Subtle Signs of a Winning Culture

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit a growing printing company in the northeast. A family owned, multi-generation business, they are enjoying success in every measurable way. Client retention and growth, adding new, targeted customers, innovative new product development, client satisfaction scores, and employee engagement top the list of major accomplishments.

If I didn’t know all of this before my visit, it would not have taken me long to identify one key factor in their success: A winning organizational culture was clear and obvious the moment I pulled into the parking lot.

The exterior grounds were immaculate. Signage was clear and welcoming especially for first time visitors. While the building was secure, I was greeted promptly and moved to a nicely appointed reception area. So far, so good but nothing that would differentiate this company from so many others I visit. Here’s what stood out.

During breaks in our meeting, I was encouraged to wander around the facility. I headed to the kitchen area for a cup of coffee (excellent, freshly ground coffee I might add). On my trip around, every team member I encountered (none of whom I had met before) did the same thing, without exception. They made direct eye contact, smiled and cheerfully and sincerely said hello. That this was of novel impression is an understatement. There was a certain element to the environment where everyone seemed genuinely pleased to be there. They were just as cheerful to me, a first-time visitor as they were with each other. Call it hum, a buzz, a vibe; there was an unmistakable sense of well-being, appreciation and gratitude.

It got me to wonder. Were team members here trained or did it just come naturally? Either way, it was an altogether pleasant experience.

Is a winning culture a by-product of business success or is the opposite true?

One thing is certain. They do correlate.

How is the culture in your organization? For information on proven methods for measuring and improving culture enterprise wide, contact me at joe@ajstrategy.com

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions. Artificial Intelligence may have been used in part to create or edit this content.