Are you cultivating a garden or a jungle? Why you should evolve your company culture to be self-sustaining
Former corporate executive and current futurist Latia Vaughan suggests you should “run your business like a jungle, not a garden.”
A garden requires meticulous attention. If left unattended, it will wither.
The jungle has evolved to be self-sustaining over many centuries. It evolves, adapts, and grows without daily oversight.
Distributors that intentionally create a company culture that’s flexible and adaptive, like a jungle, are better positioned for long-term growth. To succeed, distributors must:
Clearly define goals and values: If you asked employees from every area of your business, from the warehouse to the counter to a sales rep, would they all be able to state your company goals and values? If not, you must start here. To become a values-led distributor, you can:
- Recognize employees who exhibit company values in real time, on shared communication platforms, and during team meetings.
- Provide ongoing training on core values and give values a prominent place in the onboarding program. Updating the team is a top priority if you change the values or goals so they can quickly respond.
- Incorporate values into performance reviews.
Align company beliefs and practices with values: ?If company decisions and best practices are viewed through the filter of its values, individual employees can determine when processes are out of alignment and determine improvements. For example, if you are committed to comprehensive employee wellness, but your benefits program doesn’t offer mental health support, there is a gap.
Commit to regular and transparent communication: Employees must be comfortable asking questions and seeking support to maintain a successful culture. But they must also know the realities of the business so they can participate in finding solutions to challenges. Without this insight and communication, they won’t have the information necessary to sustain a healthy culture without leadership involvement.
McKinsey found that 70% of employees define their purpose through their work. When you give your employees the roadmap of values and the authority to maintain company culture based on those values, you provide them with the purpose they’re looking for.
“A lot of companies make the mistake of increasing or decreasing their employee training and development opportunities based on the economy or how the company is doing that year, and I think that's a huge mistake," said Amy Venezia, chief talent officer, Plastics Family Americas. "Any smart business focuses on its people first. You should be dedicated year over year to having career pathing discussions.”
One way distributors build culture is by celebrating the hard work of the team. This year, the Ryerson management team at the Eldridge facility treated employees to cupcakes and water bottles filled with treats to celebrate Employee Appreciation Day.
This "Tip of the Week" is provided by the Talent Development Council | Texas A&M University.
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The March/April issue of Industrial Supply magazine features an in-depth cover story about Pack-n-Tape. Plus, we're featuring articles by contributing writers Dr. Bharani Nagarathnam and Frank Hurtte, as well as interviews with numerous product and distribution industry experts.
