ReportWire

Tag: Company Culture

  • Does Corporate Culture Really Impact the Bottom Line?

    Company culture doesn’t affect performance. That’s not a hot take, that’s what a 2022 meta analysis from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found when they compared more than 500 research papers on the topic. From the report:

    The findings are very clear: there is little evidence consistently linking organizational culture to performance, but if such a link should exist, it is very weak and too small to be practically meaningful. As such, organizations and practitioners should be careful spending time and money on company-wide culture change programs as they are not likely to increase performance.

    And yet, when asked, 92% of executives believe that improving their firm’s culture would increase the value of their company. So are 92% of executives wrong? And are millions, if not billions, of dollars wasted each year on culture efforts?

    The short answer? Yes and yes. The full answer is a bit more complicated.

    Why the myth persists

    Leaders cling to the idea that culture drives results because it feels controllable. You can write new values, host an off-site, or hire a chief culture officer. It’s far easier to reprint the employee handbook than to rewire incentives, decision-making, or priorities. Culture talk offers the illusion of progress—something visible, moral, and manageable—while the real performance drivers remain untouched.

    Company culture is still deeply misunderstood 

    Many leaders talk about culture as something you have—a vibe, a set of values, a mood—rather than something you do. But culture is not a static asset; it’s the emergent result of how decisions are made, what gets rewarded or punished, and which behaviors the system makes easy or hard. When executives say “we need a culture of innovation,” but still require six layers of approval for new ideas, they’re confusing aspiration for infrastructure.

    Leaders aren’t being honest about their culture, or with themselves 

    Research from MIT Sloan Management Review (2020) found no correlation between a company’s stated values and the lived experience of its employees. In other words, what leaders say their culture is and what people actually feel day-to-day are worlds apart. Firms with large culture gaps see lower productivity and impaired alignment. The misalignment fuels cynicism and distrust, undermining managerial credibility and depleting morale. Employees in these organizations report reduced commitment and higher turnover. Instead of confronting that gap, many double down on optics: slogans, all-hands pep talks, or off-sites meant to “rebuild trust.”

    But culture isn’t changed through words or rituals—it’s changed through systems. Decision rights, information flow, meeting cadence, and incentives form the real architecture of behavior. Until leaders are honest enough to align those structures with their rhetoric, culture initiatives will keep delivering the same result: symbolic satisfaction with no measurable performance gains.

    Leaders aren’t being strategic about their culture

    Every era has its cultural role model—the company everyone else is told to emulate. In the ’90s it was Jack Welch’s GE. Then it was Apple, then Amazon. Now it’s Jensen Huang’s Nvidia. Each time, executives rush to borrow their rituals and slogans, hoping to import a little of their magic. But let’s be honest: your company isn’t that company—and it shouldn’t be.

    Culture is simply how strategy gets lived. Which means a “best culture” doesn’t exist, only a fit culture—one that reinforces your distinct strategy and constraints. Copying someone else’s culture while pursuing a different strategy isn’t just naive, it’s counter-strategic. 

    The culture obsession is a distraction

    The corporate world is hooked on culture because it’s comforting and it makes leadership feel human and moral. But culture talk often becomes a way to avoid harder truths: bad strategy, misaligned incentives, broken systems, and unclear ownership. In our experience as a consulting partner to some of the world’s largest and most complex companies, a “culture problem” is usually a smokescreen for problems that leaders have long known about and shirked responsibility for: a “nice” way to avoid assigning blame or deflecting responsibility. And when we analyzed 1,700 public companies and their Glassdoor ratings, we found that the No. 1 topic among negative reviews were complaints about leaders and management. So, poor leadership produces poor cultures.

    What to do instead

    Before rushing to rewrite values, produce swag, or drag people to town halls, leaders first need to hold themselves accountable. Do they actually behave in the way they hope others will? Do they collaborate with their peers as “one company” or is that really just a slogan? Does the way they allocate resources match what they claim to prioritize? Are the people they’re promoting really the best “culture bearers” or merely squeaky wheels or political players?

    Then, leaders should consider culture as the shadow cast by the operating model they design and manage. If you want to change the shadow, you have to move the object casting it. That means redesigning how decisions get made, how information travels, and what gets measured and rewarded. Culture is not a lever to pull; it’s a reflection of the choices leadership makes every day about how work actually happens.

    So yes, culture matters, just not in the way most executives think. You don’t fix performance by fixing culture; you fix culture by fixing performance. Because in the end, culture lives in the rules you enforce, not the words you endorse.

    By Bud Caddell

    This article originally appeared in Inc.’s sister publication, Fast Company.

    Fast Company is the world’s leading business media brand, with an editorial focus on innovation in technology, leadership, world changing ideas, creativity, and design. Written for and about the most progressive business leaders, Fast Company inspires readers to think expansively, lead with purpose, embrace change, and shape the future of business.

    The final deadline for the 2026 Inc. Regionals Awards is Friday, December 12, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply now.

    Fast Company

    Source link

  • Small Annoyances Add Up in Business. Here’s How Great Leaders Respond

    You felt it the moment you got to the conference—a tiny pebble in your shoe. Not enough to stop, just enough to annoy you. “I’ll deal with it later,” you told yourself. “First, take care of business.”   

    Three hours in, it had become a small torture device. When you finally stopped for 10 seconds and shook out the pebble, you laughed, realizing how much energy you wasted ignoring it.

    In leadership, annoying pebbles come in many forms. It might be the underperformer you keep hoping will “come around,” the recurring glitch everyone works around, or the teammate who dominates meetings. Each one is small enough to tolerate—until the constant friction eventually burns you out and wears away your culture. 

    When little pebbles add up  

    Some leaders believe ignoring small irritations makes them resilient or tough. Research says otherwise, however, pointing to mental fatigue, cognitive load, and resource depletion. These are ways the human brain gets worn down by tolerating too much for too long. In my coaching work, I call it “energy leaks.” 

    Everyone does it. They rationalize: “It’s not that bad. It’s just how she is. It’s not worth bringing up.” Each story allows you to avoid discomfort—conflict, confrontation, or change. The payoff? You keep the peace and feel “nice.” You even get to tell yourself you’re being “professional.” However, the price is steep. It comes in the loss of focus, diminished trust, and quiet resentment that seeps into our decisions and relationships. 

    Seeing pebbles in action 

    You can see it everywhere. At Boeing, years of tolerating minor quality issues eventually eroded safety culture and public trust. At Uber, small ethical lapses were written off as “startup intensity” until they blew up into a global scandal. At Wells Fargo, the culture of enabling the tiny missteps that fed unrealistically aggressive sales goals eventually became systemic fraud. 

    As Jerry Seinfeld might say, “Ever notice how a whole organization can walk around with the same metaphorical pebble? The outdated policy no one likes, the meeting everyone dreads, or the software no one understands. It’s like a company-wide limp. But nobody says anything because, you know, ‘we’re staying positive.’ Sure, positive we’ll do nothing about it.” 

    Reflection questions 

    • What small irritations or misalignments have you tried to live with? 
    • What payoff do you get from tolerating them—and what’s the cost? 
    • What would freedom look like if you stopped pretending “it’s fine”? 

    5 steps to be pebble-free 

    1. Notice the pebble. Acknowledging the truth can lighten the load. You can’t release what you don’t see. 
    2. Remove the pebble. Do the thing you’ve been avoiding. Fix it, address it, or let it go entirely. The relief will outweigh the discomfort. 
    3. Reframe the pebble. Ask what it’s teaching you. Maybe it’s pointing to a boundary you need to set or a truth you need to tell. 
    4. Say no to new pebbles. Stop letting unnecessary irritants pile up. Say no to extra meetings, unclear requests, or “just this once” exceptions that cost peace later. Here’s a free guide I wrote to help leaders say no. 
    5. Review the culture. If the same pebbles keep showing up throughout your organization, it’s not a shoe problem—it’s a culture problem. Review policies, norms, and incentives to see where friction hides in plain sight. 

    Team talk  

    At your next team meeting, invite a five-minute pebble check. Ask: “What’s one small thing you’re putting up with that doesn’t serve you or the team?” Listen. Don’t fix. You’ll be amazed how quickly awareness melts frustration and clears the path for meaningful action. 

    Your inspirational challenge 

    Don’t mistake “putting up with it” for strength. Real strength is the courage to stop, adjust, and move on with clarity. While you can’t avoid every pebble, you can choose how you meet them—with awareness, compassion, and a willingness to act. 

    This week, give yourself permission to stop tolerating pebbles that steal your ease. Every time you clear a minor irritation or a big misalignment, you create space for love to lead. That’s the way to quiet revolution—striding forward with purpose, peace, and no unnecessary pain. 

    The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

    Moshe Engelberg

    Source link

  • How to Lead During Times of Uncertainty

    If ever there was a time for leaders to prove their trustworthiness, it’s now.

    Jerry Colonna

    Source link

  • Why Your Project Management Tool Isn’t Working—and How to Fix It

    Stop managing projects through your inbox and give your team the structure they need to thrive.

    David Finkel

    Source link

  • Why Clear Expectations Are the Key to Employee Productivity and Morale

    Adi Klevit, an Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) member in Portland, Oregon, is the co-founder of Business Success Consulting Group, which helps leaders create and document custom processes and tailor-made management systems that ensure consistency. We asked Klevit how clear procedures and expectations in the workplace can drive productivity, confidence, and team morale.

    When roles aren’t clear, employees end up duplicating efforts, stepping on each other’s toes, or delivering work that misses the mark. The result? Frustration, resentment, and eventually, talented people walking out the door, not because they lack ability, but because they lack clarity. 

    Why clarity matters 

    I’ve seen this play out countless times, and the research backs it up. According to Effectory’s HR Analytics, employees who have clarity about their role are 53 percent more efficient and 27 percent more effective than those without it. That’s a 25 percent performance boost. Other studies show the same pattern. Role ambiguity is strongly linked to higher turnover intentions and lower job satisfaction. 

