Creating Your Corporate Culture

Large or small, every business has its own unique culture. Some businesses create a culture accomplished through careful planning. It’s the kind of intentional effort that starts right from the get-go. Other businesses evolve their culture entirely by accident that often stems directly from the personality of the biggest fish, ie: the owner, president, or COO.

Zurich_swingsGoogle is a great example of a planned corporate culture. A trendy, fun, hip vibe runs through the veins of its workspaces with an objective to draw and retain the freshest, most innovative minds in their field. And it works.

For the company with an unplanned culture, attempts to introduce a new one can backfire if not handled strategically.

I once worked for a company that had created a head-down, clock in/clock out environment of fear. This culture didn’t appear to be intentional; it was simply the attitude of two of the key big figures in the company. It felt natural to them and so, without realizing it, they passed the mindset along.

When it was brought to their attention that morale was low, they decided to try to fix it starting with a bar-b-cue hosted out in the parking lot. We were instructed to go out, fix a plate, and go back inside to eat at our workstations.

party_hornA few weeks later, they held a gathering in the cafeteria where they awarded plastic All Star trophies to a few chosen employees. And a few weeks after that, they had one of their managers march through the bullpen blowing a party horn and throwing confetti.

Attempts of this nature continued over the course of a few months. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you… it was a bust. And yet those at the highest levels of the company scratched their heads and wondered why this didn’t boost morale around the office and improve the overall culture of the company. After all, who doesn’t love a good party horn?

It’s probably no surprise to the reader that the existing revolving door at that company spun out of control. Clearly it’s easier to establish a corporate culture at the beginning, when you first start a business and while all hires are new. But is it too late for an older company with a culture that has evolved by itself?

The short answer is no, it’s not too late. But it will take patience and determination to bring about change. Culture concepts must be planted and nurtured. And it all starts with the leadership.

There’s much that can be done to build culture. The following 3 tips are merely starting points for a process that is ever ongoing and unique to your business vision.

1. Embrace the team mentality

I once worked for a business owner who referred to her staff as her “worker bees”. This was a mistake as it created a parent/child company culture. A “we’re in this together” mentality would have served her better and would have built a strong sense of teamwork.

A healthy, thriving company is one that operates like a team, working toward common goals with an attitude of camaraderie. Leadership that operates that way is more likely to build a corporate culture that fosters teamwork, and therefore, employee retention, growth and revenue.

2. Know your core values

What’s at your core? What do you believe? If at your core you’re about collaboration, then foster that mentality by soliciting ideas from others and being open to new processes. If your core values include superior customer service concepts, begin practicing those concepts with your staff. If you’re creative, constantly exploring innovative ideas, then you must foster this in others who share that same wiring. Open up dialog to talk about new ideas and implement the ones that you think might work. Let those thinkers run with their ideas and support their efforts toward success.

Know who you are and radiate it. Let those attributes shine a light in all the dark corners of your business.

3. Hire those who fit your culture

A friend presently works for a company with two levels of interview process. The candidate’s first interview is with the person that would serve as their supervisor. That interview is all about skills, education, experience, career goals, and industry knowledge … all the usual stuff.

The candidate that passes that level will go on to the second. A meeting with the big dogs: The owner, the COO and the CFO. In that interview, there’s no talk of school or degrees, experience or skill sets. Instead, they’ll talk about hobbies, great vacation destinations, or their highest level on the latest video game. The point is, the big dogs already know the candidate is qualified for the job or they wouldn’t have made it to the second level. What they want to know is if this candidate has the personality to fit in with the corporate culture.

In the end, a qualified candidate may not get the job if their personality isn’t a fit. That’s how important culture is in that particular company. And they’re thriving.

Fact is, employees who fit with their work place culture tend to be more satisfied and therefore, stay longer than those who do not… even if their skills are superior. This is a terrific return on investment for the business that sinks time and money in to training staff. Start with those three points and build from there to create the culture that suits your business to a T.

Should you treat every customer the same?

 

apples-orange

The short answer: No!

Ever heard of the common phrase, you can’t compare apples to oranges? By treating every customer the same, you are placing them in a basket and assuming they all want the same thing at the same time.

While we believe that every customer should be treated with fairness, treating every customer the same is robotic; and it will lead to unengaged customers who do not feel like they receive a personal experience from your brand. Remember, customers don’t buy from companies; they buy from people.

As a company, you should focus on each customer’s unique needs. Within your CRM, always document unique characteristics of customer that could better your relationship.

  • Does the customer prefer e-invoicing v. paper invoicing?
  • Do they respond best with phone calls over email communication?
  • Did they mention they will be on vacation and you should invoice someone else?
  •  Do they regularly purchase at the beginning of the month? Consider contacting them if you don’t receive their order.

Customers will appreciate the personal touch on their account. While all customers ultimately affect the bottom line and are a source of cash flow, remember they want to be treated like people, not dollar signs.

When an Account Goes to Collection

This is a common question especially when it comes to collections. The majority of your collections efforts should follow your late payment policy. If not, why have a policy in place at all?

Some companies give special treatment to their best customers who falter once with a past due bill. Keeping a quality customer may mean that you need to bend the rules. This is a business decision that has to be made by the executive team. Always keep your eye on the long-term, big picture relationship. Forgiving a late payment once could result in a positive long-term relationship!

Before any action is taken, a series of questions need to be asked and answered on the part of the service provider:

1. How long has the company serviced this customer?

2. Has this customer ever missed a payment before?

3. How much money is involved?

4. How much might the relationship be worth in future sales?

5. How likely is the customer to continue making referrals?

From there, weigh your options on the best way to handle the late payment in order to sustain a relationship.