The culture of any business is difficult to define, but we all know it when we experience it. An enterprise that is rich in culture will have high performing individuals accomplishing extraordinary things. Companies with a broken culture struggle mightily and are negatively impacted by the culture deficit.Culture is either an organizations greatest asset or most glaring liability. Even as most recognize the importance of establishing a strong culture, many simply don’t know how to create it.
Below are 7 steps to ensure the culture you create will be one of strength:
1. Hire Right– When bringing new people into an organization, focus on passion above experience. The promotional products industry can be taught, but caring and passion cannot.
2. Always Communicate– Sit regularly with your team and discuss what is going and, more importantly, what isn’t. Allow all associates to share in an environment without fear of repercussion. Great cultures grow around people who listen.
3. Transparency– Share all key initiatives, milestones, and goals with the entire organization. Each associate needs to feel they know and understand the strategy at each level of the company.
4. Dedication – Simply put, the 40 hour work week is dead. A culture where everyone understands that long hours are sometimes required will flourish as long as the sacrifice is both recognized and rewarded.
5. Celebrate– Take every opportunity to celebrate. While it is important for people to be recognized by leadership, it’s much more important and compelling for them to hear from their peers. Allow coworkers to celebrate each other for supporting the core values of the organization. This is especially important if you have a remote work force.
6. Embrace Differences– Truly great cultures are built on diverse foundations where differences in background, experiences, and interests exist. These differences create the energy for growth.
7. The Long and Winding Road– Don’t be handicapped by short-term thinking such as the current month’s sales numbers. Instead, take the long and winding road and look ahead in months, years, and even decades. We tend to overestimate what can be accomplished in one year, but underestimate what can be done in five years.
As an organization grows, culture will help keep it on track and in alignment with established core values. By following the above guidelines, you will create an environment where ideas flourish, associates are empowered, and success will be celebrated.
Bill Petrie
engage@brandivatemarketing.com
brandivatemarketing.com
brandivatemarketing
@brandivatemktg
About brandivate
Bill has over 15 years working in executive leadership position at leading promotional products distributorships. In addition, he launched brandivate – the first executive team outsourcing company solely focus on helping small promotional products companies responsibly grow their business. In March of 2015, Bill began a partnership with Proforma to assist their Owners growing their individual distributorships. A former speaker at the PPAI Winter Expo and current member of the board of directors for the Promotional Products Association of the Mid-South (PPAMS), Bill has extensive real-world practice coaching sales teams, creating successful marketing campaigns, developing operational policies and procedures, creating and delivering RFP responses, and successfully presenting promotional solutions to Fortune 500 clients.
