Sales growth, profitability, customer loyalty… just a short list of things that live in the front of business leader’s minds. And while the word culture may also be moving through that list, it is rarely near the top even though it’s now widely recognized as the one thing that impacts and contributes to everything else.
Think of it this way. Consider all the things that impact your company’s brand. When you get past marketing, sales, and customer service, you realize that it includes literally everything that touches your customers. Now think of your company’s culture as its internal brand and consider all the things that impact it. The answer is essentially the same.
Its everything that touches your employees. That list includes leadership, processes, policies, customers, support, engagement, communication, values, and on and on. Again, its everything that touches your employees.
Do your employees feel a clear sense of direction and purpose? Are they involved, committed, aligned? Do they feel ownership and responsibility? Are they adaptable and ready to move with the marketplace? Do they work with a unified set of values and agreement? Are they equipped with what they need to succeed? (And on and on.)
Through our DUO Standards of Excellence, ADG helps companies identify and prioritize opportunities for cultural growth and align them with initiatives such as process improvement, production, leadership development, customer loyalty, sales effectiveness, and many more.
The reason we’re so committed to connecting continuous cultural improvement with functional improvement is actually very simple. When we recognize how a positive, healthy culture can impact and contribute to the success of any business initiative, we put it first on the list.
Jon Reed is ADG’s Director of Culture and People Development