As business owners, we spend most of our time focused on the external side of our business: making sure we’re offering services customers want, attracting great leads so we can increase our sales, delivering exceptional value to our customers.
But how are things looking “behind the curtain”?
How often do you find time to check your business is working great on the inside?
We devote time, energy, understanding and empathy to build trust and buy-in with our customers. What are you doing to build trust and buy-in from your people?
A lot of small business owners get it wrong thinking “company culture” is just for big corporations.
There IS a company culture, at businesses of every size. (Even when you don’t see it!)
And it can always be tweaked to build a healthy, consistent and thriving business.
Here’s a quote that sums this idea up nicely:
“I realized that often, if you have a lot of overly prescriptive policies and procedures, people will live down to them. But if you let people own policies themselves — especially at the first level of people supervision — it helps develop them.”
– Mary Barra, CEO, General Motors
Now, I’m all about having clear and consistent systems in place!
Do not, I repeat, do NOT throw all your systems and procedures out the window!
DO work hard to find that balance between systematizing and empowering your employees to make things better.
Think about it.
Do you ask your people how things are going? Do you ask them how they feel about a certain solution, or system, or process, or rule? Do you have a truly safe space within your company to allow people to voice their concerns?
Each of these examples help to create a culture of ideas, innovation and improvement, without disrupting your well-oiled and integral business systems.
Letting your people contribute to improving the business brings out the entrepreneur in them! It allows them to move away from the ‘hourly’ mindset and ignites their own entrepreneurial spirit.
The feeling of buy-in and ownership creates both loyalty and longevity in your employees.
Asking for feedback and input can be super easy. A one-page feedback form can get the conversation started. And, to make it super-SUPER-easy, we’ve created one for you that’s ready to go!
Join Homepro Toolbox and grab our Company Culture Worksheet.
Giving your employees a voice is a great first step to creating a positive company culture in your business. It will help you identify what’s working, what’s not, and important areas of improvement. And best of all, it demonstrates your respect for the people who keep your business running.
Try it out and let us know how it goes. We can’t wait to hear about your progress!