Culture Matters. Company culture can be defined as “the values and behaviors that are displayed within an organization, which determine the ways things get done”. Good news: every company has a culture. Bad news: an amazing culture takes intentional effort (with leadership attention) and develops over time. It’s not a one-hit wonder. How To Build the Culture You Desire While many companies desire a positive, healthy, thriving culture (not an energy-sucking, draining one), most companies fall somewhere in the middle. Culture must be a priority and it must be intentionally crafted. Ask yourself, how do we want to win and differentiate ourselves from other employers? Ways to Differentiate Your Business From Other Employers Hire the best people Recognizing and reward your employees Ensure your systems are efficient Communicating often and well Instill company values and vision that teammates live by (not just posting it on the conference room wall) Require leaders to lead by example Continually build trust Your culture should be hard to replicate. It’s unique to your team, their wants and needs being met in a variety of ways. Change should be the norm, since culture is always evolving. It’s a product of action, reaction and more action. Just be sure that you are taking the right actions to move your organization forward and not backward. Everyone Talks About Company Culture But Do Your Leaders? Successful companies know that focusing on culture will drive organizational performance. Culture must be aligned with business strategy. A phrase originated by Peter Drucker and made famous by Mark Fields (President of Ford) says that: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Unfortunately, it’s a phrase that seems to be forgotten during leadership strategy planning sessions. It’s “too soft” and intangible, there’s no hard number. Well leaders, work on your soft skills because culture is here to stay. How Strong Is Your Company Culture? However, culture and strategy are intertwined at the deepest levels, and if not aligned then organizational success will surely falter. No matter how strong your corporate strategy is, it’s culture that will determine how well it gets executed and sticks over time. We like to think of it as “what happens when the CEO isn’t looking”. And so we ask, how strong is your culture? Do people come in early and stay late? Do you allow for balance in their work life? Do they work tirelessly to meet deadlines, impress clients, get along with teammates? Are you making it intentional or allowing it to develop on its own? Do Your Leaders Buy-in To Strengthening Your Company’s Culture? Leadership buy-in is one of the biggest obstacles in strengthening a company’s culture. Need stats to drive the point home? In 2015, Deloitte surveyed 3000 leaders – across 106 countries- and culture / engagement was the largest issue. And while 86% of C-suite believes culture is important, only 45% think something is actually happening to change it. What’s your culture-shaping strategy? As the competitive market continues to grow, it’s essential to ensure your organization’s competitive advantage shines. Be intentional. Remember, when people matter, companies THRIVE.

Using a football team as an analogy for a business team, what is the relationship between a great coach, quarterback, and the players who make-up a winning team? How do these positions work together to create a successful team? Would a team win if they were missing any of these key elements? Likely not. The Team (Employees) We draft top talent (hire the best) and we get rid of those who don’t make the cut (healthy turnover). This is true whether talking about football or companies. Can a football team compete if there are gaps in the defense, kicking team, or special teams? Nope, and neither can your organization. You need people with different skills to make up your special teams, your departments including: Sales, Service, Marketing, Accounting, and beyond. Assess your team roster for gaps that need to be filled (create a strategic hiring plan). Ensure your best talent carries the ball (handles your most important work), and consider what happens if / when you have injuries (departures) or teammates head gracefully into retirement (this happens at work too!) Each team creates its own unique culture: putting in long hours of practice (work / overtime), developing personal relationships, attending events together, caring about the well-being of their teammates, and overall creating an environment of trust, respect, and team work. It’s important to ensure your team is bonding at an optimal level. Sometimes we have to facilitate these types of events, and we must be intentional regarding team engagement efforts (ask for feedback, survey, focus groups). Your team plays an integral role in making the magic of your organization. Ensure you have the right players, working toward the common goals. Quarterback & Offensive Line (Key Leadership) Imagine your key leaders as the Quarterback and Offensive Line. These leaders work together to move the ball forward (create success in the organization). They hold huddles to communicate, provide encouragement, and focus on the task at hand. They have worked to develop respect and trust with the team and each other. When the QB calls a play, the offensive line does whatever is necessary to make that play happen. Whether it’s blocking, tackling, running, catching, creating gaps, in order to see success everyone must be doing their part and doing it well. Is your QB and Offensive Line moving the ball down the field as desired (working toward that common goal and moving in the same direction)? The Coach (Business / Culture Coach) The role of the coach can be quite a challenging one. The coach is essential to developing the strategic plan and communicating that plan in an effective manner. The coach divides his/her time as a leader, mentor, motivator, strategic planner, cheerleader and more throughout the game. He/she utilizes a