Creating a positive work culture — even with just a few employees — can be a key component to your company’s success.
In fact, a recent Deloitte study found a link between having a clearly defined sense of purpose and strong financial performance: Nine out of 10 professionals who said their company had the former also said it had a history of the latter.
If you think your small business needs a stronger sense of purpose, there’s good news: Fostering a positive culture at work doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming.
Here are four tips for building a work environment that benefits both your employees and your bottom line.
1. Be a role model. As the boss, your employees constantly pick up on the messages you send through your behavior. “They’ll also react to your attitude,” says Gordon Veniard, a management consultant and author of the e-book About Teams: Twenty Key Questions and Eighty-One Powerful Tips.
So you want to lead by example. For instance, say it’s lunchtime, and some of your employees are on break while the rest are fielding phone calls. You walk by an empty desk, holding a sandwich you just purchased. As you pass by, the phone at the unattended desk rings. Do you answer it?
If you don’t, Veniard asserts, you’re sending a message to your employees that helping customers is less important than eating lunch. If you do answer the phone, employees will likely note your effort to take care of business.
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