Corporate culture is the key to your company’s success and viability

As a business owner, I am responsible for the bottom-line of my company.  The buck stops with me in ensuring current clients are happy and that new business comes through the door.  But, another very important part of my job is establishing a corporate culture in which my employees can thrive.  In fact, if our corporate culture suffers, essentially, so does the business.

Alicia Marie Fruin, a business coach based in Austin, Texas and owner of PeopleBiz, Inc., defines corporate culture as “the personality of the organization … the assumptions, values, norms and tangible signs of organization members and their behaviors.”

It might be difficult to put into words, but you know corporate culture when you experience it.  When you walk into an office, you can tell within minutes if it’s a place where passion and creativity reign or where stress and angst hold court.  It’s a sense you get from the employees.  That’s corporate culture.

At Griffin Communications Group, we’ve worked hard over the years to establish a strong, positive internal culture.  To us, it’s about support, collaboration and creativity, while taking responsibility for efficiency and profitability and delivering results to our clients. 

So, how did we do it?  We first established our values as a service-based entity:

• To be the best, not the biggest
• To be on the leading edge of our industry
• To surround ourselves with a strong base of industry specific clients who value our work and services
• To provide honest, timely and valuable counsel and services to our clients (i.e., shoot straight, be direct)
• To inspire our employees and offer them a quality work environment to assure we maintain the best talent in the industry
• To be an excellent corporate citizen in our community and the industries we serve

Then, we outlined some guiding principles:

• Reciprocity
• Generosity — we give and don’t keep score
• People before profit
• Making a difference
• Integrity

Our staff is encouraged to reference these values and guiding principles at least once a month.  The effort has made a difference.   Employees often cite how much they like our work environment.  Clients see how our culture drives positive results for them.  It’s a win-win for everyone.

So, how does your corporate culture look right now?  Is there a need for a tune-up?  Heed my advice and invest the time to make your internal culture what you want it to be.  Remember, that this process takes time.  We began more than five years ago and are still fine-tuning.  It’s a long-haul effort, but one that will set you on the path for greater success. 

(And one last note – as you make your culture change, I encourage you to read the “Eight Steps For Leading Change” by Harvard Business School Professor John P. Kotter.  Follow his guidance, and making your internal change stick will be easier than you thought!)

Good luck!

Gwen Griffin, President & CEO