Company Culture, a difference maker ?

Company culture today is extremely important to employees, and for that matter companies too. There was a time where company culture was a reflection of the senior leadership team! Core, Values, and beliefs statements were written and shared to all employees. CVB's were fundamental beliefs that guide a person or organizations behavior and decisions. CVB's reflected a companies principals, dictating what's most important and how one acts in various situations. While core values shape behavior, core beliefs are the broader, long-held convictions about oneself, others.

With pressure from Boards of Directors and investors, a change began to take place where profits drove some organizations to ignore CVB's, sending mixed messages to employee, who got caught in the middle and sometimes paid a high price for chasing profit at the risk of ignoring CVB's. (Strange how what gets rewarded gets done, still plays today)! Let that sync in......

I worked at a company back in the day where the CEO retired and at his retirement party where everyone was invited locally (1,500) the CEO said, "I want the culture of our company to be about your grandchildren working with the grandchildren of our customers!"

The CVB's did align with his statement and that company is still in existence today, keeping his ask! How is the company doing that?

A profound adherence to a strategy that addresses employees as the greatest resource with Human Resource practices, Operation practices, customer feedback engagements, and Facility practices that reflect that employees are the greatest asset. Onsite daycare, maternity leave for fathers, remote work, personal development training, community involvement through various local agencies, a suggestion box where employees are rewarded handsomely for ideas that create revenue or generate significant savings, etc.

The second area and most important is individual employees! You have the power to BE the company regardless of title or function, just by being an integral part of reflecting the CVB's you have, and or the organizations. Acting like you are an owner, taking responsibility and accountability for your portion in the business and representing excellence regardless of what is happening around you, is a powerful way to impact both your professional and personal life!

Employees have the power to impact an organization by being present, positive, truthful, honest, and open! Treating your job like a calling instead of just a paycheck. We all know someone personally or professionally that embodies the above traits. Note their impact.

If you want to know what the culture of a company is, research how employees are compensated, what does inclusion look like, and if your in the interview phase, ask the HR person how they came to the company and why they stay! You will quickly get a sense of what is really happening behind closed doors. Read news articles to get a sense of different areas about the company you have interest in, and the posture of the company in its local community.

If you are in a company today and want to impact the culture, be the best version of yourself! Know your worth and what you bring to the table and be willing to learn and support other areas of the business. This will help your own growth, and have a positive impact on the company as well. It only takes one spark to start a fire and you could be that spark.....

The best places I worked, highlighted great individual contributions from employees, included retirees in idea generation activities (where they get rewarded), senior leadership spent time in the field with employees with lunches/dinners, started traditions where five weeks before Christmas, every employee received a Turkey with several sides (quick frozen and delivered to every employees home. Recognition of those employees who embodied the CVB's as poster children for the organization was key as well. Sometimes even taking service employees on recognition trips around the world!

Business is ever changing and employees remain a critical part of the narrative of the success companies.

RTJr