    Here’s the kicker: Many fast-growing companies avoid putting structure in place because they’re afraid it will slow them down. However, clarity isn’t red tape. It’s what allows you to grow at speed without chaos. 

    A real-world example 

    At a financial services firm we worked with, one client services team member stood out. She was diligent, smart, and genuinely wanted to excel. She completed a task for a client, sent it off, and thought she nailed it. However, when her adviser reviewed it, he was disappointed. The problem wasn’t her effort. It was that expectations weren’t defined or documented anywhere. She felt like she had failed, even though she had done her best with the information she had. 

    Her motivation took a hit, and eventually she began looking for another job. The firm lost a great employee not because of performance, but because she was never given clarity on what “good” looked like. The truth is she didn’t fail—the system did. 

    On the flip side, I’ve also seen clarity turn things around. One client in professional services decided to start small by documenting their client onboarding process. Within weeks, they cut mistakes in half, sped up turnaround times, and gave their employees more confidence. That single process win energized the team and created momentum to tackle other areas. 

    What actually works  

    The solution isn’t complicated, and it doesn’t have to bog your company down. Start small, keep it lean, and build as you grow. Here are five practices I’ve seen transform both productivity and morale: 

    • Map one process flow. Don’t boil the ocean. Start with a high-impact workflow, such as onboarding or invoicing. Even a whiteboard sketch can show everyone where they fit and prevent gaps. 
    • Define ownership at each step. Be crystal clear about who owns what, who contributes, and who needs to be informed. This avoids duplication and finger-pointing. 
    • Set success metrics. Don’t just say “do the report.” Spell out what a successful report looks like so employees know when they’ve nailed it. 
    • Connect the dots. Help employees see not just their tasks but how their work impacts others. That perspective builds collaboration and trust. 
    • Keep it current. Businesses evolve. Review and adjust your processes so clarity today doesn’t turn into confusion tomorrow. 

    These steps can be rolled out quickly by your managers and department heads, but only if leadership champions them. 

    The leadership mindset shift 

    Clarity is the foundation of productivity and scale, and it starts at the top. As CEO, your role isn’t to write out every process. Instead, it’s to set the tone. You model respect for clarity by following the systems yourself, and you make sure your leadership team sees procedures as empowerment tools, not bureaucracy. 

    Think of it this way: While your managers own the details of process mapping, you own creating a culture where clarity is valued and followed. Your company reaps the benefits of faster scaling, smoother onboarding, and a team that doesn’t need to be micromanaged. I’ve seen leaders lose top performers simply because they didn’t live by their own systems. If you want your team to respect the process, then you have to lead by example. 

    Clarity brings freedom 

    Clarity isn’t bureaucracy. It’s the structure that frees people to do their best work. When employees know what’s expected, they don’t just perform better; they feel valued, motivated, and engaged. For fast-growing companies, clarity is what makes scale possible. Without it, growth creates chaos. With it, growth creates freedom. 

    The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

    Entrepreneurs’ Organization

    Source link

  • Patience in Leadership Means Letting Things Unfold Naturally

    Great ideas take time. It took more than 200 years for scientists to create vaccines. It took centuries of theory before space exploration and the invention of the internet. And millions of ideas are brewing today that you may not see come to fruition in your lifetime. So why do people expect leaders to make flawless, swift, and accurate decisions in minutes? True leadership requires patience, and part of that is learning to focus on the things that truly matter.  

    However, patience in leadership is not just about organizational decisions. It’s about taking the time to let things unfold at their own pace. This includes how you feel about the direction your business is headed or the discomfort that comes with change. You never really know how it’s all going to unfold unless you get intimately familiar with the feelings of unease.  

    Yes, change is unsettling

    Asking clients to wait and see is often met with frustration. Your world moves swiftly and demands attention at every turn. As a leader, you’re used to being in control of what happens next and manipulating outcomes. That’s the job you signed up for. However, stepping back to make a decision or letting changes take place without trying to control them is where you will grow as a leader. It’s also where the most significant transformations happen within any business. 

    But what about the anxious feeling? The one that keeps you up at night and begs you to take back the reins? Let it thrive. That feeling will not dissipate. It will not settle, sleep, or let you feel anything other than the power it holds. That’s because patience isn’t passive. It’s robust, anxious, and all the things that will cause you to second-guess yourself. However, patience is also a strength. That’s what I was referring to in my book, Reboot, when I wrote about staying with your discomfort until you reach that place where it becomes something else.  

    How leaders can develop more patience 

    You will pass through the depths of anxiousness and uncertainty if you sit with something long enough or if you allow patience to be your guide. On the other side is clarity and truth. However, before you can get there, there are some fundamental things to ask yourself. I recommend journaling, typing these questions out, writing them down on a dinner napkin, or even saying them out loud.  

    Patience carries powerful energy. The best way to channel it is by working through these burning questions:  

    • What am I really feeling? Now’s the time to write it all down—anxiety, uncertainty, dread, fear, excitement, or tension. Whatever it is that you are feeling, write it down. 
    • What am I avoiding? You might be avoiding something by trying to take back control and not sitting with patience. What are you really trying to avoid? Maybe it’s an inevitable outcome you dread, or perhaps it’s a feeling you’d rather avoid. Be honest with yourself. 
    • What’s the story I’m telling myself? In the words of Joan Didion, “We tell ourselves stories in order to live,” and that’s true in everything we do. We all have stories. What is the story you are telling yourself about the situation you’re unable to control right now? What is the narrative that is untrue but makes you feel better?  

    There’s a light at the end of this uneasy and difficult tunnel. The more that you practice patience and the art of sitting with unease, the more insight you will gain. It won’t get easier, but it will become a habit, and that, in turn, will become your leadership truth.  

    The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

    Jerry Colonna

    Source link

  • A Delayed Response to Staffing Issues Is a Costly Mistake. Here’s Why It Matters

    In the bustling world of business, staffing issues can crop up unexpectedly, presenting challenges that demand immediate attention. Yet all too often, business owners find themselves tempted to adopt a wait-and-see approach, hoping that problems will resolve themselves over time. However, this seemingly passive stance can prove detrimental to the health and success of your enterprise in more ways than one. 

    Picture this: You notice a dip in productivity or a decline in team morale, perhaps stemming from a particular employee’s performance or behavior. It’s easy to brush it off, attributing it to a temporary slump or external factors. However, ignoring these red flags, even for a moment, can set off a chain reaction of negative consequences. 

    The effects of a passive response 

    First and foremost, delaying action on staffing issues can create a toxic work environment. When problems go unaddressed, they fester beneath the surface, breeding resentment and frustration among team members. This toxicity seeps into company culture, corroding the trust and cohesion that are vital for a thriving workplace. 

    Moreover, the ripple effects of neglecting staffing issues extend far beyond interpersonal dynamics. Your business’s bottom line is at stake. Whether it’s decreased productivity, customer dissatisfaction, or increased turnover, unresolved issues inevitably translate into financial losses that could have been prevented. 

    Consider the long-term implications as well. Every day that passes without resolution deepens the roots of the problem, making it increasingly difficult to untangle. What might have been a manageable issue in its infancy can escalate into a full-blown crisis, requiring significant time, resources, and energy to rectify. 

    How to address staffing issues head on 

    So, what’s the alternative? Take proactive steps to address staffing issues head-on, right from the outset. While it may seem daunting, having those tough conversations today can save you immeasurable headaches down the road. Here are a few strategies to consider: 

    • Open dialogue. Foster a culture of open communication where employees feel comfortable voicing their concerns and grievances. Encourage regular check-ins and feedback sessions to nip potential issues in the bud. 
    • Timely intervention. Don’t wait for problems to escalate before taking action. Address issues promptly and constructively, offering support and guidance to help employees overcome challenges. 
    • Clear expectations. Set clear expectations from the outset regarding job roles, responsibilities, and performance standards. Regularly revisit and reinforce these expectations to ensure alignment and accountability. 
    • Continuous improvement. Treat staffing issues as opportunities for growth and improvement, both for individual employees and the organization. Invest in training, mentorship, and professional development to help employees reach their full potential. 

    Remember, your employees are the lifeblood of your business. By prioritizing their well-being and addressing staffing issues proactively, you not only safeguard the health of your organization but also cultivate a culture of trust, resilience, and success. 

    Wait-and-seeing is not an option when it comes to staffing issues. The sooner you confront challenges head on, the sooner you can mitigate their impact and steer your business toward a brighter future. So, don’t delay. Act today and reap the rewards tomorrow. 

    The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

    David Finkel

    Source link

  • Don’t Run From Failure — Run Toward It. Here’s Why. | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    We’re trained to avoid failure like it’s a contagious disease.

    At school, failing wasn’t just about getting a bad grade — it was about getting labeled. If you didn’t pass, you weren’t just “behind,” you were branded. Pulled into extra classes, singled out in front of your peers and whispered about in the hallways. It can feel like public shame dressed up as education.

    When you grow up in that kind of system, what you learn fast is: Don’t mess up. Don’t take risks. Don’t give anyone a reason to think less of you. And the biggest lesson? Stay in your lane.

    The problem is that that mindset doesn’t prepare you for the real world — especially if you want to lead, build or create anything meaningful. Because here’s the truth: If you’re afraid to fail, you’ll never truly succeed.

    Related: Want to Be a Successful Entrepreneur? Fail.

    The fear that holds us back

    Fear of failure isn’t just about the actual mistake — it’s about the imagined fallout.

    • What will people think?
    • Will they see me as incompetent? Reckless? Stupid?
    • Will this cost me my reputation, my relationships, my livelihood?

    And because those fears feel heavy and real, we avoid taking the shot. We stay where it’s “safe,” never realizing that “safe” is just a slow, quiet way to fail anyway.

    As leaders, that fear can be deadly. It keeps us from innovating, from hiring bold talent, from experimenting with new products or ideas. It makes us reactive instead of proactive. And when the market shifts — as it always does — the leaders who’ve been too scared to risk anything are the ones left scrambling.

