Mueller - Company culture check

Serendipity is defined as good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries. By that definition many of us would find it serendipitous to find a workplace where there is a culture of shared visions, enthusiasm and work ethic. The question for many business leaders is "how do we achieve a certain type of culture in the workplace?"

There are many different ways to go about this. I am of the opinion that we can make a change in our business culture -- it may take time and effort, but the results are astounding.

Let's start by thinking of our business from the inside out. Quite simply, to create a culture change, the easiest thing to do is to focus on our internal customers, and not just the customer and clients who walk through our doors.

Who are our internal customers? Well, mostly they are our own employees, managers and staff. This list would also include people who service us inside our businesses-vendors and service people we rely upon to make our products or services available to our external customers.

When I consult with companies, no matter the size or type of business, there is always an opportunity for improvement in the internal communications of companies. We have to ask ourselves if our own employees are the last to find out about our new product or initiative. Does everyone in the organization know and understand the direction of the organization. Has the job description and employee roles and expectations been clearly communicated and understood by all?

More importantly, have the employees and staff within the organization had an opportunity to play a key role in the development of the vision, job roles, etc.? The best culture to create within an organization is one of ownership -- ownership of policies, ideas and initiatives. When the employees feel a sense of ownership and belonging, then they become not just compliant, but actually committed to the success of the organization.

Is there a sense of teamwork at your organization or are the employees only loyal to their particular departments or cells? We certainly want members of a particular service team to be bonded, but we do not want divisiveness across departmental lines. How can we overcome this naturally occurring phenomenon? The best way is to cross-train, job shadow, and bring them together for informational meetings and trainings.

Place members from different departments on cross-functional teams; let them be on the fund-raising committee, the communications committee, etc. Bring different groups together off-site for training and allow time for them to just talk and compare notes, getting to know each other.

Speaking of getting together, does your organization allow people to come together and celebrate successes? Oftentimes in an organization, meetings are only meant to deliver bad news or to present more projects that need to be completed. Come together often to celebrate a new initiative, recognize excellence in the workplace, etc.

Are your meetings a bore? Are they a downer? Make sure they have a clear agenda, always begin with good news, end on time, and the results of the meeting are clearly communicated to those who attended and did not attend. Always allow for attendees to contribute to the agenda in advance, and send the agenda out ahead of the meeting.

Do you have a vehicle in place that allows for employee contribution of ideas? Oftentimes, our staff is where the rubber hits the road, and these folks have the best perspective on how to solve a problem or improve innovation. Support and reward best practices, and allow those ideas to be shared throughout the organization.

And above all, we need to make sure we practice good human relations skills with each and every person in our workplace. Just like in families, we often take our co-workers for granted. We must always ask ourselves, "Would I speak to a client this way?" What a wonderful place our companies would be if we treated each other with the same courtesy, respect, enthusiasm, and level of service that we did our most important client.

Take a culture check-up soon. Implement an employee satisfaction survey. Involve everyone. Take your organization to the next level in the next 12 months -- the benefits will include greater commitment, less turnover and increased profitability.

Sharon Mueller is president of Success Skills, a staff development and training company committed to the success of a client's enterprise through improving the performance of employees and processes within the client's organization. She can be reached at 332-0900 or smuellerk@hotmail.com.