You want customer service excellence? Create a culture of trust...

Every organization has a culture. It is often loosely defined as "how things are done around here," and it is passed on largely by imitation. The habits and patterns that build up over time into a "culture" will have far more impact on a company's overall actions than will even the most detailed written procedures.

Culture is hard to define, harder to manage, and even harder to change. Here are a few pointers to influence an organization's cultural DNA:

• You get what you pay for. People do what they are rewarded to do, so give employees incentives for practicing trust-based activities.
• Actions speak louder than words. If you're a senior person at your firm, your employees will imitate what you do, not what you say. Senior management across the organization should set a good example.
• Find the influencers in your organization. Networks of employees form spontaneously, and the key influencers of other employees' behaviors and attitudes are probably not the most senior people in your organization. Identify those employees other employees turn to most when asking questions or solving problems.
• Focus on a single, simple, unifying mission. You can rally people around an idea if the idea is universally appealing but specific and tangible enough to offer guidance.
• Celebrate small victories. Find examples of the right cultural values being put into practice, and socialize them within your firm. Let people know how things are really done around your firm.