In this video the team and I discuss my recent podcast interview with Paul Holland and what we took away from it. We also, as usual, do some fun trivia.

Paul Holland is a talented speaker, educator and coach. A principal of Solomon Coyle, Paul focuses on sales performance, financial growth, strategic planning and leadership development. He has deep experience in the dealer, manufacturer and consulting arenas and made an interesting connection between office furniture sales, the future of workspace, and the economy. Here’s something to consider: Where the furniture goes, so go the jobs!

How, when, and where people work is changing. Paul helped us unpack and discuss the future of work and workspace, and how the new work environments will be focused on people, effectiveness and safety. Listen In!

This podcast got us brainstorming about our own workspace and culture in this recap. When the pandemic began, all companies had to make some immediate changes – from safety, to technology, to culture. Our company quickly switched to working virtually for months, and luckily, most of us were already set up for that change. We use Google Drive so can pretty much work from anywhere. We have shared files and systems, and were able to maintain our meeting scheduled via Zoom.

But now, things are changing again. We have a small office, and we’ve been back in it while maintaining Covid safety standards. But what about larger companies?

More and more companies are looking at the effectiveness of their work environments. And when making decisions about how they will move forward, workspace and culture will be two of the top determinants of their success. In person, or virtual work, there are benefits to each. Especially now that the pandemic is winding down, we have seen an increase in flexibility in work hours and location.

There are benefits to hybrid, in person and virtual work. Some employees like working at home and feel they can get more accomplished there without interruptions. Some employees feel they rather be in the office, and feel they miss out on what’s happening in their periphery. While we recognize that not all companies are built for these options, it is becoming increasingly common. Will it stay that way?

Whatever a company decides, it needs to be congruent with their services. For us, a flexible hybrid model works best. And, we have found that through strong leadership and the systems we have in place, we have been able to enhance our company culture both in and out of our traditional workspace. Here’s how:

I talk a lot about company culture in our new leadership course, All In. This culture needs to be authentic to who you are as a company. We’ve seen companies with foosball tables, gyms, and meals brought in. What does that even represent? While this is meant to be cool and fun, a lot of employees see it as a red flag – that management would rather see them at work, than develop autonomy in their job along with real, healthy, work/life balance.

To develop and maintain a truly authentic workplace culture, you need a leader to walk the walk of the company mission. She or he must be sincere, and care about employees. You also need these key elements:

Shared vision – Every company has a mission. But is everyone on board? To get employees enthusiastic about the company mission, be sure each one knows how they add value toward that mission. And, create goals that help them work toward accomplishing tasks that benefit the mission. This way your employees feel their valuable time and energy they give your company is meaningful.

It’s important to remember that each individual employee has their own goals in life as well. In light of this, we like to create times during our meetings and retreats to discuss our personal objectives, and have found that our culture has strengthened through this. And, since we have quarterly profit sharing, we often work even harder, so we can get those quarterly bonuses up and support the needs and dreams of our staff. It’s a clear win win!

Communication – We love our meetings. But, we make sure they are never a waste of time by following a short agenda in which everyone gets an opportunity to share their accomplishments, road blocks, goals for the day/week, as well as a personal update. Knowing what’s on everyone’s plate has bolstered our company culture – and performance, ten-fold. We all know what the other is working on, and have a clear vision how all of our pieces fit together to serve our mission. And, I can’t remember a time when, if someone feels jammed up, the team didn’t rise to the occasion and ask to pitch in.

That’s the kind of culture you want. That’s the kind of culture that will elevate your business no matter where you’re working.

Remember, authentic workplace culture starts with you, the leader. Lead your business into massive success. I am rooting for you!

-Mike

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