Business Culture

Business Culture

If a brand is the face of a company, the culture is the body. Just like a human body, a company’s culture can become toxic if it is not nurtured or cared for. Many companies fail because of a poor culture. Similarly, many thrive for decades because of a good culture.  The culture begins with the owner and ends with the staff. A few elements determining culture:

• ·         Management’s relations with staff
• ·         Coworkers’ relations
• ·         Internal Communication
• ·         Training
• ·         Organization & Systems

I had the privilege of working close to a true restaurateur and gentleman. He built 47 locations within a 35-year span. They had about 50-60 employees per store.  A waitress at one of the stores had an accident at home and incurred a $6,000 medical bill. She returned to work two weeks after the accident and received a check for what would have been her normal earnings during that period. Within the next couple weeks she opened her medical bill and found it had been paid in full.

This waitress had been with the company for almost 10 years. Some would immediately think he had a special interest in this waitress, but he did not. He had a genuine care for his staff and his customers which clearly contributed to his success. Employee retention was the highest in the industry and his company became the flagship for a nationally-known franchise. This folks is culture.

Customers ‘sense’ the culture. If the culture is healthy the customers know it. If it isn’t, customers are buying because of price. Price alone is not a sustainable model. If sales are declining or stagnant, analyze your culture and make healthy changes.   

Treat others as you want to be treated. Respect others and show appreciation in their efforts. It’s ALWAYS the people that make the business.

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