Getting the staff on board is one thing, keeping them is another.
Loyalty is important to me. I wanted to create an environment where people wanted to work, would thrive and progress. In the early days, we worked in an open plan office (my front room), we often ate lunch together (in my kitchen) and over these lunches we would talk and share information, celebrate successes, problem solve and even created new product ranges ourselves.
A strong culture is not built overnight but as the leader, owner, or CEO your leadership style will influence those around you. If you are open and honest your staff will be too. The value of open honest regular constructive communication cannot be underestimated.
Whether the news be good or bad keep people informed. Part of this is an open door policy, knowing they could turn to me at anytime and knowing we put family first was important.
A busy office can be a place full of interruptions, if you can ensure your staff have a place to go, a way of blocking out the surrounding noise and dedicate to the task in hand, or even just to take five minutes out. Make work an enjoyable engaging and fun place.
All your staff have outside lives too, be a little bit flexible if staff need to leave early or take time off, a good culture where there is give and take in my experience means the company always wins.
Company weekends away also helped us to bond with each other and create new objectives for the year ahead. And of course gave us all the chance to socialise together. Sometimes these unplanned moments can often generate the best ideas!
Value your staff, by all means set targets and rewards but also celebrate the little things, a good sale, an anniversary, a birthday as well as the big things, your staff will appreciate you more.
Top tips:
- Be honest and open, communicate good news and bad.
- Take time out for yourself and your family and let your staff do this too.
- Celebrate the little things to show your appreciation.
- Work as a team, success or failure will affect everyone
Lara Morgan is chief executive of Company Shortcuts, which provides practical advice and frameworks for mid-sized businesses to accelerate growth.