    How I learned to get comfortable with losing

    The real turning point for me wasn’t some massive success — it was being okay with losing. But that didn’t happen overnight.

    When I started my business, I brought that school-based fear of failure right along with me. I worried about how my decisions would look. I avoided risks that felt “too visible.” I overworked myself trying to make sure nothing went wrong — and when something inevitably did, I beat myself up for weeks.

    But here’s what changed everything: I realized failure without feedback is just a loss. But failure with insight? That’s an investment.

    When you stop seeing failure as a verdict and start treating it as raw material, it becomes the most valuable thing you have.

    Over the last eight years, I’ve:

    • Mismanaged people and learned how to lead better.
    • Made bad hires and learned how to recruit with sharper instincts.
    • Invested in projects that flopped and learned where my market actually is.
    • Lost more money (and time) than I’d like to admit — and learned exactly how to make it back (and more).

    None of those lessons came from the times things went perfectly. Every single one was purchased with the currency of failure.

    Related: 4 Key Strategies to Help Entrepreneurs Cope With Failure

    How school got it wrong

    Part of why this mindset is so hard to adopt is that it’s almost the opposite of what we were trained to believe.

    Our education system rewards perfection and punishes missteps. You’re graded on what you got right, not on how many creative attempts you made. You’re celebrated for the A, not for the questions you dared to ask or the risks you took to get there.

    And that’s fine if your career goal is “ace tests forever.” But in real life, success is about trying, adapting and trying again — fast. It’s about iteration, not immaculate execution on the first go.

    If you’ve ever wondered why so many talented people never reach their potential, this is it. They’ve been conditioned to fear the first step because they’ve been conditioned to fear the stumble.

    The leader’s advantage: Failing faster

    Here’s the mindset shift that’s changed everything for me: Don’t run from failure — run toward it.

    When you take a calculated risk and it doesn’t work out, you gain information your competitors don’t have. You see where the potholes are. You understand the dynamics of your market or your team in a way you simply can’t from the sidelines.

    Failure speeds up your feedback loop. And in business, speed of learning is a competitive advantage.

    When I stopped worrying about how failure looked and started focusing on what it taught, I moved faster. My team moved faster. We became more willing to experiment, to test ideas, to pivot quickly.

    And here’s the irony: The more comfortable I got with failing, the less I actually failed in ways that mattered. Why? Because the lessons compound. The insight you gain from one mistake prevents five more down the line.

    Turning failure into fuel

    If you’re looking for practical ways to reframe failure, here’s what’s worked for me:

    1. Separate the event from your identity. Failing at something doesn’t make you a failure. It makes you a human who’s gathering data.
    2. Ask better post-mortem questions. Instead of “Why did I mess up?” ask “What specifically did I learn, and how will I apply it next time?”
    3. Take the hit, then take the action. Feel the sting, but don’t camp there. Apply the lesson as quickly as possible so it becomes forward motion.
    4. Make it visible for your team. When leaders are open about their own missteps, it gives everyone else permission to try without fear.

    Related: How to Turn Failures Into Wins As an Entrepreneur

    The real goal

    At the end of the day, the point isn’t to fail for failure’s sake. The point is to strip failure of its power over you so you can move without hesitation.

    If there’s one mindset that’s been critical to my success, it’s this: Be okay with failing — because the lesson you learn is worth more than the hit you take.

    The faster you embrace that truth, the faster you’ll grow — not just as a leader, but as a human being who’s willing to show up, take the shot and trust that even if you miss, you’re still moving forward.

    We’re trained to avoid failure like it’s a contagious disease.

    At school, failing wasn’t just about getting a bad grade — it was about getting labeled. If you didn’t pass, you weren’t just “behind,” you were branded. Pulled into extra classes, singled out in front of your peers and whispered about in the hallways. It can feel like public shame dressed up as education.

    When you grow up in that kind of system, what you learn fast is: Don’t mess up. Don’t take risks. Don’t give anyone a reason to think less of you. And the biggest lesson? Stay in your lane.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Ginni Saraswati

    Source link

  • How to Protect Your Company Culture When You’re Growing Fast | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In the beginning, it was just us: Two law school graduates turned serial entrepreneurs, a husband-and-wife team working on our second big venture. Our vision, to create a business entity formation and maintenance company built on a culture of accountability and integrity without compromise. In addition, we wanted our company to be fun to work for, where staff members were celebrated, their ideas and creativity encouraged, the kind of company that parents would want their kids to work for. The culture would be unique, bold, unafraid of judgment, where occasional bouts of “weirdness” and nonconformity weren’t eschewed but embraced.

    Such a specific culture was easy to maintain when it was just my husband, myself and our first round of new associates. As a fifteen-person team, our culture functioned as intended. Work was fun. Our culture also made us stand out in the marketplace and drove client loyalty.

    Then, growth happened. In a period of a few short years, we went from a literal “mom and pop” operation to 100+ employees. With scaling comes new ideas and new opportunities. Teamwork is powerful, greater than the sum of its parts. It was an exciting time. Such dynamic growth, however, invites cultural risk. We soon learned that, when left unchecked, cultural risk becomes cultural harm: i.e. the proliferation of attitudes, norms and business practices that run counter to those on which the company was founded. Not wanting to lose or compromise the vision we had for our business, Phil and I vowed to never let up on our promotion of our original culture and core values.

    Related: Most Entrepreneurs Approach Culture the Wrong Way. Here’s What They’re Missing.

    How to think about your business’s culture: A simple rule

    Today, I use a simple rule of thumb that helps in the cultural governance of our growth. I call this the One-to-One rule, as it’s evocative of the one-on-one dynamic my husband and I shared in the early days of this business venture. The One-to-One rule is about a balance of “breadth” and “depth.” It’s simple to understand. Whenever your business broadens, to include more personnel, more service offerings, more locations, new verticals and so forth, it must also deepen, entailing, first and foremost, a deepening of culture, to include both workplace culture and customer-facing brand identity.

    In the wake of dynamic growth, all old trainings must be rethought and updated. Brand new trainings must come online that emphasize the most up-to-date rendition of the firm’s cultural identity. Did your firm just make a dozen new hires? Great. Congratulations. It’s time to put some new team-building events on the calendar, events and workshops that will enhance the cultural IQ of new and veteran employees alike.

    And please, don’t hold back on the pomp and circumstance when welcoming your new additions. Parties and other ice-breaking events are must-haves. Try weird things. Seriously. Even if they don’t go as planned (and they may go poorly). Lesson learned, move on. Try something else. Never lose your will to be weird and never lose sight of the One-to-One principle, ensuring that the depth of your business scales in synch with its breadth. This is the recipe for great culture and sustainable growth.

    What not to do

    You may feel that your business’s cultural identity couldn’t be stronger. It’s so dialed-in, so attractive, so intuitive that it’s bound to organically propagate itself across layers and layers of expansion. If you think your business’s culture and values are indestructible, I’d recommend you consider carefully the case of Starbucks. That’s right, the Siren-singing coffee chain once struggled to present a unified brand identity. As CEO Howard Schulz describes in his book Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul, there was a time when the proliferation of Starbucks retail stores was so intense that it compromised their ability to provide a uniform customer experience.

    As a result, the brand’s reputation became diluted, and the coffee giant’s bottom line was negatively affected. Schultz prides himself on the dramatic actions he took to restore the business’s cultural and brand identity, including the temporary closure in 2008 of over 7,000 stores for a few hours so baristas could be retrained on how to pull the perfect espresso shot.

    Don’t make the mistake of thinking that only enterprise-class businesses, like Starbucks, are subject to cultural risk. Without vigilance, smaller businesses too might lose track of their culture and core values, even in times of slower or no growth. This is why it’s important to expand, celebrate and amplify your culture on a continuous basis, with extra gusto during phases of dynamic expansion.

    Related: 5 Ways CEOs Can Assess and Reset Their Company Culture

    What to do

    Your first order of business, if you haven’t done so already, is to determine precisely what you want in your business’s culture. For example, in our firm, my husband and I knew from the very beginning that we wanted to build and preserve a family-centric feel in our business, one where our team members would be granted flexibility and understanding when it came to kids’ activities and other family obligations. We also wanted a culture that veered away from hierarchies, preferring instead a radical “open door” approach that encouraged direct and safe communications with and between all levels of management.

    Once you’ve defined the core cultural tenets for your firm, it’s time to rigorously pursue buy-in from your staff. They need to be educated on the what, why, and how of your cultural practices. Workshops, forums and trainings should allow your employees to “give back,” contributing their own thoughts and ideas on how the business’s cultural identity can best be defined, refined and lived up to. A staff member, for example, could inquire about how our business’s family-centric character may lead to staff members without family members feeling as if they’re afforded less flexibility than their coworkers. They may even suggest means by which such discrepancies could be remedied.

    My final piece of advice is three-fold: celebrate, celebrate, celebrate. If you’ve done your work properly, then you will have produced an environment your employees want to inhabit, one they will help develop and protect, in which they will feel safe, seen and valued. This is a cause worth celebrating, and all you need to do is find an excuse to do just that. Celebrations can come in many forms. At our shop, we’re big on birthdays, work anniversaries and other milestones, whatever we can do to bring everyone together and bask in the warmth and camaraderie we’ve all helped to create.

    In the beginning, it was just us: Two law school graduates turned serial entrepreneurs, a husband-and-wife team working on our second big venture. Our vision, to create a business entity formation and maintenance company built on a culture of accountability and integrity without compromise. In addition, we wanted our company to be fun to work for, where staff members were celebrated, their ideas and creativity encouraged, the kind of company that parents would want their kids to work for. The culture would be unique, bold, unafraid of judgment, where occasional bouts of “weirdness” and nonconformity weren’t eschewed but embraced.

    Such a specific culture was easy to maintain when it was just my husband, myself and our first round of new associates. As a fifteen-person team, our culture functioned as intended. Work was fun. Our culture also made us stand out in the marketplace and drove client loyalty.

