Shownotes
In this episode, I dive into the importance of creating and maintaining a thriving business culture. My guest, Frank Smith, shares his 30+ years of experience in business and discusses how fostering a positive company culture leads to happier, more engaged employees, which ultimately contributes to greater business success. We explore how culture impacts employee engagement, company profitability, and team dynamics—especially in today’s world where remote work is a big part of the equation. If you’re an online coach or business owner scaling your business, this episode will help you create a culture that supports that growth.
Guest Introduction:
Frank Smith is a business culture expert with over 30 years of experience in industries like manufacturing, retail distribution, and professional services. He’s not only run multiple businesses but has also been coaching for over a decade, receiving his coaching certification from UC Berkeley. Frank is known for his ability to shape and elevate company work environments, creating cultures where employees feel seen, heard, and valued. He combines his passion for business culture with his background in car racing, making his approach to coaching unique and effective. His methods are ideal for transformational coaching and scaling your business by cultivating an environment where your employees thrive.
The ROI Of Workplace Happiness - Key Takeaways:
- Business Culture Requires Intentionality: Without a clear, defined approach, company culture will form on its own—and it may not align with the values you want for your business. This is especially critical when scaling your business.
- Balance Between Leadership and Employee Needs: Leaders must define the core aspects of the culture but also allow flexibility in areas that matter to employees. Listening to employees is important, but not every aspect of the culture can be up for debate.
- Remote Work Requires More Effort: Remote work presents challenges for maintaining company culture. Leaders must put in extra effort through regular check-ins and intentional communication to ensure employees feel connected and valued.
- Communication is Key: Whether remote or in the office, consistent and intentional communication is essential to maintaining a strong, healthy culture.
- Employees Should Feel Seen and Heard: Regular check-ins are essential, especially in remote settings. When employees feel valued, they are more likely to contribute positively to the business and its growth.
Creating a Culture that Works:
- The Stopwatch Analogy: Culture may feel “good” to leadership, but the true measure is how employees experience it. It’s important to survey employees at all levels to ensure the culture is truly effective and aligned with the business growth.
- Flexibility and Vision: Leaders must balance their vision for the company with flexibility in areas like dress code to meet employee needs. While the company’s mission should guide the culture, small details can be adjusted to accommodate employees.
- The 16 Components of Culture: Culture is shaped by key components including purpose, vision, mission, pace, relational levels, communication style, and team interactions. These elements must be intentionally defined and nurtured as you scale your business.
Navigating the Challenges of Remote Work:
- Remote Work Hurdles: Maintaining culture remotely requires more effort than in an office setting. Leaders must schedule regular check-ins to maintain connection and culture consistency.
- The Importance of Consistency: Just as you’d check in with family members if you were away, leaders need to check in with their teams regularly to foster connection and engagement—especially in remote settings.
- Time Commitment: Working remotely often takes an extra hour per day to maintain culture and employee engagement. This intentional effort is key to scaling your business while keeping culture intact.
Key Quotes:
- "If you're not intentional, your culture will create itself, and you'll end up somewhere you didn’t expect or want to be."
- "Happy employees lead to happy owners, and happy owners lead to business success."
- "Leaders need to check in on their employees regularly. They need to be seen and heard, especially when working remotely."
- "If you're in the office, it's easy to check on people. Remote work requires intentional scheduling and communication to keep the culture intact."
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