Company Culture

The sales team found it odd that after the first year of the Employee of the Month award they did not have a single winner. Unusual? Coincidence? During the second year our sales manager let some info slip that he couldn't keep inside. The general manager didn't think the sales department should be eligible for EOM because we were paid well for the work we did and we didn't need additional acknowledgement.

Thus my understanding of company culture began.

Decisions have consequences and the exclusion of a particular department generated lots of needless chatter about this cultural decision. The departments outside of sales had a big problem with the "policy" because they knew that the winners were not being judged against all of their peers. The motive of helping one subset of employees against another backfired and few were happy.

My mom always said the road to hell was paved with good intentions. The best intention of any business is to believe in all who have been hired to do the work.

The Generation Y era of young workers will further illuminate the culture issue. Generation Y wants to be recognized for who they are as individuals. The factory era that my mom and dad grew up in is over.

Setting the perfect company culture will not be easy. Here are some thoughts about how to address it:

• Acknowledge that company culture is tied to productivity and satisfaction
• Get rid of managers/employees who aren't in alignment with company goals, and thus killing culture
• Order in lunch and use the time to discuss workplace issues
• Meet with the workforce quarterly to update them on company performance and new initiatives
• Pick a favorite charity and ask for community service to help others in need