    Then, growth happened. In a period of a few short years, we went from a literal “mom and pop” operation to 100+ employees. With scaling comes new ideas and new opportunities. Teamwork is powerful, greater than the sum of its parts. It was an exciting time. Such dynamic growth, however, invites cultural risk. We soon learned that, when left unchecked, cultural risk becomes cultural harm: i.e. the proliferation of attitudes, norms and business practices that run counter to those on which the company was founded. Not wanting to lose or compromise the vision we had for our business, Phil and I vowed to never let up on our promotion of our original culture and core values.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Nellie Akalp

    Source link

  • I’ve Built 3 Multimillion-Dollar Businesses — and Here’s My Simple Secret to Success | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    When I started out, the goal was pretty straightforward: Make lots of money. Like most new entrepreneurs, I figured once I’d “made it,” then I’d give back. That part would come later. Success first, impact second.

    Looking back, I now realize that mentality was a massive mistake. In fact, I believe it was one of the fundamental reasons it took me years to find any success. I now realize that pushing purpose to the back burner might be the thing that stalls your growth even more than poor marketing.

    Everything turned around for me when I stopped “chasing paper” and started asking how I could help. When that shift happened, my business started to thrive in ways I never expected. And the money? It followed, as a side effect. It’s a fact that we all know deep down, but too often forget.

    We’re told that giving back is something you earn the right to do once your company is big, your team is built, and your bank account looks a certain way. But the reality is that purpose isn’t a luxury; it’s a growth strategy. This attitude of abundance needs to be something that you embody both internally and externally as well.

    Related: How to Balance Profits With Purpose at Your Business

    The first focus needs to be on how you approach your day-to-day operations. At BotBuilders, our work centers around AI and automation. But that’s not really what drives us. The deeper mission is helping small business owners believe in what they’re building and giving them tools to actually pull it off.

    The more we’ve invested in our clients’ success, the more we’ve seen our own business expand. Not just in revenue, but in reach, loyalty and community. Real relationships have carried us further than any marketing tactic ever could. It’s not something you can track or budget for, but we’ve all experienced how one relationship can lead to exponential growth, on many levels.

    The second way to have an impact is how your company shows outside of your core competency. Namely, in your community. How often do you and your team get out and serve those who need it most? Money is great, but there is no comparison to the difference that a smile can make.

    One of the biggest culture-shaping moments we’ve ever had started in the most unexpected place: a bowling alley in Arizona. Working with Special Olympics Arizona, we put together the Bowl-A-Thon Bash. The annual event pairs athletes with local business owners for high-fives, gutter balls, and a whole lot of laughter.

    At first, it felt like a one-off community event. But after that night, something shifted. It became tradition. And every year we go back it resets something in us. We leave lighter, clearer, and more in tune with what really matters. That one night has done more to anchor our company values than any vision statement ever could.

    Don’t get me wrong, money is important. I’m not dismissing that. But if we’re talking about real impact? Giving your time and actually showing up, things just hit different. Over the years, our team has done all kinds of small things that ended up being huge. We’ve served meals at shelters. We’ve planted trees. We’ve hosted holiday parties in retirement homes just to bring some joy to folks who don’t get many visitors.

    Related: This CEO Says Prioritizing Purpose Over Profit Is Key to Consistent Growth and Sustainable Profit — Here’s Why.

    None of that was fancy. None of it was scalable or “optimized.” But the growth those moments sparked? You could feel it. In how we communicated, how we worked together and how we showed up on Monday mornings. When we work together to do good for others, we are connected on a level much deeper than winning awards or even with traditional team-building activities.

    So if you’re leading a team, never forget the fact that your values are contagious. Culture doesn’t come from the posters on your wall or the perks in your handbook. It’s built in the quiet choices. It shows up in how you respond when no one’s watching. It’s shaped by what you say “yes” to, and what you’re willing to let slide. As my angel-of-a-mother always says, “never miss a chance to help someone out.”

    When you lead with meaning, people notice. They step up. And the ripple effects extend way beyond your team. So don’t wait for the perfect opportunity. You don’t need a giant audience, a massive checkbook or a five-year plan to make an impact. You just need to care enough to begin. You’ll be amazed by what comes of it on every level of your organization.

    Pick something simple. Volunteer for a day, and invite your team into the process. Whatever you do, it doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to be real. Because when your business stands for something more, people stand with you. And that is when things really start to grow.

    When I started out, the goal was pretty straightforward: Make lots of money. Like most new entrepreneurs, I figured once I’d “made it,” then I’d give back. That part would come later. Success first, impact second.

    Looking back, I now realize that mentality was a massive mistake. In fact, I believe it was one of the fundamental reasons it took me years to find any success. I now realize that pushing purpose to the back burner might be the thing that stalls your growth even more than poor marketing.

    Everything turned around for me when I stopped “chasing paper” and started asking how I could help. When that shift happened, my business started to thrive in ways I never expected. And the money? It followed, as a side effect. It’s a fact that we all know deep down, but too often forget.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Matt Leitz

    Source link

  • Stop Telling Women to ‘Smile More’— It’s Time to End This Workplace Double Standard | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As we race to our social media channels to recognize and honor Women’s Equality Day, let’s not forget the daily struggles women continue to face both at our kitchen tables and at our conference room tables.

    In our workplaces, the everyday bias women face on how we speak, how we look and how we act can slowly chip away at us. And sometimes, these comments and actions that may be categorized as “innocent mistakes” impact performance reviews and advancement and promotion opportunities. All of which hits our paychecks, ultimately contributing to widening the gender pay gap.

    In my book, The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn From Bad Bosses, I share that my former boss, whom I nicknamed The Cheerleader, always wanted me to be happy. He wanted me to be smiling big like a Cheshire Cat or The Joker.

    “Why aren’t you smiling? What happened? Don’t worry, be happy!” The Cheerleader would always say this to me, pointing to his mouth and making a hand gesture for me to smile. And most of the time when I received this feedback, nothing had actually happened. I would be just at my desk diligently working, focused and apparently, not smiling. But he wanted me to always be smiling and always be projecting happiness, no matter what the circumstances were. This left my cheekbones sore and me feeling exhausted from the pretense of always projecting a positive, can-do attitude instead of just doing my work.

    So on this Women’s Equality Day, stop asking women to smile at work. Instead, here are three things leaders should focus on to break the bias in our workplaces.

    Related: 3 Ways Female Entrepreneurs Can Shatter Stereotypes While Also Empowering Others

    1. Focus on performance, not if they are smiling

    According to one study, 98% of women reported being told to smile at work sometime during the course of their careers, and 15% said the request to smile on demand happens weekly for them, if not more frequently. Of course, individuals who smile may be viewed as happier, likable and approachable.

    “Smiling is very much associated as a gender marker,” says Marianne LaFrance, a professor of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies at Yale University and author of the book Why Smile? “It marks one’s femininity and a more communal stance toward life. Though smiling is generally a positive characteristic, it falls to women to do more of it because we want to make sure women are doing what we expect them to do, which is to care for others.”

    Telling women to smile may seem harmless in the workplace. And it reinforces the societal expectation that women should be cheerful, approachable and make others feel more comfortable with a simple smile.

    Don’t use “the smile” as an indicator of whether women are performing or not on the job. Rather than focusing on their facial expressions, focus on their performance. Ensure all employees have clear goals and metrics and they understand when and what they are expected to deliver. And take the time to evaluate them fairly based on their work, and not based on how often they smile.

    Related: If You Want to Honor Women’s Equality Day, Start by Re-evaluating the Performance Feedback You Give Women at Work

    2. Recognize and respect how individuals express emotions

    I enjoy smiling. But when my former boss, The Cheerleader, would tell me to smile on demand, that’s when I started to dislike smiling. At times, I would shoot a quick smile back just to appease the situation. And when I am doing work at my desk, I am concentrating on completing the task at hand. I am not focused on how I look, if I am smiling or not. I just want to do the best work I can.

    For women, smiling on demand in the workplace can seem more like a requirement. According to Harvard Business Review, “This pervasive stereotype not only characterizes Black women as more hostile, aggressive, overbearing, illogical, ill-tempered and bitter, but it may also be holding them back from realizing their full potential in the workplace.”

    Let’s recognize and respect how women, and all individuals, express emotions, especially being content or happy at work. Depending on the culture and environment you were raised in, a smile doesn’t always equal happiness.

    For some, a smile without clear context or reasoning may seem suspicious, even a sign of weakness or dishonesty. For some, smiling constantly may be a way to mask how they are truly feeling. For some, they may not smile freely at strangers and only smile with close friends or family members where they feel comfortable. Remember that smiling is not the only way to determine if someone feels they are content and doing well at their job.

    Related: Men Are Seen as Experts More Often Than Their Women Counterparts — and It’s Time to Break Those Gender Biases.

    3. Challenge the idea that smiling is part of the job requirement

    As leaders, do we ask women to smile more than men? And if we do, why is it a job requirement at all to be ready to flash a smile on demand? Here’s how we can respectfully challenge and break through the bias:

    Do we ask Jeff to smile more often, who is also up for a promotion? Why is this feedback we are specifically giving Mita, to smile more and be happier in the office?

    Mita has gotten strong performance ratings the last two years in a row, and this year, she has exceeded all her goals and has received positive feedback from her team and peers. Can someone help me understand why we need her to smile more?

    Why do we need Mita to smile more often? What makes us uncomfortable about her not smiling? Is her lack of smiling impacting her performance?

    Next time you have the urge to ask a woman to smile more at work, stop and pause. Why does she need to smile to be successful and happy at work? Help yourself and others move beyond how she looks and focus on how she drives business results to help break the bias in our workplaces.

    As we race to our social media channels to recognize and honor Women’s Equality Day, let’s not forget the daily struggles women continue to face both at our kitchen tables and at our conference room tables.

    In our workplaces, the everyday bias women face on how we speak, how we look and how we act can slowly chip away at us. And sometimes, these comments and actions that may be categorized as “innocent mistakes” impact performance reviews and advancement and promotion opportunities. All of which hits our paychecks, ultimately contributing to widening the gender pay gap.