playbook (tool kit) that is built over time and filled with ideas to drive success. The QB/Offensive Line (Leaders) and Team (Employees) rely on the years of experience and preparation that the Coach has to offer, and listens because they know if they apply their muscle to the coach’s wisdom, then great things will happen as they work together and navigate towards success. They execute on the plan, and ensure everyone is working together. Just as teammates change over time, so can the Coach. Whether it’s because of an antiquated approach (you must compete in today’s competitive market) or a different view from the GM (the board of directors) – sometimes a new coach is needed. If the game isn’t headed in the direction you desire, then you must find another coach to add to the bench strength of your team. New perspective can be refreshing and needed. After all, we’ve seen the sidelines bursting with a support team (coaches, assistants, trainers, doctors, agents, referees, media, cheerleaders, mascots, and more!). While you likely don’t need a new mascot, it’s critical to your organization to have the right coach/coaches in place. How To Improve Your Team Having the right teammates on your bus, and leading your team should resonate with you. Ensuring collaboration, building trust, streamlining processes, representing your vision and values – all in the name of organizational success. MB Consulting Solutions can provide you a new coach, to help provide fresh perspective regarding your team. We are people experts, who focus on culture-shaping, and provide a quality gap analysis, recommendations for change, implementation of actionable programs, consulting services, and workshops for your business. Contact us today!

Employee recognition is a simple and proactive way to improve employee morale, lower turnover, and boost overall team motivation to get the job done (and good news: productivity will soar!). We encourage leaders to open this gate of opportunity and develop a successful game plan for recognizing your team. What is the right approach for your organization? The following are some tips that will help get things moving in a positive direction… A Little Goes a Long Way Employees want to feel appreciated, even when the gesture is small. Whether a handwritten thank you card for going above and beyond, public/private praise and recognition, or honoring someone as the employee of the month with a closer parking spot for their hard work. A memorable and easy reward… allow your employee take his/her spouse out to dinner on the company. Getting the partner involved is key, as it increases the impact and brings the reward factor home! Taking action is the most important factor, whether big or small. Respect and praise are free and should be given freely. Organizations do not have to break the bank to make employees feel valued, but rather have meaningful rewards provided at varying intervals. Be Aware of Differences Successful recognition is based on a customized approach. Be aware of your methods behind recognition, whether private or public. Bob from marketing may love when people clap and cheer for his accomplishments, however Sue from sales may not feel the same way. Reach out to your team to see what makes them most comfortable. This could be done via conversation or survey (depending on the size of your organization). Additionally, everyone has different reward types that are appreciated. We recommend sending out a “Fun Facts” sheet to help you team get to know each other. The hidden agenda behind this project lies in the details. When we ask people about their favorite food, drink, hobbies, candy, restaurant, etc. then we have a great customized tool to use down the road when you need ideas for rewards, gift cards, or even the simple gesture of leaving a special treat on your employee’s desk. Customization matters, your team will appreciate that you took the time to think about them specifically. Remember the Special Days Birthdays, marriages, anniversaries, the birth of a child; these are all events that employees celebrate and cherish. Your organization should also! Be sure to genuinely show interest (ask questions!) and celebrate these important life events. Whether it’s a small party put together by department colleagues or a monthly celebration for all of the birthdays, look for reasons to celebrate your team. One of our favorite areas of recognition is around employee birthdays. We encourage clients to send a $5.99 personalized note and Cheryl’s Cookie Card to each person, and while the cost is low the impact has been significant and well received. It’s personal, thoughtful and makes each employee feel special. Celebrate milestones and let your team know that you are happy for them, it does not cost much. Employees just want to know that you care. Let Them Take the Lead Do you have an employee interested in leading an initiative or otherwise making a positive impact on your company? Encourage him/her to take the lead. Form committees of special interest (community, social, diversity, educational, creative, etc.) or start new projects for process improvement. Providing empowerment opportunities like this increases employee morale and the “ownership” feeling that builds commitment and breeds pride. Additionally, it builds into your employee’s skills as a form of leadership development. Also remember to recognize those who take the lead – a key strategy to building trust and commitment between an employer and employee. As you can see from the above examples, employee recognition matters. Taking time to say thanks, pat people on the back, and give rewards can lead to great things. Employees feel appreciated, which engages the team and builds morale thus lowering turnover. Your organization needs this to survive and thrive. Take some time to review your current rewards and recognition program, then use these findings to make improvement and personalize your approach. Show that you care, and employees will do the same.