot of discussion and several attempts. Not everything that previously seemed clearly regulated is really unambiguous. Stay on the ball, the formulation of a manifesto is the slow approach to the core of your company. The aim of the process is not the document itself – but the actions that are derived from it. In order to achieve the desired effects for the corporate culture, everyone must be convinced of what has been written.
Only those who are convincing in words will move people to act differently.

A sentence says more than a thousand words

Use the power of words, the energy to define together what your company is all about, what drives it and makes it special. By searching for and finding the right words for culture, values and goals together, you create clarity and commitment. We were able to significantly improve the quality of collaboration at Teamhero by writing our own manifesto. Today there is straightforward communication, more motivation and understanding for each other in the team, more clarity in tasks and responsibilities and faster decisions.

Based on this experience, we have been advising and supporting our customers for several years in the development and creation of their own manifestos. We have compiled all the key information for you in a recent white paper.

Whether it’s a guideline, playbook or manifesto, with a document of this kind you can create more creativity and productivity by reducing gray areas and potential for conflict. Nobody has to spend any more time on time-consuming trivia, together you can concentrate on what really brings you and your company forward.
Take courage, go for it, say it out loud, write it down, commit to your own personality and your own characteristics. With a clear stance, you demonstrate strength and show what you really are – unique.