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What does the CEO do each day to build a culture of employee growth? ...
CEO's job is to help it flow through the business. He indicated that as CEO, this piece resonated with him because it underscored how important his part is in the organization and the culture. Having leaders who believe in the company's mission and values will hugely motivate and energize the entire company and can have a positive effect on the bottom line.
When we think about company culture in a place where employees spend a lot of their time away from their families, it's vital that your organization has the right leaders in place to create a culture that's inviting. When a company has the right leaders in place, the company culture can supersede its employees' expectations.
As a leadership expert and executive coach, I've noticed some common themes among companies that are successful and have great company cultures: They are clear about their values and the organization's goals. They know that each company is unique and that in order for the culture to thrive, leaders must be deliberate about it. They must live it, breathe it and be authentic about it.
So how do you build a great company culture? Here are five tips.
1. Empower your employees through building trust. Encourage your employees to own decisions and be accountable to them. Give them the freedom to learn, grow and act. Trust is a great way to empower them.
2. Have culture talks with your senior leaders. The company culture starts with the CEO and works its way down through the business via the messages to the senior leadership team from the CEO. The CEO should facilitate discussions through their humility, vulnerability, and openness while utilizing the brainpower in the room, allowing senior leadership to weigh in on conversations. This will not only build buy-in but create opportunities for their voices to be heard.
3. Create a growth coaching path where every employee feels valued, respected, and appreciated. Every employee wants to know that they not only play a part in contributing to the company they work for but also that the company cares enough to invest in them. You can do this by setting monthly one-on-one coaching calls or in-person meetings to aid the employee in creating a personal development plan and providing feedback on their progress to help them stay on the path. Remember, employees, are genuinely motivated when they are valued, respected and appreciated, and when leadership shows that they care. It makes a significant impact on employee morale and adds to great company culture.
4. Create a safe space. It's crucial that employees know they have a safe space at work to share their perspectives and ideas openly, honestly, and transparently, without retaliation. You can create this safe space by holding town halls, company progress panel discussions, workplace committees, or internal workshops, which can transform conversations and have positive impacts. Having a continuous conversation by finding a common language of understanding, listening and providing a channel where employees can bring up issues for solutions will set the tone for employees to know not only that you care but that they are heard.
5. Ensure proper onboarding of new employees. Without a doubt, it's essential to have an onboarding program to ensure that you set the tone for your new hires' success. Start by making sure they understand the company culture. Too often, employers forget this, which causes a misalignment at your company's core. Remember, this is the new hire's home away from home, so make sure they understand the culture and how they can contribute to it, as well as to the company's success.
Have an onboarding program that outlines a plan, has a checklist for new hires to follow along, and pairs them up with buddies or mentors who can help the new hires get acclimated to their work environment and their roles. This is vital to their success and your company's retention practices.
Lastly, don't forget to circle back or check-in with the new hires 90 days after their hire date. Once they've had time to adjust, you can have a better grasp of their journey, assess if they are a good fit for your culture, and get feedback or see what ideas they have that may enhance your future onboarding program for a great employee experience.
Remember, no company culture is perfect, but once you find what works and what keeps employee morale up (in other words, why they love coming to work), do whatever is in your power to maintain and continue to develop that. Leading by example and demonstrating and embodying the culture you want to permeate will set the tone for the organization and the employees you serve. It's good for your organization's growth, your employees' success, and your leadership brand.
