How To Create a Culture of Excellence in the Workplace

“How to Create a Culture of Excellence in Your Family Business” | Ferguson Alliance

From sales to operations to product and service delivery to customer service, humans are responsible for creating all experiences in your business. Can you imagine running your business without people?

While people are not listed directly on the balance sheet under assets, they certainly should be. The right people and culture will increase the value of your business and make you more money. Optimizing your culture elevates your ability to retain employees, attract new ones, attract new customers, develop brand recognition, and maintain your customer loyalty.

At Ferguson Alliance, we see five “orientations” that contribute to a culture of excellence:

1. Customer orientation
2. Employee orientation
3. Performance orientation
4. Change orientation
5. Process orientation

Culture of Excellence – the 5 orientations | Ferguson Alliance

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1. Customer Orientation

Your competition can copy your product or service, but they can’t take your culture.

Having a customer-oriented culture can help you differentiate yourself from your competitors, increase your sales, create loyalty, and build a strong reputation in the marketplace.

Here are some questions to help you develop a customer orientation:

• Does your team really know and respect the value that the customer brings to the business? Do you also think about and place emphasis on the long-term value of a customer to the business?
• Do you feel like you have a clear picture of how your customers rate their business experience with you? Are you performing routine customer feedback surveys and providing them ample opportunities to give you feedback?
• Are you discussing the customer when making changes to your processes? Or when are you thinking about innovation in your organization?

2. Employee Orientation

A strong employee orientation means that your team members feel purposeful, heard, and understood. This creates a positive work environment that contributes to productivity and retention.

• Are you doing routine employee surveys? Do you have opportunities for employees to get feedback on their performance?
• Your vision, mission, and values are your culture on paper. Are these at the top of mind within your organization? Do your employees live and breathe these?
• Do you have the right people in the right roles to maximize team effectiveness? Do you know what makes your team members unique? Do you know what situations they thrive in? And do you work to make sure they’re placed in those roles?

3. Performance Orientation

Researcher and author Brené Brown describes performance standards as “making sure her team knows what done looks like.” She sets clear expectations of what she envisions for the finished project or product, then she allows the team to tackle it. Is this true for your organization?

• Are you clear about details and expectations? Are your employees sometimes confused? When things aren’t done to an expectation, do you communicate that?
• Do people know exactly what would happen if the ball was dropped? Are these consequences applied fairly and routinely?
• On the flip side: Are they also clear about incentives for achieving those goals? Are these accomplishments celebrated?
• Are your progress results communicated routinely? Are you remembering to communicate with all the members within the organization?
• Does your team trust that you are going to do what you say you’re going to do? Do you walk your talk?

For insight into the final two orientations that contribute to a culture of excellence within businesses, please read the original article found on the Ferguson Alliance website.