MAKE IT PERSONAL! A Lesson On Company Culture

I am often asked about what it takes to create a great company culture. How do you create it and more importantly how do you maintain it? I have seen and experienced many great company cultures. What I know is there is no one single perfect culture. 

Great culture comes in many shapes and sizes. For some it can be creativity, for others flexibility, for others it can be recognition. There are hundreds of companies with great cultures and they are all different. But as different as all these seem to be the one common denominator, the one silver bullet, is that people give a damn about each other. They know each other and care about each other. If everyone takes good care of each other then in turn everyone takes good care of customers. It starts with the leadership team caring about each and every employee. What do you know about each employee? What motivates them? What are their personal victories and struggles? Customize their experience with your company.  Make it personal. What are their children’s names and ages? What are their hobbies? What is their favorite restaurant?, favorite soft drink? Use this information to show them how special they are. Catch them doing something good… reward them with their favorite candy bar.

How about when bad things happen? Your employee screws up a proposal, you can’t afford to give employees a raise, everyone has to work extra hours. All kinds of things can impact a culture but it doesn’t need to be a negative. Think of the best customer service experience you have had. Often times it is a result of when something went wrong and how that company was able to turn a bad situation into memorable, positive experience. Do the same thing with negative events at work. Take time to communicate on a personal level what the situation is and what the result of the situation is. You will be amazed how much support and respect you will gain.The last thing I hear is, “I can’t afford to buy the things that create a great culture.” Great company culture doesn’t have to cost a lot of money but it does require an investment of time and emotion. Take time to care. It is the best investment you can make in your company.

By Tami Young

Updated 1/20/21