Cultivating a Company Culture is the Strategy to a Successful Company
BRISBANE, Australia, June 25, 2018 (Newswire.com) - Company culture in the workplace should be the key focus for companies looking to attract top talent to drive business. BusinessNET CEO Ben Simkin explains how to do this effectively in the Entrepreneur article “4 Ways to Cultivate a Culture Worthy of Top Industry Talent.”
Simkin highlights the publicised quote “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” and goes on to ask the question many others will be asking: ”But what does it mean?”
In a traditional sense, most people will put focus towards a business plan, Simkin states. “That might sway a business school professor but to real-world professionals, the 'business plan route' is just plain wrong.”
The issue of attracting and retaining top talent is a big one for companies. Simkin identifies a great example of a CEO creating an excellent company culture -- Tom Villante, CEO at YapStone, a leading FinTech payments company. When interviewed, Mr. Villante put the success of his company culture down to four main things.
1. Relationships Are Key:
Villante shares, “Culture is really just another word for your employees’ relationships, with each other and the customers they serve, and how healthy they are determines the success of your business. Strong, co-operative relationships are motivating, energizing and foster great mental health which is important for productivity.”
The CEO of YapStone emphasizes personal service and says to “make them (your customers) feel valued as these relationships function across a wider network and your industry peers will sit up and take notice.”
2. Businesses Should Know what and who they stand with:
“The most crucial part of a great culture is involvement: if they don’t feel their ideas are being heard, your best minds will drop you like dog mess,” states Villante.
Through the business owners experience, Villante says, “The easiest way to unite a team is through strong branding. Embrace your brand to its fullest extent in everything you do: what defines your business, what doesn’t define it, and why each member of your team belongs. You will find they gravitate naturally to strong ideas that appeal to their sense of identity, and feel an increased sense of loyalty.”
This is what cultivates and forms a strong culture that not only attracts but maintains top industry talent.
3. Change The Business Owner, Change The Culture:
The very notion of a successful business or brand stems from its leader, so changing from the top will change the company culture.
Tom Villante highlights, “Your staff look to you for guidance and leadership, so you should be the catalyst for any change that takes place. Treat your staff and customers exactly how you would have them treat each other and you will witness a trickle-down effect that will transform the entire atmosphere of your workplace.”
It’s important to note, action begets action: don’t fall behind with plans.
Simkin shares that at YapStone, Tom makes a conscious effort to lead his team from within and it shows in the progress that has been made.
4. Commit To The Process:
If the workplace culture needs improving, admitting it is the first step.
Villante knows, “The ‘normal’ way of doing things may not be the ‘right’ way -- after all, if it was truly ‘right,’ you wouldn’t be thinking about revitalizing your workplace culture in the first place.”
Assess the company’s existing culture by hiring a specialist consultant or circulating anonymous, incentivised surveys to the staff. Don’t just have a vague notion of doing "something" in the future -- commit to an action step right now.
Simkin ends the article stating, “It’s crucial to foster a great workplace culture, no matter the size of your team, your business goals or your budget. Nurturing an enjoyable environment not only helps you retain your best team members, it also takes a lot of stress off your plate -- make it a priority today.”
To learn more about Ben Simkin and his company, visit www.businessnet.com.au or follow him on his active Facebook page: www.facebook.com/benjaminsimkin. And to learn more about Tom Villante and his company YapStone, visit www.yapstone.com.
Source: BusinessNET
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Tags: Ben SImkin, Business, Top Talent, Workplace Culture