    In my book, The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn From Bad Bosses, I share that my former boss, whom I nicknamed The Cheerleader, always wanted me to be happy. He wanted me to be smiling big like a Cheshire Cat or The Joker.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Mita Mallick

    Source link

  • Your Best Employees Will Quit Someday — Here’s Why You Should Support Them on Their Way Out | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    I’ll never forget the day I quit my job to pursue my startup full time.

    My manager’s office was two floors above mine. The morning I decided to give my notice, I took the stairs. Turns out, two floors is a lot of time to think. Was I making a mistake? Had I lost my mind? My legs felt leaden as I climbed, and by the time I reached the top, my heart was pounding in my chest — and not just because of the stairs.

    Making the leap into entrepreneurship will never not be scary. But my manager didn’t give me a hard time about the fact that I was leaving. He asked where I was going, and when I told him about my plans to build my own product, he didn’t sulk, get angry or try to talk me out of it. Quite the opposite: He was excited for me. We shook hands, he wished me luck and he told me I was welcome back any time.

    No leader ever wants a good employee to quit. But the truth is, people grow. Their goals change. And if you’ve built the kind of team you’re proud of, you can’t be surprised when someone on it starts to dream bigger. What matters most is how you respond when that moment comes.

    That conversation with my manager stuck with me — not just because it gave me the confidence to take a leap, but because it modeled the kind of leader I wanted to be. Years later, when employees started leaving my company, I remembered his reaction. And I made a decision: I would always treat departures with respect, encouragement and an open door.

    Because the way you say goodbye says everything about your culture.

    Related: What You Should Do If a Valuable Employee Decides to Quit

    How you part ways matters

    Founders often see employee departures as threats or betrayals — especially in the early days, when every hire feels critical and every exit feels personal. But that mindset is short-sighted and, frankly, unsustainable.

    The truth is, people will leave. Sometimes it’s for a better opportunity. Sometimes it’s for personal reasons. Sometimes they’re just ready for something new. And that’s okay. When I lose a valued employee, I always refer to the wisdom of Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements, which I recommend everyone read. In it, Ruiz argues for the value of not taking anything personally: “Nothing other people do is because of you,” he writes. “When we take something personally, we make the assumption that they know what is in our world, and we try to impose our world on their world.”

    The opposite of this, which I don’t at all recommend, is burning a bridge out of pride or frustration.

    The way you treat someone on their way out sends a clear message to the rest of your team. If you respond with resentment or coldness, you create an atmosphere of fear — one where people are afraid to be honest about their goals, or worse, feel guilty for growing. But if you react with support and kindness, you reinforce a culture of trust, respect and long-term thinking.

    Your alumni — yes, alumni — are part of your company’s extended story. They may refer others, return someday or speak publicly about their time with you. That makes their exit just as important as their arrival.

    Related: How to Quit Your Job With Confidence and Go All In on Your Side Hustle

    Leading with a growth mindset

    Like many aspects of leadership, your mindset matters.

    When someone gives notice, respond with curiosity. Ask what they’re excited about — not to challenge their decision, but to understand it. What are they hoping to learn or experience next? These conversations can be enlightening. Personally, they remind me of the ambition and drive that led me to start my own company, and they can offer valuable insights into what motivated employees want from their next chapter.

    One thing I’ve learned from running my company for so long is that what looks like a closed door often isn’t. Many of the people who’ve left Jotform have come back, often armed with new skills and expertise that they picked up during their time away. These are called “boomerang employees,” writes Harvard Business Review’s Rebecca Zucker, and they are a critical part of the talent pipeline, both as potential returnees and as ambassadors for future hires: According to Gallup, employees who have a positive exit experience are 2.9 times more likely to recommend their organization to others.

    This sort of long-term thinking is the hallmark of a growth mindset. It means believing that careers evolve, people develop and relationships don’t have to end just because a job does. It means choosing encouragement over resentment, curiosity over control.

    And most importantly, it means seeing every departure not as a loss, but as a sign that you’re hiring and leading the kind of people who are always striving for more. That’s something to be proud of.

    I’ll never forget the day I quit my job to pursue my startup full time.

    My manager’s office was two floors above mine. The morning I decided to give my notice, I took the stairs. Turns out, two floors is a lot of time to think. Was I making a mistake? Had I lost my mind? My legs felt leaden as I climbed, and by the time I reached the top, my heart was pounding in my chest — and not just because of the stairs.

    Making the leap into entrepreneurship will never not be scary. But my manager didn’t give me a hard time about the fact that I was leaving. He asked where I was going, and when I told him about my plans to build my own product, he didn’t sulk, get angry or try to talk me out of it. Quite the opposite: He was excited for me. We shook hands, he wished me luck and he told me I was welcome back any time.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Aytekin Tank

    Source link

  • People Really Only Care About These 3 Things at Work — Do You Offer Them? | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    When people leave their jobs, they often give polite reasons: “looking for growth,” “better alignment,” “more flexibility.” But after years of hiring, managing and losing people — some to better opportunities, some to burnout — I’ve come to believe that most job satisfaction boils down to just three things.

    Everything else is noise. Perks, policies, titles or offsites can help, but they’re not foundational. Strip it all away, and here’s what people really care about.

    1. Great compensation

    Fair pay is the baseline. Competitive pay is the magnet. Exceptional pay is the reason someone stops taking recruiter calls.

    Compensation isn’t just about money. It’s about respect. People associate their salary with how much they’re valued, trusted and taken seriously. If your top performers feel underpaid, you’re not only risking turnover, but also signaling that excellence isn’t worth rewarding.

    Keep in mind that “great” doesn’t mean highest on the market. It means high enough to remove money from the list of concerns. You want your people to focus on doing meaningful work and not negotiating a raise every year or calculating how many extra hours it takes to afford a vacation.

    Aside from base salary, this includes equity, performance bonuses and clear, transparent criteria for increases. When people understand how pay decisions are made and believe the system is fair, they stay longer and give more.

    If you’re a manager, your job is to advocate for the budget your people deserve. Don’t wait for someone to bring it up in a performance review. Be proactive, because your competitors already are.

    Related: This Is What Job Seekers Want the Most

    2. Smart colleagues to learn from

    No one wants to be the smartest person in the room forever. People want to grow, and that happens fastest when they’re surrounded by others they respect.

    High performers seek challenge. They’re looking for both job stability and stimulation. A team full of sharp, thoughtful, curious people is more motivating than any job title or KPI. If your team is full of generalists who never push boundaries, your best people will quietly leave for places where they feel outmatched in the best way.

    However, this doesn’t mean hiring for raw IQ. It merely means hiring people who ask great questions, give meaningful feedback and stay open to being wrong. It means creating an environment where learning is constant, through debate, collaboration, code reviews, design critiques or customer debriefs.

    A strong culture of learning does more than retain top talent. It builds institutional resilience. When people feel like they’re leveling up just by showing up, you don’t need to rely on carrots and sticks. The work can become its own reward.

    3. Momentum or success with the product

    You can pay well. You can build a dream team. But if the product isn’t going anywhere, people lose steam.

    Everyone wants to feel like they’re part of something that’s working — or about to work. In fact, I tell my team at OysterLink every day that we’re going to be something bigger than what we’ve accomplished so far. It’s all about traction, clarity and the belief that progress is real.

    People don’t need perfect outcomes. They need forward motion. When the product gains users, solves real problems or unlocks new opportunities, it energizes the team. It reinforces the sense that time spent here is time well invested.

    Lack of momentum, on the other hand, creates drag. Teams lose urgency. High performers feel stuck. Meetings start to feel like exercises in optimism rather than planning. You don’t have to be winning in the market every quarter. But you do need to show a path to winning and make sure every person on the team knows how their work contributes to that journey.

    As a leader, this means communicating product progress often and honestly. Celebrate real wins. Be transparent about setbacks. And connect the dots between individual work and company goals. People will run through walls when they believe they’re running toward something meaningful.

    But what about everything else?

    You might be wondering: What about flexibility? Culture? Work-life balance? They matter — but they tend to act as modifiers, not drivers.

    A strong culture makes the three core factors more sustainable. Flexibility helps retain talent, especially if the work and people are already strong. But no one stays at a job just because there’s a remote policy or free snacks.

    If you underpay, even the best culture won’t save you. If your team isn’t learning from each other, remote-first won’t fix the stagnation. If your product is going nowhere, even generous PTO policies will feel like a consolation prize.

    People don’t leave because of snacks or slogans — they leave when they don’t feel valued, challenged or part of something that’s moving forward. Get the core three right, and the rest is optimization. Get them wrong, and everything else is damage control.

    When people leave their jobs, they often give polite reasons: “looking for growth,” “better alignment,” “more flexibility.” But after years of hiring, managing and losing people — some to better opportunities, some to burnout — I’ve come to believe that most job satisfaction boils down to just three things.

    Everything else is noise. Perks, policies, titles or offsites can help, but they’re not foundational. Strip it all away, and here’s what people really care about.

    1. Great compensation

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    Milos Eric

    Source link

  • Home Depot orders corporate staff to take 8-hour retail shifts

    Home Depot orders corporate staff to take 8-hour retail shifts

    Home Depot Inc. will begin requiring corporate employees to work a full day at one of its stores every quarter, a move the company said is aimed at supporting its retail staff.

    Employees, including senior management and remote workers, will have to complete an eight-hour shift beginning in the fourth quarter of this year, according to a memo seen by Bloomberg News.

    “We need to stay connected to the core of our business, so we can truly understand the challenges and opportunities our store associates face every day,” Chief Executive Officer Ted Decker said in the memo introducing the program. 

    A company spokesperson said it’s been the company’s longstanding practice to ask staff to spend time in stores, with this new program being its latest initiative. 

    Home Depot, one of the largest US retailers with more than $150 billion in annual revenue and 450,000 employees, has been enduring a rough stretch. After splurging on their homes during the pandemic, Americans shifted spending to other sectors and caused a sales slump at the chain. 

