Getting employees to buy in can elevate any business
One of the hottest buzzwords in corporate circles is Culture. Every large company talks about their culture ad nauseam but only a few of them actually have a productive, inclusive and healthy culture in place.
Smaller business owners might have clear goals for their companies, but as they begin to grow it’s crucial to have everyone on the same page and pulling in the same direction. A big part of the collective effort to succeed is a company’s culture.
As we established, even large companies with great executives have trouble with culture, so how does a small business build theirs correctly? Smart business owners enlist the help of a business coach and use their expertise to build a great culture.
Local Business Needed Culture Help To Grow
A local store enlisted the help of a business coach with the lofty goal of expanding their operation through any means necessary. They had reached a plateau in terms of growth and asked for my assistance to review their operations and search for new opportunities to grow.
While the company was doing a lot of the right things, employee relations weren’t great and as a result, productivity lagged. In addition, many policies and procedures were redundant and caused employees frustration, leading to higher turnover.
Strategy
- We observed and interviewed employees to gain their honest feedback on the company’s operations and their daily job duties.
- Based on those results, we made real changes to the company handbook and let the employees know their feedback was vital in moving the company forward.
- The company’s vision was more clearly defined and each employee was educated on how their specific role helped the company achieve its goals. A policy of inclusion and communication was put in place, meaning any employee could bring concerns or ideas to anyone in the company and their thoughts would be taken into consideration.
- Job descriptions were simplified and incentives were put in place for employees who helped one another, reached goals specific to their position and provided excellent customer service.
Results
Employees were proud and appreciative to be included in the company’s direction and they loved knowing their feedback was heard and followed. Since employees understood their roles and how they all worked together, teamwork became the norm and as a result morale and productivity both improved. Since our coaching sessions started, employee turnover is down significantly.
Let Me Help Build Your Culture
- Improve Top-Down Communication: When everyone understands their role as it relates to the company’s goals, there is a much better chance of buy-in from everyone.
- Listen To Bottom-Up Communication: The other side of this equation is to make it a priority to foster honest comments and even criticism from employees, and help make positive changes based on this feedback.
- Simplify: Dated or over-worked job descriptions are more likely to be ignored. Make job duties simple, and make sure employees understand what success looks like in their role.
Any business can benefit from a culture evaluation, and you would be shocked at how big of a difference it will make for morale and your bottom line. To get started, book a consultation with me today and let’s improve your company culture as well.
