Culture: The Secret Sauce to Business Success
Let’s begin by stating the obvious:
The customer is number one. A strong connection with customers is key to securing business revenue and maintaining a strong foothold in a competitive market. But what about the internal customer? You know, the one that keeps the company functioning?
Although numbers vary based on the job title, studies show that employee turnover typically costs at least one-fifth of a worker’s annual salary to replace that person. Multiply that by five, ten, even 20 employees per year, and the costs will add up. “Indeed, it is costly to replace workers because of the productivity losses when someone leaves a job, the costs of hiring and training a new employee, and the slower productivity until the new employee gets up to speed in their new job,” say Heather Boushey and Sarah Jane Glynn, who wrote the paper for the Center for American Progress.
The real tragedy is that most turnover rates can be reduced by implementing more worker-friendly policies. For example, Boushey and Glynn cited workplace flexibility and earned sick days as easy and affordable benefits. A generous employee package is certainly a strategic way to attract desirable hires. But the key to retaining those employees depends on day-to-day support. “Equality begins with each of us,” says Tony Prophet, Chief Equality Officer of Salesforce in an interview with Ryan Westwood, CEO of Simplus. “We seek to create workplaces that reflect the communities we serve and a culture where everyone feels valued, heard and included.” So, what does that look like?
This practice requires more than planting a dozen doughnuts in the employee break room or making sure the soda machine offers Diet Dr. Pepper. Don’t get me wrong, that’s a great start. But for sustainable improvements that support a positive work culture, here are four ways managers and employees can better serve each other.
- Be Adaptable.
Every role matters in a company. But when employees are willing to contribute to a task that may extend beyond the scope of a job title, great things can be accomplished. “Through lateral service, we do more for each other, and for the company,” says Forbes contributor Micah Solomon. “By moving out of our assigned positions to help fellow employees when they are temporarily short-staffed, we build a stronger company for employees and external customers.”
Remember a company’s success depends on the efforts of everyone in varying capacities; Even if that means doing a job that is not typically yours. I have personally seen employees reap the benefits as they are regarded as team players and promoted as managers.
2. Use Clear Communication.
A large part of building successful business relationships is paying attention to the strategies that resonate with customers. Every customer is different, and adapting to those unique characteristics mean the difference between scoring the deal or not. Those efforts also benefit the work environment. Raphael Crawford, a guest writer for Entrepreneur, says that regular communication from management and informal communication between employees breeds a culture of positive engagement. Taking time to explain fully the expectations for a task, providing additional details, examples, and other resources, as well as welcoming questions at the onset results in a win-win situation in the end.
This is something that I am learning to do better. Sometimes my team lets me know that I’ve given them cryptic information or conflicting instructions. But this speaks to the strength of our team — as one of our team said astutely, “We need to manage our manager.” Asking for clarification, restating instructions, and pushing back if expectations are unreasonable or unclear are strategies everyone will benefit from.
3. Handle Potentially Negative Situations with a Positive Approach.
Let’s be honest. Most employees don’t set out to mess up a project, delete valuable files, or insult a major client. But sometimes management handles a negative situation as though that is precisely what happened. Much like a company navigates a difficult situation with a disgruntled customer, a manager should exercise the same level of patience, calmness, and heightened listening skills to remedy an in-house situation.
In an upsetting situation, it’s easy to start blaming people or attributing bad motives. But not only is it bad business, it’s also just an unkind thing to do to a person. To avoid this, I often use the “sandwich model” when I’m speaking or writing. I try to “sandwich” any negative feedback or information between two positive points about the situation or the person. It helps the employee swallow a bitter pill and also helps me reframe my perspective to see things more holistically and accurately.
4. Automate the Busy Work.
At times, the best of supportive intentions can be overshadowed by the demands of a job that relies on an old computer system. The day will come when management needs to ask if workplace challenges are based on people or the process? An updated computer system can streamline office duties, empower team members with mobile and collaborative capabilities, organize documents and virtually eliminate piles of paperwork and redundant data entry.
Before you pass out the pink slips, know that the right work process can bring out the best in people. If you are trying to move forward with archaic computer technology, it’s time to talk with a consultant who can direct you to resources that will help your company reach the next level of progress.
A large part of serving your internal customer is providing the necessary resources to enable employees to succeed in their jobs. Things like flexibility and cooperation, clear communication, patience, respect, and a functioning operating system may be just the ticket to a winning team.