    The move by Decker to require everyone at the company to take a shift is unusual in the sector and comes amid rising activism in the labor force. That includes both Home Depot, which faced a small unionization effort in 2022, and other retailers. 

    Sporadic schedules, physical labor and low pay have historically made working in stores tough. The job has become harder in recent years due to store theft and unruly customer behavior, and operators are introducing new benefits and raising pay to improve retention.

    Curtis Heinzl, Jaewon Kang, Bloomberg

    Source link

  • How to Build a Workplace Culture Centered on Love, Abundance and Purpose | Entrepreneur

    How to Build a Workplace Culture Centered on Love, Abundance and Purpose | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In recent months, the job market has sent mixed signals, particularly for college graduates. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest report, the pace of hiring is down to levels not seen since 2009 in business and professional services. Unemployment rates for recent grads have risen, challenging young professionals to find positions that offer more than just a paycheck. As companies grapple with inflation and economic uncertainty, many leaders are shifting focus to build workplace cultures that foster loyalty and fulfillment beyond financial compensation.

    This shift is especially relevant for companies employing Generation Z, a generation deeply affected by mental health struggles linked to financial stress. How can companies create an environment that thrives beyond monetary incentives?

    Use the framework below to build a workplace culture centered on love, abundance and purpose.

    Related: Why You Must Stay Focused on Your Culture in Times of Economic Uncertainty

    1. Shift from scarcity to abundance mindset

    Most organizations operate under a scarcity mindset, constantly focused on bottom lines and immediate targets. This fear-driven approach can stifle creativity and limit an employee’s sense of belonging. To transition to a culture of abundance, leaders must first acknowledge that fostering genuine care and connection with their team is essential. One practical step is to take a “Clarity Break” — a dedicated time for leaders to reflect on their business and the culture they want to create, away from the daily grind.

    At EOS Worldwide, I emphasize treating employees as individuals with unique talents and contributions, aligning them with the company’s larger vision. This shift to abundance helps boost morale and encourages innovation, allowing employees to thrive beyond the confines of monetary incentives.

    2. Align your team with a shared vision

    A key to fostering commitment in the workplace is ensuring that employees are aligned with the company’s mission and long-term goals. People are far more motivated and engaged when they understand how their daily work contributes to a greater purpose. My business, for example, uses tools like Rocks, the 1-Year Plan, 3-Year Picture and 10-Year Target to ensure all employees have a clear sense of the company’s future and their role in achieving it.

    When employees see how their individual roles directly contribute to the company’s larger vision, they feel a deeper sense of purpose and ownership. Leadership also regularly communicates how their work ties into long-term goals and provides specific examples of how their efforts are moving the needle. This strategy helps increase motivation and fosters a stronger sense of belonging as employees understand they are integral to the organization’s success.

    3. Foster open, honest communication

    A workplace culture based on love requires open and transparent communication. Leading with heart isn’t always easy — it involves navigating tough conversations and addressing uncomfortable issues head-on. By fostering an environment of open dialogue, leaders can build trust and ensure that employees feel seen, heard and valued. It’s about thinking through the lens of the greater good and having genuine care and concern for all involved and impacted.

    Take Microsoft as an example. Under CEO Satya Nadella, the company underwent a significant cultural shift, prioritizing empathy and collaboration. This change in leadership style has made Microsoft a leader in innovation and employee satisfaction, demonstrating that when workers feel they are part of an open, supportive environment, they bring their best ideas to the table.

    Related: Open Conversations Are Often Stifled at Work — Here’s How to Break That Silence and Reach Your True Potential

    4. Encourage work-life balance and time for passions

    Abundance isn’t just about what happens within the workplace; it’s also about enabling employees to live fulfilling lives outside of it. A well-rounded culture must provide fair compensation and allow employees to pursue personal passions. At EOS Worldwide, employees are encouraged to read EOS Life, which offers advice on how to do what they love with people they love while making time for personal growth. Whether traveling, pursuing hobbies or contributing to nonprofits, this philosophy nurtures a more fulfilled and balanced workforce.

    This concept is also embraced by companies like Google, which allows its employees to spend 20% of their time on personal projects. Many of Google’s most successful products, including Gmail, originated from this policy. By encouraging employees to invest in their passions, companies can cultivate a more creative and engaged workforce where people feel valued for more than just their work output.

    5. Celebrate your people, not just their work

    Finally, building a culture of love and abundance means recognizing employees as people first. Celebrating individual milestones, personal achievements, anniversaries, upcoming weddings, births of new babies and non-work contributions can enhance the sense of community within a company. Work-life harmony isn’t about perfect equilibrium every day — it’s about harmonizing the demands of work and life in a way that allows employees to flourish in both. At EOS Worldwide, my team celebrates components of daily life in channels such as “pets-of-EOS,” “children of EOS,” “happy-place,” and “podcast-lovers” with pictures, videos and shares.

    Take a page from Southwest Airlines, which is known for its people-first culture. They don’t just recognize professional accomplishments — they celebrate personal milestones, too. By acknowledging the whole person, not just their work, Southwest creates an environment where employees feel truly valued, which in turn drives loyalty and satisfaction.

    Entrepreneurs can apply this by building recognition into their own companies, from small celebrations of personal wins to regular check-ins on employee well-being. This focus on individuals can lead to higher retention and improved team morale, boosting overall company performance.

    Related: Unlike Raises, You Can Afford to Give Your Team All the Recognition and Praise They Have Earned

    By embracing a culture of love and abundance, leaders can create workplaces that transcend the limitations of financial incentives. This approach aligns employees with the company’s mission and fosters an environment where they feel deeply connected and fulfilled. Through heart-led leadership, transparent communication and a focus on personal passions, companies can ensure that their teams thrive at work and in life.

    Kelly Knight

    Source link

  • VP Exec’s Top Tips for Negotiating and Relationship-Building | Entrepreneur

    VP Exec’s Top Tips for Negotiating and Relationship-Building | Entrepreneur

    Karen Brodkin, co-head of William Morris Endeavor (WME) Sports and executive vice president at Endeavor, oversees the representation of some of the biggest names in sports, spanning the NFL, NBA, MLB, tennis, golf, soccer, Olympic and action sports, and more. She’s closed hundreds of deals with partners across every distribution platform over the course of her 20-plus-year career.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of WME Sports. Karen Brodkin.

    However, Brodkin’s path to her current position “wasn’t a straight line,” she tells Entrepreneur, but “a winding road.”

    Related: I’ve Negotiated High-Pressure, Multi-Million-Dollar Deals for Artists Like Bruno Mars and Enrique Iglesias — Here’s the Strategy That Always Helps Me Win

    Brodkin spent five years as an entertainment attorney at two Los Angeles-based firms before she joined FOX Sports Media Group, where she oversaw deals with the NFL, MLB, NBA, NASCAR and more as executive vice president of business and legal affairs.

    “When you push away from the table, both sides have to feel [that] they got enough.”

    Needless to say, Brodkin has learned a lot about the art of negotiation over the years — and has some time-tested tips for success.

    First, do your homework before the meeting. “When we are working with the client, whether it’s with the incumbent partner or when we’re going to market, we always come in prepared,” Brodkin says.

    Next, prioritize what you want to get out of the negotiation — and don’t forget to leave space for give and take. “I always say, ‘When you push away from the table, both sides have to feel [that] they got enough that they feel good about the deal,’” Brodkin explains.

    Related: The Art of Negotiation is Misunderstood. Here Are Some Lesser-Known Tactics I Use to Win.

    That also means leaving a “win at all costs mentality behind,” according to Brodkin.

    “We work with our clients to figure out what’s most important,” she adds. “And then you have to get into a back and forth with the other side where you have to be transparent: ‘This is what we really need. Tell me what you really need.’”

    Finally, don’t underestimate the power of building strong relationships.

    “I want to have a relationship with the other side of the table that was born before we were in the middle of this deal, where there’s trust, respect, transparency and, in the best case scenario, a friendship,” Brodkin says. “Sports is a relationship business. Some of these people have been in the business as long as I have, and they’re not going anywhere.”

    Related: How to Build and Sustain Deep, Meaningful Business Relationships (and Why It’s the Key to Long-Lasting Success)

    “I wake up in the morning thinking about the WME Sports business unit, and I go to bed thinking about it.”

    A commitment to fostering positive relationships also extends to Brodkin’s own team at WME Sports.

    “I think about [how to manage my team effectively] every bit as much as I do about the dealmaking side,” Brodkin says. “I’m not looking for kudos. I have no judgment for how anybody else at this company or other companies leads. That’s what works for me: I wake up in the morning thinking about the WME Sports business unit, and I go to bed thinking about it.”

    Brodkin strives to be an honest, accessible leader who isn’t afraid of hard conversations, keeps empathy at the fore and gets to know people on a personal level. She also aims to empower the members of her team.

    Related: Stop Lying to Your Team — And Yourself. Try Radical Honesty Instead.

    “I don’t try to micromanage,” Brodkin explains. “I just want them to know that I’m there to be their sounding board, their safety net, the person that advocates for what they need or for them personally. But I’m never going to know as much as they know about their business.”

    “We’re definitely open for business if other people want to hop on board.”

    Brodkin says she’s proud of the culture she’s helped build at WME Sports—and some days, she even feels “like the chief culture officer of WME Sports.” She notes that a strong culture benefits not only employees but also clients.

    Brodkin looks forward to expanding the WME Sports brand and seeing the organization’s young team members succeed.

    “We have an unbelievable bench of young agents,” Brodkin says. “We’re definitely open for business if other people want to hop on board. I’m excited about where we are and excited about where we’re going. I’m not done yet. We’re not done yet.”

    Amanda Breen

    Source link

  • 7 Hispanic Business Leaders Reveal Their Top Advice For Taking Your Company From Zero to Success | Entrepreneur

    7 Hispanic Business Leaders Reveal Their Top Advice For Taking Your Company From Zero to Success | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As a finance professional and fellow Latina entrepreneur, I know firsthand that the path to financial independence isn’t just about numbers; It’s about balancing everything that makes you human while running a business. Your vision, story and overcoming possible financial traumas that many face are part of the mix.

