Company culture is bigger than a buzzword... It sets the tone for how your team works together, how decisions are made, and how customers experience your brand. A healthy company culture fosters team engagement, boosts productivity, and builds trust with customers. Whether you have a new or established business, here are a few practices that will help you build an environment where people thrive--and set your brand apart in the industry.
1. Define Your Core Values
Core Values are more than word clouds: defining them creates the focal point for shaping your team, processes, and interactions! They are a clear statement of what you stand for, and an essential reference point when making decisions, evaluating performance, and setting goals. These principles help you attract like-minded people to your team, and to build partnerships with.
2. Peer Recognition
Acknowledging hard work creates a sense of appreciation and increases motivation. Whether through shout-outs in team meetings, or small gestures like handwritten thank-you notes, recognition goes a long way. Our weekly Chain Gang Award celebrate teammates who exemplify Core Values in everyday moments, through stories told by their teammates. Here's how it evolved!
3. Put People First
A culture of openness and trust encourages teammates and customers to share ideas, provide feedback, and collaborate more effectively. Regular check-ins, "town hall" meetings, and personalizing and sending online surveys, can help you understand people's needs and motivations, strengthen communication, and initiate necessary changes and upgrades for mutual growth.
4. Bring People Together
Spending time with teammates and customers outside of the day-to-day helps build relationships, and creates opportunities for deeper conversations. This can include team outings and casual gatherings, attending customer's in-house events, or participating in industry trade shows. The sense of community, and strengthened team bonds, increase connection in routine interactions.
5. Lead by Example
Leadership sets the tone for company culture. When executives and team leaders embody the company’s values—through transparency, accountability, or innovation—the rest of the team is more likely to follow. And when employees are engaged and aligned with company values, they provide better service, build stronger relationships, and enhance the overall brand experience!
Building a great company culture is an ongoing effort that requires commitment and consistency. By fostering a positive work environment, prioritizing communication, and aligning values with actions, you can create a culture that attracts top talent, drives success, and leaves a lasting impression on your teammates, partners, and customers.
We couldn't be more proud of our team, and grateful for our Authorized Dealer partners and the masons and contractors who bring our natural stone materials to life! To learn how we incorporate our values into the natural stone selection process, read The Delgado Difference: Making Stone Selection Easier. You can also download our catalog to learn more about natural stone collections.