Does Your Company Culture Promote Success?

In a small business, the most urgent issues may take up the majority of the business owner’s time and attention. However, it is important to take time to consider your company in a “big picture” sense. Is your business headed down a path that will result in long-term success? What issues are you overlooking on an everyday basis that could snowball into serious problems later on?

When taking stock of your business, it is important to consider how the company culture is affecting productivity. Are your employees content? Do they enjoy what they do or do they dread coming to work every day?

The importance of company culture is often underappreciated in small and medium businesses, however, a great company culture can propel your business toward success. Conversely, a negative company culture can sabotage your hard work and limit your growth.

Happy Employees are Hard Working Employees

Company culture is determined by the beliefs, values, and attitudes of those individuals involved in the company. Your company culture can be thought of as your company’s “personality.” Ideally, your company culture promotes ingenuity, teamwork, and respect. Research shows that when employees feel valued and appreciated, they work harder. One study found that unhappy workers cost U.S. businesses more than $300 billion every year. Employee satisfaction may not be on the top of your list, but it is something that can have a profound impact on your bottom line.

How to Reveal Problems That Are Holding You Back  

If you have concerns that your company culture is doing more harm than good, do not wait to address the problem. Negativity and apathy can spread like wildfire in a workplace. Take some time to consider questions like:

• What does my company stand for?
• Am I putting the company mission statement into action?
• How can I encourage employees to be actively engaged in their work?
• Is low employee morale a problem, and if so, what can be done to improve morale?

Measuring employee satisfaction can be tricky. Understandably, many employees are hesitant to admit to boredom or negative feelings about their job. Anonymous employee satisfaction surveys are a good place to start. Programs like Google Forms or Survey Monkey offer free or low-cost methods for gathering anonymous feedback. One-on-one meetings with employees are also important. Ask your employees about their thoughts, feelings, and opinions about their job. Ask employees about the obstacles they are facing in their position and what can be done to help them improve productivity and satisfaction. Low-tech ideas like a suggestion box where employees can anonymously leave thoughts and ideas is another method of increasing engagement and identifying problems.  

Call Us for Legal Guidance You Can Depend On

As a small business owner, it can sometimes feel like there is no end to your responsibilities. At the Gierach Law Firm, we help business owners and business leaders with a wide range of business law concerns so they can focus on what really matters. We offer an outsourced general counsel program that lets business owners gain valuable legal insight and assistance without committing to an in-house lawyer. Call our Naperville business lawyers at 630-756-1160 for a confidential consultation.

Sources:

Entrepreneur

Forbes