    What matters is asking the right questions, creating your own path and sharing what you’ve learned with others so we can set up a new status quo and grow as a community. So, what insights could successful Hispanic founders and CEOs give you to support your path to financial growth?

    Related: Are Your Subconscious Money Habits Killing Your Business Growth? Here’s How to Fix Them Now

    Embrace authentic storytelling

    We all have stories to tell — so it’s time we bring that to our businesses. In fact, this is exactly what Norma Fabian Newton, founder of Fabian Flores, shares as a key component to her success: “One insight I would give other entrepreneurs is to embrace storytelling. Authentic storytelling is the key to differentiation, establishing yourself as a thought leader and creating connections.”

    Newton started her business to amplify Latino stories within the traditional book publishing industry and contribute to creating more equity in the literary landscape. But storytelling is essential, even if you are not looking to become an author or public speaker. It plays a role in how you relate to your business, employees, clients and, ultimately, your money. Embracing our voice is an inevitable part of success.

    Test your market and invest in yourself

    The path to financial growth is more than luck. It is about thinking, strategizing, testing and adjusting. Catarina Rivera, the founder of Blindish Latina LLC, gives that exact insight as a key to her success. She says, “First test your offering in the marketplace. Do people want to buy your offer? Once you have those foundational pieces in place, invest in yourself.”

    Rivera built her business from her personal journey with disability, and through public speaking and DEIA consulting, she aims to smash stigmas and foster more inclusive workplaces.

    As Hispanic entrepreneurs, we sometimes hesitate to share our creations with the world or believe we can do it all ourselves. But, as Rivera noted, combining both takes us further — and faster. “I have a business coach, brand partnerships coach, therapist, a team of part-time contractors, a bookkeeping firm and a CPA. It’s important to invest in yourself in the most impactful ways when starting your business.”

    Diversify your revenue streams and take control

    Taimi Soto, CEO of Creativ Hous, journalist and entrepreneur, says, “We can’t put all our eggs in one basket. I learned that to have control over my future and ensure stability, I needed to diversify my income streams. That’s how I started my PR agency and joined the beauty products industry. You have to step out of your comfort zone and create multiple sources of income.”

    She learned this lesson after experiencing an unexpected layoff, which made her realize the importance of diversifying. That decision led her to create a new business and incorporate beauty entrepreneurship into her portfolio. The truth is: If you want financial stability, relying on just one revenue stream is not sustainable. Whether you diversify with different products or services within your company or build multiple revenue streams, having options is critical.

    Related: 5 Ways Brands Can Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month Using Social Media

    Know when to shift and take care of your well-being

    Juan Galán, CEO of IG Creator Academy, began his entrepreneurial journey as a content creator, aiming to become an influencer. Along the way, he realized that what he was building was bigger than just content, it was a business. However, the transition to becoming a full-fledged business owner and CEO came with its own challenges.

    He emphasizes the importance of knowing when to make these shifts and prioritizing your well-being in the process. He says, “You have to take care of your mental health, define the lifestyle you want and not get caught up in the pressure to scale if it doesn’t align with your goals.”

    Get curious and don’t stop learning

    Karina Martinez, founder of DRAFTED, shares a critical insight for success while building the first Latina sports media company: “The best leaders are the most curious students, constantly learning and evolving. In the early stages of building a company, staying endlessly inquisitive is crucial — read widely, listen to podcasts, attend seminars and research those you admire.”

    Curiosity and continuous learning are often overlooked by new entrepreneurs, who may be consumed by the day-to-day tasks of running a business. But to grow, you must learn constantly. This will pull you out of setbacks and open up new strategies for your business, helping you get closer to your goals.

    Uplift others along the way

    Bianca Alba, founder of This Latina Travels, launched her platform with a mission to inspire women of color to explore the world. For Alba, this journey is about creating a supportive community where we uplift one another. “If we stopped seeing each other as competition, I truly believe all our businesses would succeed. We each bring something new to the table,” she says.

    And I wholeheartedly agree with her. We often believe business and entrepreneurship take us far away from our values, but as Hispanic entrepreneurs, our identity and the values we carry from our community — such as unity and uplifting one another — are what truly make us grow stronger.

    Related: Winning Strategies Behind Effective Hispanic Heritage Month Campaigns

    Say yes to new challenges

    Nadine Ramos, CEO and founder of Lasio and Blessed Bananas, shares that saying yes to those new challenges is what has taken her to where she is now: “Become the type of person who says ‘yes’ to new challenges. When I say yes to challenges, I’m really saying yes to myself, to growth and to betting on myself.”

    Ramos first introduced Brazilian keratin treatments to the U.S. with her business with no financial support, connections or experience and later founded her second company, Blessed Bananas, to push the boundaries of haircare by blending nature and science with banana oil-based products. For Ramos, embracing new challenges is key to unlocking growth and arriving where you want to go.

    Alejandra Rojas

    Source link

  • You Need to Listen More to Lead Better — 5 Tactics for Leaders to Bridge the Communication Gap With Their Team | Entrepreneur

    You Need to Listen More to Lead Better — 5 Tactics for Leaders to Bridge the Communication Gap With Their Team | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    All leaders know that communication is critical to an organization’s success. But often we fail to bridge the gap between senior executives and our front-line team members to truly get a pulse of what is happening across an organization. This disconnection is heightened in hospitality and healthcare, where we work in direct contact with customers or care for patients’ health and wellness. As a result, it causes issues like:

    • Leaders without a clear or accurate understanding of their front-line teams’ challenges.
    • Decisions being made by the C-suite that do not effectively address those challenges.
    • A lack of trust between leaders and teams.
    • Disconnection between culture and action.

    The solution is simple. As the president and CEO of AtlantiCare Health System, I’ve learned that stepping outside my office, the boardroom or senior leadership meeting and engaging directly with team members across the organization is what matters most. I spend time in our hospitals and at our practice locations, without an agenda or formal itinerary, to learn about their work and their challenges.

    Leadership axiom: Business moves at the speed of relationships.

    Here are my five leadership tenets to build relationships with a lasting and positive impact.

    Related: Why Executives Need to Roll Up Their Sleeves and Work ‘in the Trenches’ of Their Companies

    1. Always be present

    When I first started walking the hospital floors after my appointment, one senior nurse remained elusive, regardless of the hour. It was clear she was avoiding me.

    When I would go left to talk to her, she would go right. When I would go right, she would go left. So, I just kept returning during her shifts. Eleven at night on a Saturday or 2 a.m. on a weekday — it didn’t matter. She is a well-liked and highly respected nurse, and I knew her insights would offer tremendous value. Then, finally, one night, she walked over and shook my hand. She said: “Okay, I appreciate you being here. Especially during the overnight shift. Let’s talk.”

    Leadership axiom: Presence is the foundation of influence.

    It can take time and persistence to establish connections, but the commitment is worthwhile. So, make the effort, have skip-level meetings and walk the floors. What you hear will be eye-opening.

    2. Fostering trust and leading with emotional intelligence

    My purpose in establishing a connection with the senior nurse was about making positive change and easing the pain points the team was experiencing, but I needed her help to understand those opportunities. Building trust through a transparent leadership style allows for mutual understanding of the realities the team faces and, in turn, what leadership is trying to accomplish.

    Leadership axiom: Transparency builds trust, and trust forms great relationships.

    Relying on outside consultants to tell leaders what team members are thinking is counter-intuitive to building relationships. I pride myself on being open about what is driving the decision-making process and engaging people to co-create solutions. Yet trust can still be broken if transparency reveals problems that don’t get fixed, which is why the next point is so important.

    Related: I Invited My Employees to ‘Ask Me Anything.’ Here’s What I Learned.

    3. Reducing administrative burdens to empower teams

    In healthcare, human connection is mission critical. However, team members’ responsibilities also include adhering to procedures and managing paperwork, which can occasionally be challenging — and many other industries have similar challenges.

    Leadership axiom: A leader’s responsibility includes the unburdening of unnecessary tasks.

    Leaders must remove barriers that prevent team members from focusing on their core roles. So, consider implementing these operational efficiencies:

    • Investing in technology to simplify daily tasks and activities.
    • Removing box-ticking tasks such as generating reports that are completed simply because “that’s how it has always been done.”
    • Removing training modules unrelated to team members’ roles.
    • Eliminating the culture of including everyone in meetings; only involve those who need to be present. If the information can be shared via email, a meeting isn’t necessary.

    4. Building forums for stakeholder feedback

    At AtlantiCare, active listening is key to our success. Along with my leadership team, we seek out opportunities to bring team members together, building forums and councils for them to share feedback and engage in honest dialogue.

    Leadership axiom: The only capital a leader has is the willingness of their team members to contribute.

    So, encourage your leadership team to conduct skip-level meetings to gain broader insights and strengthen organizational connections. But for these forums to be successful, we must:

    • Ensure that team members have a stake in the process when implementing new programs or policies.
    • Encourage team members to suggest what they would do differently or how they would improve things.
    • Incorporate front-line insights into decision-making.

    5. Creating a culture of problem-solving by always asking ‘why’

    Active listening is a cornerstone of developing a culture of problem-solving and continuous improvement. We need to challenge legacy thinking and processes by asking “why” — and then asking “why” again to empower acute curiosity.

    Leadership axiom: The solutions often lie within the team, not above it.

    My job isn’t just to hear the challenges my team faces — it’s to empower them with the resources and support they need to solve those problems. So, I suggest:

    • Exemplifying the qualities and behaviors you expect from your team in achieving their goals.
    • Providing unwavering support and resources to team members seeking knowledge and information.
    • Encouraging team members to plan for change like they are its architects.
    • Creating a pipeline of future leaders that makes problem-solving part of their mindset.

    When leaders truly listen, they understand the emotions, concerns and ideas behind the words. This deep level of engagement makes team members feel valued and heard, which in turn boosts morale and productivity.

