Culture Connection
Business success depends on a healthy corporate culture. Whether you agree or not, culture outranks strategy in order of importance when we are measuring the bottom line. So how does your team rank in the three critical factors: substance, strength, and adaptability? A happy (and emotionally strong) team is a profitable team. Stop fooling yourself into thinking this stuff is common sense and share these simple tips with your employees.
Listening is more than using your ears:
Make a deep commitment to listening intently to others (clients, co-workers, supervisors). Be aware of how you are communicating back through your body language and tone.
Be Empathetic and give people a pass:
Strive to understand and empathize with others. People need to be accepted and recognized for their special and unique spirit. One must assume the good intentions of coworkers and customers and not reject them as people, even when you do not support or like their actions and behavior.
No Excuses, No Explanations:
How would you behave differently if you knew there would be no time to give excuses or explanations? Take ownership and be accountable for your actions and decisions. Remember, it doesn’t make it right even if everyone else is doing it.
Personal Appearance Matters:
As a professional, you represent a brand — the brand of Community Care College but also the brand of You! How you talk, act, and look is a reflection of the brand. Before you even speak a word, most people will size you up by the way you appear. Dress better than the position requires and practice what you preach. Be the person that others admire and desire to emulate.
No Crybabies:
Let’s face it. You cannot control all events. But…you can control how you respond to them. This, friends, is what separates the conquerors from the crybabies!
Gossip Sucks:
At the end of the day gossip is gossip and, other than providing entertainment and superficial bonding between gossipers, it has no value. In the workplace, it can be incredibly damaging and it makes for an ugly work environment where humans are not a priority.
Don’t let personal problems sabotage your success:
Personal problems have a sneaky way of tiptoeing into our work lives. Try as we might to keep work and personal lives separate, sick kids, aging parents, crazy boyfriends, and financial problems don’t wait. They’re an inevitable part of life. But unfortunately, your job still needs to get done. And although your personal life may be falling apart, you need to take special care that your work image stays healthy and that you don’t share every private detail.
What type of employee are you?:
You will fall in one of three categories: Star Player, Good Employee, or Bad Apples. Star Players are not only accountable for themselves but hold others accountable. Star Players will go to the decision maker when all else fails. Star Players help Good Employees become Star Players and help eliminate Bad Apples. Be committed to the Mission while honoring the Core Values and reaching for the company’s Vision.
Be a good steward:
Good stewardship is how we treat what we don’t own. Preserving what I own is selfish. Preserving what someone else owns is stewardship.
Make a Commitment to Personal Development:
Acquiring new skills, testing your capabilities, stretching yourself, and taking personal responsibility for your growth is essential for continued improvement. Realize that this is your obligation to yourself rather than the company’s.