The Four Secrets Of A Winning Culture – Tal Shnall
A winning culture doesn’t happen by accident. Although many leaders are very intentional about creating a better culture for their team and their organization, few are making the difference. In most companies, culture begins with the founder and then evolves through years of molding the culture with leadership, core values, and new experiences.
Ever since I began my journey of training and developing leaders in the hospitality field, I remember why I began to love what I do. As I continued to evolve in the business, I learned first hand the importance of branding and culture to our internal and external customers. Every day of training created opportunities for servant leadership. I was inspired to make a difference by building a winning culture with our team.
Sometimes business executives wonder if training is worth the investment. I know one thing for sure. Brands must cultivate their core values and culture through the people they serve. What’s the outcome? Working on the culture makes an impact on the bottom line for everyone. First, you will create more loyal customers and increase revenue while others are chasing more customers. Secondly, you will have a culture of people that are engaged and empowered to deliver excellence.
We know that culture has been a buzz word for some time now. Many people research the best in the field to learn what they did and try to copy their culture. The companies who are known to be the best in culture and service provide many leaders insights and teachable moments. I encourage you to study them, but be innovative and come up with your own ways that specifically differentiate your company culture from others.
In this blog post, I want to give you some ideas. There are several attributes of what makes a winning culture. Working with cross industries and learning about other businesses taught me that culture is the biggest competitive advantage you have in the marketplace today. Why? Because more and more companies must win the war for talent. And guess what will increase the chances of selecting and keeping people in your company? Culture.
#1. Culture Is About People
At the heart of every culture are the people who build and commit to the culture. It’s not the nice plaques on the wall and motivational posters describing your core values.
Do the people of the organization represent the values, purpose, and vision of the company?
Do they lead by example the values that they hold dear to them?
I love meeting people from all walks of life. I am a student of human behavior. It always fascinates me how people interact and engage with others. I love being the fly on the wall that observes whether leaders walk the talk of the culture they want to establish. The companies that I walk into and see positive energy and the engagement, are great indicators of their relationships and whether they act on what they believe in as an organization.
#2. Build Relationships of Trust
Good relationships take effort and time. Most people define their relationships intellectually, but what’s missing are the behaviors that foster good relationships at work. Things like caring, trust, and understanding are not achieved overnight. Assessments such as the Strength-Finder and DISC Profile helps many leaders to engage and understand their co-workers better.
Culture cannot be achieved alone. We are better together. We thrive with connection to one another. Research has shown over and over that the happiest people are the ones that give their time and efforts to building relationships with others.
#3. Performance Development
More and more companies are moving away from the annual performance reviews. People want a coach instead of a manager. That’s why leaders are developing their coaching skills to take their teams to the next level of success. As leaders, we need to help others realize their full potential through growth and on the job development. While many companies have measurable goals and objectives, the real question is whether employees are fully engaged to make a meaningful contribution.
#4. Appreciate and Recognize People
Culture is not something we do to people, but something we want people to feel.
Do they feel appreciated and recognized for their contributions?
As a leader are you communicating people’s true worth and potential?
Taking the time to make people feel valued creates culture capital for many reasons. People that feel appreciated and recognized for their contribution creates a positive spiral that sustains happiness for the long haul.
I thank you for giving me your time as I know how valuable it can be. If this blog post added value to your leadership, I would love to hear from you and connect.
Tal is a Customer Service Trainer and Speaker, with more than 20 years’ of hotel guest operations. He has facilitated training programs for several hotel brands such as Marriott, Hilton, Starwood and Intercontinental Hotel Group. He adds value through Customer Excellence Training, Leadership Development, Corporate Training, and Executive Coaching. Connect with him on Linkedin
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