Culture is extremely critical to the success of a business these days. It’s why we felt the subject required three posts with this being our third. (If you missed the first two, contact your Copiers Northwest representative.) The first two discussed what owners and management can do to enhance their organization’s culture and ensure it’s pointed in a successful direction. Our third post provides tips for employees and what steps they need to take to produce the desired outcomes for themselves and the business.
Communicate clear expectations: Understand your organization’s mission and goals, the steps required to achieve each goal, and how performance is measured. Know the standards for behavior and each team member’s role.
Commitment: Employees need to be committed to their work and understand how their role contributes to the big picture. If you don’t have the resources to accomplish certain tasks, communicate the obstacles to management.
Leadership: You don’t have to be in management to show leadership. Communicate regularly and effectively with fellow teammates and be an excellent role model for new employees.
Be accountable: Show character and take responsibility for mistakes. Admit errors and apologize if necessary. Attempting to cover-up mistakes or blame a fellow employee is more times than not far worse than the original mistake. In addition to admitting a mistake, let management know immediately so any error can be corrected or even reversed as soon as possible.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help: Management’s primary role is to assist employees and provide the necessary tools to complete projects effectively and efficiently. If they don’t know you need assistance, they’re unable to step in and help.
Without a strong culture of accountability from ownership, management, and employees, organizations suffer. When all three come together to form a strong culture, businesses flourish, employees are promoted from within, and individuals are compensated properly for their performance.
We hope these tips on culture have been helpful, informative, and thought-provoking. Once again, if you missed any post, contact your Copiers Northwest representative.