Building a Culture that Empowers

When starting and building a business, one of the most important components is your competitive advantage. And with that unique competitive advantage, you are able to build a great culture.

You culture should be a reflection of your combined personal and business brands. To start building your culture, envision your workplace.

What spells success for your company? Is it an open floor plan or cubicles? What colors are the walls? How is the space lit? What are the attitudes of your employees as they walk in the door on a Monday morning?

Also, consider the following questions and more.
•How do you define culture? Words, symbols, images? Get specific.
•What’s your dress code?
•Will you offer flexible hours?
•Will you have holiday parties?
•Are employees free to work from home or the local coffee shop?

These are just a few jumping off points for building a culture. You are a unique individual with specialized talents. Be sure your culture truly represents you and your business.

Empowering Cultures Attract Positive People

Businesses often go through growing pains. Sometimes good; sometimes bad. And right now, many companies are facing the pressures of having to downsize. However, there are some companies that are prospering and need to hire more employees.

To ensure that you hire the best and most well-fitting employees, my advice is to create a great culture; one that is inviting and represents your company’s outlook. Potential employees will use your culture as a guide for gaining insight on your company. And, if you misrepresent your company’s culture, you may end up wasting time interviewing candidates that are not a good fit for your company.

To ensure your culture is truly representative of your company’s brand, first take a quick inventory of your surroundings. How would you define the culture you’ve created up to this point? Is it stiff or fun? Casual or crazy? Formal or informal? Do these qualities really represent your company? Although these things may seem small and relatively insignificant, they’re not.

Simple, inspiring cultures attract A-list candidates. It’s no secret that people want to feel inspired by their jobs. They want to participate in something sustainable and worthwhile. That’s why creating a real, creative and stimulating culture will contribute to your success.

Make sure that each employee understands your brand essence and your vision for the company. It goes way beyond just telling employees what you’re about. You’ve got to live it daily.

Remember, if your personal brand and your business brand are in alignment, it shouldn’t be hard to attract the right individuals. You want real people who are attracted to your company and what you’re trying to achieve. Now, go get ‘em!

Maintaining stable employer-employee relations

In a climate where leaders have to make difficult cost-cutting decisions, employer-employee relations can often get a bit rocky. To maintain good a good rapport, it’s important for employers to communicate and get to know their employees. I mean really take the time to interact with them on a daily basis. Go beyond what’s happening at work, and show an interest in their lives. A real, genuine conversation is comforting; share a story or a laugh with your employees. A little interest goes a long way.

Still, it’s best to exercise caution. You don’t need to know the details of their personal lives, and you certainly don’t want to pry. But chances are good that by showing a little interest in what they’re all about, you’ll create an employer-employee relationship that will benefit both sides of the equation.

Is a Culture Vulture bringing down your team?

You’ve probably met this person at one time or another. They’re the employee that isn’t on board. The one causing friction among your staff and bringing down team morale. I have a name for people who sabotage businesses—culture vultures! And my best advice is to get rid of this person as soon as you can. If that’s not possible, then pay close attention to what’s going on, and trust your instincts. In other words, your perceptions of this person are probably right.

In the meantime, take comfort in the fact that culture vultures usually destroy themselves. Truth prevails, but it doesn’t typically happen as fast you’d like. Get help in the form of a business consultant, a person who will work with you to plan a strategy that ensures that every member of your team is on the same page.

Is your team being brought down by a culture vulture? Share your experiences with us! You can learn more about how to avoid culture vultures in Life Lesson Fifteen of Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs.

Stop Taking Credit for My Work!

I’ve been in too many businesses to name where a certain employee will continually take credit for others employees’ work. If your organization has one of these people on your hands, you’re dealing with an ego snark—someone who wants what you have and will go to any length to get it. These individuals are crafty, and they’re dangerous. They’ll also destroy your culture if you let them. Ego snarks often do their worst damage before you realize they’re a problem, causing animosity within your team and bringing them down. But you’ve at least spotted this person—hopefully before too much damage occurs.

Here are some quick tips for dealing with an ego snark:

• Single them out. Ask them their thoughts and opinions on a new topic.
• Hold them accountable for specific responsibilities that the team would conquer together.
• If the problem persists, confront them.

In any situation, always protect your ideas. The best way to do that is to surround yourself with a team of real people—the family, friends and staff who will help you achieve your goals.

Have you had any encounters with an ego snark lately? Tell us about it! Or to learn more about different types of snarks check out Life Lesson Four in Real You Incorporated.

Develop an excellent support system of mentors and employees.

They will become your team.

To accomplish this, you’ll need to determine the qualities you want in an employee. Begin by thinking about your heroes. Write down the names of two or three people, past or present, that you admire. Then, list the characteristics that you admire in those people. Are there some commonalities between them? If so, these may be the qualities you want your employees to exhibit. And they will likely be the same qualities that you admire in your mentors.

Lisa Cini, president/owner of Mosaic Design Studio, is a great example of how this works. She’s done a fabulous job of developing a strong support system of mentors and employees. “Not only did the mentors allow me to learn from them, but they also provided a safe place to express excitement, fears and concerns,” she says. At the same time, Lisa makes it her mission to hire happy, honest, passionate, hardworking problem-solvers who want to be challenged. Together, mentors and employees create a winning combo for Lisa—and her business.

What are the qualities you look for in new employees? Learn more about hiring in Real Fact No. 5 of Real You Incorporated.