By Thomas Davis, DNAP, MAE, CRNA

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My 21-year-old grandson recently joined me for a day of painting the walls in the basement of my home.  He is a gifted artist who works in a print shop and creates original artwork that is printed on clothing and marketed to specific demographics.   Because of his talent and ability to connect with clients and print shop staff, he is taking over as the manager and is on track to become the owner of the business.  While painting walls (and resisting the urge to feature Captain America), he told me that his primary objective was to create a print shop in which people want to work and where clients want to hang out and spend time.  Without using the word, he described an inclusive and empowering culture in which employees willingly give their all and where clients enjoy their relationship with the business.  He is convinced that a positive relationship with employees and clients will help generate income and a thriving business. His concept of culture is spot on.

 

 

“Corporate culture is the only sustainable competitive advantage that is completely within the control of the entrepreneur.  Develop a strong corporate culture first and foremost.” ~David Cummings, Entrepreneur, Atlanta GA

 

 

Wikipedia defines organizational culture as “values and behaviors that contribute to the unique social and psychological environment of a business.”  This cultural lay of the land “influences the way people interact, the context within which knowledge is created, the resistance toward change and, ultimately, the way in which they do or do not share knowledge.”

 

 

Whether the work environment is in business, academia or healthcare, organizational culture is the key ingredient that either binds or destroys an organization.  A review of literature related to the importance of a strong and positive organizational culture revealed several common themes.

• Positive culture attracts the best talent. A knowledgeable applicant will come to the job interview armed with questions to assess the culture of the organization.  Employers who are articulate and give examples of how the workplace is empowering will attract fully committed and loyal people to join the team.
• Positive culture improves engagement and retention. Replacing disgruntled employees has a negative effect on both team morale and the bottom line on the financial page.  Developing a culture that empowers workers will improve productivity, improve customer satisfaction and augment profits.
• Positive culture fosters happiness and job satisfaction. Employee satisfaction research affirms that organizations with a positive culture score the highest on loyalty and satisfaction surveys.  Those working in a workplace with a positive culture tend to remain on the job even when nearby competitors offer better pay and benefits.
• Positive culture reduces stress. A positive culture creates a sense of community where people know what is expected and can count on colleagues to have their back.  The ensuing team mentality gives a sense of security and lessens the risk for individual failure on a project.

 

My grandson is very insightful by placing his primary focus on establishing a positive workplace culture.  His youthful energy and enthusiasm for success will give momentum to move his philosophy in the right direction.  No doubt as he takes over as the manager and implements his plan, many of the following actions will be used to animate his vision.

 

 

• Promote employee wellness. Business moves at the speed of relationships and clicking on a personal level is essential for building a lasting network of colleagues and customers.  Take a personal interest in the mental and physical wellness of each employee.  Encourage personal fitness and support those who want (need) to lose weight or quit smoking.  Plan group activities like hiking or cycling to combine fitness with team building.  Whatever you choose, make it fun.  For workers on the job, make sure that the workload is reasonable and that those who work extra hours to complete urgent projects are compensated with recovery time.
• Provide meaning to the work that is done. Creating a sense that the work is important beyond the task at hand gives workers a sense of pride and builds a relationship with those who benefit from their work.  My grandson must let his employees know that they are not just printing, selling and shipping items to a client; they are providing an important product that will contribute to the success of the client’s business.  In the process, fulfilling each order in a timely manner will create trust and loyalty with the customer base. Trust and loyalty will create return clients and referrals. In healthcare we are not just performing a medical procedure; we are influencing and contributing to the health and welfare of the patient while earning the trust of the primary physician.
• Create goals. While painting, my grandson was a chatterbox describing his goals for creating new designs, marketing, and production of products.  As a leader, he will regularly share his goals and work with his team of employees to achieve them.  Likewise, an engaged and innovative healthcare leader will move beyond streamlining today’s task and establish comprehensive goals that elevate the practice and better serve clients.
• Set a positive tone. The leader sets the tone for the workplace and others reset their attitude accordingly.  How you act, react and interact with others establishes the norm for the expected behavior of the workers.  Be positive and let your attitude go viral through your team and the entire workplace.
• Nurture connections. One aspect of a highly desirable job is that individuals feel linked to one another and to the organization.   What may look like coffee talk to you may be two individuals bonding on a personal level and establishing a relationship that will lead to a highly productive synergy of effort.  Likewise, casual chatter with a client is the first step to a relationship that promotes a loyal customer base.
• Listen attentively. In a positive workplace culture, employees at every level of the chain of command feel as if their ideas are heard and respected.  Never blow off someone who wants to tell you something that is important to them; listen with the intent of understanding the message that is being sent.  To fully engage, move beyond being defensive while listening and instead of arguing with the speaker, ask questions until you fully understand what they are saying and why it is important.
• Empower champions. Workplace champions are those who voluntarily grasp onto something that will improve the group and then work relentlessly until changes are made. When a worker has a creative, doable idea, put the person in charge and encourage others to support the initiative.  Encouraging a champion will improve and the loyalty of the person you empower and will support your goal of creating a positive workplace culture.

 

 

Every team and workplace has its own unique personality.  Some workplace cultures are intentionally developed through the foresight and efforts of a leader, whereas others morph by default based on the whims of the most vocal team members.  Successfully creating a positive workplace culture begins with visualizing the desired outcome, hiring only those who share your vision, being a role model for the desired behavior, taking a personal interest in each team member, giving importance to the work and having zero tolerance for those who detract from the goal.  If my grandson remains true to his vision, there’s a good chance he will develop a dynamic business in which his employees and clients all feel welcome and well-served – a business they trust and a place they look forward to spending their time and dime.

 

Contact tom@procrna.com to book a speaking engagement.