Put your employee's first.
A fews weeks ago I had an opportunity to stay at the Rittz Carlton in Naples Florida. After the normal check in process, I was asked if I would care of a glass of champagne, I accepted the offer. What a great first impression, I could not stop talking to my wife about the unexpected and kind gesture.
Each employee we encountered offered a friendly and engaging experience. I decided to ask Karen one the employees; what is the secret to the excellent service offered by all of the employees? Karen and I spoke about many different things, but the one thing that stood out to me was this simple but prfound statement "I want to be my best, because I work for the best". The important part of this statement was; Karen belief resulted in her behavior.The perception of this employee was that the Ritz Carlton created a culture or work enviromant that allows her to be at her natural best.
The culture of an organization is the system of shared values and beliefs. These shared values and beliefs have a strong influence on the behavior of the employees and will dictate how they act, dress and perform their job duties. Great cultures do not magically happen, it takes hard work to translate your beliefs into real behavior.
Successful companies implement these three things into their culture:
- Treat employees like a human being first. Employees want to know that their supervisor cares about their well being, not just their output. Show empathy and flexibility when necessary.
- Reward employees for producing quality work. Employee recognition cannot be overlooked and this practice should be intentional. Start by celebrating each employee birthday.
- Create opportunity for growth. Employees look forward to the opportunity to increase their value in the organization. Coach and train employees daily, this will ensure employees have what is needed to be promoted to the next position.
Why does culture matter?
- The assumptions and beliefs of employee drive behavior.
- The collective behavior of employees drives results.
- The results measure perfomance and indicates if the company objective have been met.