    Related: Engage and Inspire Your Team by Talking to Them Outside of Formal Settings

    An ongoing conversation

    The moment the senior nurse acknowledged my presence, I felt like I had made a connection. And it is only because of this connection that we can now be transparent and honest with each other, even if it means calling out issues and challenges directly, to drive necessary changes. If business moves at the speed of relationships, the first step is to be present. But you must be consistent and lead by example. This will be the foundation of how to successfully bridge the C-suite and front-line divide.

    Michael Charlton

    Source link

  • How to Create and Maintain a Positive and Respectful Work Environment | Entrepreneur

    How to Create and Maintain a Positive and Respectful Work Environment | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    If you’re like me, you may often question where our civility has gone. We encounter rude behavior on our streets and highways. TV talk shows draw audiences by promising high-stakes conflict. Consumers think nothing of berating a retail worker who is just doing their job.

    While certain people can find rude and uncivil behavior entertaining, uncivil behavior is never entertaining in the workplace. Whether co-workers are being deliberately rude or just plain mean, the behavior destroys productivity. Left unchecked by managers, it also drives turnover.

    Because each individual may view uncivil behavior differently, it’s important to define the boundaries before we can attempt to correct incivility in an organizational setting.

    Related: 7 Ways to Create a Friendly Environment at Work

    Defining uncivil behavior

    Employees from many backgrounds and cultures populate today’s workplaces, and managers may struggle to set guidelines for what constitutes proper behavior. In the simplest terms, if an employee feels slighted or undervalued because of the way a co-worker or manager interacts with them, you have a problem.

    Managers who look at their phone during one-on-one meetings are being rude and are silently telling their employees they don’t matter. Employees who chastise co-workers who think differently than them are engaging in uncivil and potentially threatening behavior.

    The negative impact of uncivil behavior

    I learned firsthand how uncivil behavior can bring productivity to a standstill. I was away at a conference with a new employee where we were engaging with potential prospects and important contacts in the industry.

    Suddenly, my phone began to blow up with activity on our corporate Slack channel for senior leadership. After several minutes, with no letup in activity on the messaging platform, I realized there was an emergency — one that was far different from what I could have imagined.

    Two of our senior leaders, whose offices were no more than 20 feet apart, were arguing via text messages. As the argument grew more heated and showed no signs of being resolved, I had to excuse myself from the conference and my new employee, who was also witnessing everything in real time on Slack.

    What I needed most at that moment was for my two leaders to come to an agreement and return to productive work. I instructed them to walk down the hallway, get together in person and resolve the conflict. They did. And I learned a lesson.

    Having emotionally elevated conversations by email or text is a bad idea. People almost always find it easier to say things in those formats that they wouldn’t say to someone in person. Often, uncivil remarks emerge when the recipient misunderstands, usually due to the lack of vocal tone or facial expression. It is always better to have face-to-face conversations when you can’t agree on something.

    Our rule is this: If you need to write more than a paragraph, have the conversation person-to-person.

    Related: 6 Tips for Helping Employees Work Through Conflicts

    Setting and communicating your boundaries

    After that incident, I established a code of civility at my business. My leaders are expected to set the example for civil behavior. The major tenants of the code include:

    • Everyone deserves dignity and respect regardless of their role in the company, age, appearance, what they did last night or their political allegiances. When you engage in conversation with a co-worker, especially one you’ve disagreed with in the past, be intentional about maintaining civility in your remarks. Your job title is not a license to be condescending; it’s a responsibility not to be.

    • Always assume positive intent. When you encounter a dispute, or you believe an employee may have done something wrong, proceed slowly. Allow them to explain, whether it’s a co-worker or a member of your team. Instead of reacting emotionally and making a tense situation worse, listen closely. You may learn that you’ve read the situation incorrectly.

    • Don’t get furious, get curious. If you feel tense or anxious, your body is signaling you to ask more questions. When you are trying to diffuse an argument, your goal should be to clearly understand the problem through their eyes before you leap to offering a solution.

    • Speak to the person who is causing, or who can solve, the problem. When one team member has an issue with a co-worker, we encourage them to have the courage to speak directly to that person. “Sideways conversations” lead to gossip and misinformation. And we are also mindful not to make mountains out of molehills.

    • You can’t always control what happens, but you can always control how you react to it in every situation. You may not always be able to make the situation better, but you can always avoid making it worse. Loud or abusive language toward another employee cannot be tolerated.

    I expect all my employees to follow our code of civility and to always be trustworthy in all they say and do. This is mission-critical for management.

    Leaders set the standard for workplace culture

    As a CEO, I make it a point to emphasize civility in my workplace, which means I should be modeling the behavior I want to see. It can be challenging to self-monitor. When I suspect (or realize) I’ve failed, I own it and seek feedback.

    It’s not easy to hear candid feedback, especially from people who aren’t privy to all the information you are. So, I’ve had to learn, rather than responding to their comments immediately, to first thank them for having the courage and candor to offer it.

    Employees will not see you as a weak leader if you project a kind and self-aware persona. They’ll respect you for admitting to your shortcomings as they watch you work to improve yourself. The right managerial mindset can make a huge difference.

    Related: Here Are 4 Ways to Develop a Culture of Respect and Trust

    Maintaining civility in the workplace requires leaders to set examples through their words and actions. More importantly, managers should hire individuals who will be a good fit with a civil workplace.

    At my company, an employee who fits well with our culture and our customers is highly valued. But a team member who contributes to civility in our workplace is invaluable.

    C. Lee Smith

    Source link

  • Is Your Workplace Toxic? It Could Cost You Millions of Dollars | Entrepreneur

    Is Your Workplace Toxic? It Could Cost You Millions of Dollars | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    We have all heard the jokes online that if someone puts in their job listing that “we will treat you like family,” you should run away — that is the last thing that a company will actually do. To be completely transparent, I once consulted with a friend who worked with a company that said this, and they had an extremely high turnover rate.

    Employees at this company called and sent Slack messages at every hour of the day. The manager expected the employees to be available 24/7 even though the company itself operated with normal 9 to 5 hours. The manager would host a team meeting every month where they called out every single person on the team to tell them what they did wrong throughout the month — in front of everyone else. Achievements were never acknowledged in these team meetings.

    On the other hand, my friend also worked with a different company whose employees absolutely adored the work culture. If you made a mistake, the business owner acknowledged it and helped you understand ways you could improve in the future. There was never a punishment or scolding involved. She encouraged everyone to use it as a learning experience.

    She also recognized people’s strengths and would actively approach them about other opportunities. For example, she noticed one employee who was originally hired to answer the phone had an affinity for numbers and enjoyed budgeting. With a lot of encouragement from the team and a little training, that receptionist moved up to inventory management.

    All jokes and internet memes aside, the culture at your company can make or break your business.

    Related: How to Create a Workplace Culture Where Everyone Feels Like They Belong

    The cost of bad company culture

    According to the Society for Human Resource Management, it can take up to 6-9 months worth of an employee’s salary to find their replacement. That means losing a $60,000 employee can cost you up to $45,000 trying to find their replacement. Just to put this into perspective, that aforementioned company with the horrible work culture had an average six-month turnover rate for a team of 15 people. Let’s say they were all salaried at $60,000. That means every six months the company was essentially burning $675,000 — which adds up to $1.35 million per year. As you might have guessed, that company went out of business.

    Of course, company culture is far more than money. Morale, performance and finding top talent all take a hit with a lackluster workplace atmosphere. Without positivity and recognition of successes, employees feel as though they can never do anything correct, which leads to low morale and, in turn, low innovation and enthusiasm for the job. If someone does not care about their job, they will not do it well, leading to external issues for the company such as poor customer service and missed deadlines. And if the company is not able to innovate in our fast-paced ever-evolving world, the business will not survive.

    This then leads to employment issues. Companies with a negative reputation will find it difficult to hire top talent because no one wants to work in a place where they are not valued. According to an estimate published by Gettysburg College, the average person will spend 90,000 hours of their lifetime at work — that’s about one-third of a person’s life. People do not want to spend that time in a place that causes them stress or pushes them to the brink. This includes current employees too; people do not want to work at a place where they constantly fear losing their job; so, many people (once they realize the toxicity of the workplace culture) will quit. This leads to a never-ending, vicious cycle of talent coming and going, leaving the business without a way to grow.

    Related: 10 Excellent Company Culture Examples For Inspiration

    Create a culture that retains talent

    There has been a shift recently where people are not staying at jobs as long as they used to. You’ve most likely heard of people who worked at the same company for 50 years or more. Nowadays, it’s more common than not to hear of someone who has worked for multiple businesses over a span of just a few years. This is due to the kind of work, benefits included and — you guessed it — company culture. Having worked for almost two decades in the hiring industry, here are ways to create a company culture that will retain your top talent, save you money and help your business grow:

    1. Be present. Too many people want to own companies without having to be present to run them. If you do not want to work there, why would your employees want to work there?
    2. Lead by example. Everyone is human, and even artificial intelligence tools make mistakes. Use a mistake or problem as a learning example, and you might even be able to turn it into a marketing opportunity.
    3. Empower employees. Give your employees the opportunities to go further in their careers with training, certifications, etc. If someone wants to improve, help them!
    4. Celebrate achievements. Recognize successes and create goals that lead your team to receive rewards.
    5. Communicate openly. If something is going wrong, it needs to be pointed out. Do so in a professional manner so that the team can address the problem.
    6. Promote a work-life balance. Especially in a remote workforce, people are tied to their devices. Make them take breaks and vacations and set a range of working hours that encourage this balance.
    7. Offer incentives as part of the job package. Benefits play a big role too for potential incoming talent. Look at what your company can offer to entice employees to join your workforce.

    Related: How to Create a Work Culture That Can Survive Anything

    If you are not sure what to change with your workplace culture, go to the source and ask your employees. Their invaluable feedback will help you create a culture that encourages employees to stay and fosters top talent to grow with the business.

    Lesley Pyle

    Source link