Articles

Who Really Owns Your Company Culture?

Every year, 24/7 Wall St. releases a list of the 11 worst companies in the U.S. based on independently examined employee reviews on Glassdoor. While there are many factors that contribute to these companies’ low ratings, the overarching theme, year after year, is their lack of attention to company culture.

Chief Culture Officers Fill a Growing Need

It’s no wonder “culture officer” is making its way into the business lexicon. Last year, Merriam-Webster announced that “culture” was a 2014 word of the year, and a 2014 global survey of nearly 1,200 C-suite executives by McKinsey & Co. found that spending time on culture was a key priority for those who successfully moved to the C-suite.

The 5 People You Need to Fire This Year

If major corporate failures like WorldCom, Lehman Brothers, and Countrywide Home Loans taught us anything, it’s that culture is the foundation of any strong business. To have a healthy corporate culture, you need to focus on people first — both inside and outside the company.

Exclusive Interview: Paul Spiegelman, Best-Selling Author and Culture Executive

Sought-after speaker, TV guest, author, contributor to a number of popular business magazines, and now fellow team member to this author, discusses the importance of organizational culture and what it truly means to have a values-driven business.

How To Keep Your Company Culture From Fading As You Grow

There’s so much more to your company than what it sells.

The feeling you get when you walk through the office doors is what really defines your brand, attracts top talent, and builds loyal customers. Unfortunately, as your budding venture grows, it’s easy to lose sight of those feelings.

Should You Always Promote From Within Your Company?

If you don’t have excellent people in the correct roles, it’s nearly impossible to develop a great offering and serve your customers well. That’s why it’s critical to establish a culture of advancement and give top performers the opportunity to succeed.

Take Procter & Gamble, for example. The consumer-goods company made development part of its company culture, mentoring employees across all levels of the company through formal and informal training.

Building a Culture of Sustainability

Gallup, a global research and consulting firm, annually conducts a survey called “The State of the American Workplace.” This year the results should alarm American business leaders, particularly our healthcare colleagues.

Of the approximately 100 million people in America who hold full-time jobs, 50% of American workers are not engaged. Another 20% of those surveyed – 20 million people – are actively disengaged from work. Chances are these employees – statistically 70% of our workforce-will not improve our patient experience or fulfill our institutions’ mission unless the culture changes.

Scaling Culture from 300 to 16,000

BerylHealth, a healthcare call center, had its start with three employees and the phone line in a backroom. Between 1985 and 2012, founder and CEO Paul Spiegelman grew the company to 300 employees. The company earned multiple Inc. 500 and Best Places to Work awards for its impressive growth trajectory and strong, positive culture that was built first on truly caring for employees.

How to Keep Company Culture Alive After an Acquisition

Having been both an acquirer and the acquired, I’ve seen firsthand how culture can change for the better or worse once a company is assimilated.

When your company is acquired, it will create a sense of fear for your current employees. Nearly everyone depends on a job to survive, and your employees will wonder what will happen to them going forward.

Small business advice: Lessons in loyalty from the Market Basket protests

Before they made headlines this summer, supermarket chain Market Basket and its chief executive weren’t on the radar of many small business owners. But if you’re an entrepreneur, take note of this story, as there are key lessons to be learned about the power of company culture and the importance of being dedicated to your employees.

What Makes Employees Happy?

When LinkedIn released a report on the world’s most common dream jobs, “employee of a giant corporate retailer” didn’t make the list. But even if every big-box worker harbors a secret desire to become an astronaut, that doesn’t mean they’re all miserable. Right?

Read more: http://www.business.com/human-resources/what-makes-employees-happy/

4 Ways to Improve Your Company’s Culture by Focusing on Teams, Not Stars

You could almost feel the crowd’s excitement when LeBron James stepped onto the basketball court during this year’s NBA playoffs. And with talent like Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh by his side, the Miami Heat looked destined to win the season.

But despite great individual performances from “the Big Three,” the San Antonio Spurs stole the final and ultimately won the championship.

Working Remotely or in the Field, Salespeople Still Need to be Part of Company Culture

There’s no denying that it takes a certain personality to succeed in sales. They’ve got a gift for gab and an even better gift for lending an ear. They’re expert problem solvers and flawless self-starters — not to mention, extremely goal-oriented and driven by the almighty dollar.

But for all their unique attributes, salespeople are still like any other employee in your company.

Use Your Company Culture to Drive the Customer Experience

In my role as chief culture officer, I can talk about our organizational philosophy until I’m blue in the face. And while my evangelizing probably has some positive impact, it’s nothing compared to the brand equity generated by our truck drivers. Yes, you read that correctly: Our customers are in love with our drivers.

Does your interview process reflect your company’s culture?

The interview process can be nerve-wracking for potential hires, and for good reason: The interview is your way of judging whether he or she would be a good fit for your company, and in my experience, this usually comes down to a matter of cultural fit rather than skill.

Unfortunately, many companies don’t realize that this process of determining “fit” goes both ways.

SBC Interview: Stericycle's Paul Spiegelman

Paul Spiegelman is the chief culture officer at Stericycle and founder and former CEO of BerylHealth. He also co-founded the Small Giants Community with Inc. editor-at-large Bo Burlingham. He is an Entrepreneur-in-Residence for Office Depot’s SmallBizClub.com. You can read more at PaulSpiegelman.com. @paulspiegelman

1. What were your primary goals in founding the company BerylHealth?

How to Change Your Company Culture Mid-Stream

I met a CEO who was extremely proud of himself — he added bagels to his company’s Friday morning routine. He thought the gesture of appreciation would boost employee morale and shift the culture.

But company culture isn’t just what you do — it’s who you are

The Best CEOs Get Out Of The Way

Giving up control for the sake of growing your company can be one of the biggest challenges for a CEO. It can be difficult for some leaders to develop the level of self-awareness and humility needed to recognize the true talent within their companies. Effective companies are built on every team member’s contributions, and the best CEOs understand this dynamic.

5 On-Screen Corporate Cultures To Avoid In Real Life

Movies that people can relate to in an emotional or artistic way are the ones that resonate with audiences. Hollywood thrills our imagination, but it’s important to remember that movies are created to entertain us. Once we leave the theater, they shouldn’t necessarily provide blueprints for our own practices.

Grow Your Business by Sticking to Your Guns

Every small business owner wants to make money. In fact, revenue is the very definition of being in business. But is there such a thing as an overreliance on revenue to drive your business?

Definitely – and it could be damaging your company.