Now Build a Good Workplace

It's easy to learn and understand what makes a good workplace. It's a little harder to do it.

A positive environment will mean more satisfied customers doing business with you. You need to do three main things:
1. Provide a safe, clean facility that shows employees you care for them as people and respect what they do for the business. The EMPLOYEES ARE THE COMPANY.
2. Be a leader as you manage employees, not a straw boss, little emperor or drill sargent. Owner or manager, you are the employee with the privilege and responsibility to lead the other employees - don't worry, you'll be rewarded ;).
3. Create a positive, open culture that motivates employees to succeed.
FHRG NOTE: HDHR can especially help with this one.

Follow these steps and your organization's probability of success goes up exponentially. I've seen it happen.

Life is good.

Lance

Company Culture - The Workplace

Every human organization has a culture, or personality. Walk into an In n' Out or a Chick-Fil-a. Then visit a MacDonald's. The former are positive and energetic, the latter, well, judge for yourself. The difference is the CULTURE.

True story. I went to work at a software start-up, let's call it FlipSoft Software. Thirty five employees, no culture. I started a newsletter called FlipTalk, labeled employees FlipFolk, and called the annual offsite picnic the FlipTrip. Corn pone? Maybe, but it worked! It provided an identity and a sense of belonging to something unique as we grew to over 650 employees and merged with a true software giant.

So however you manage and treat your people becomes your culture and that is how your customers will view your company and your product. It is always customer service that distinguishes the best companies. Just look at Nordstrom.

I guarantee that you will reap the rewards of a positive culture. Keep things upbeat and optimistic and treat employees well. The results can be infinite.

Lance

Management Environment - The Workplace

There are as many management styles as there are book authors and professors.

Simply, the way  in which you manage employees is the company's management environment.

I prefer the basic, intuitive style of managing people through leadership. Simply put, be a leader. Use the techniques you learned in sports, the military (goes way beyond "yes sir"), work experience, and organizations.

It is a privilege to lead. Respect your people but motivate and push them to achieve. Set expectations and apply them to employees' performance.

This will generate a positive environment with maximum participation and performance on the part of employees.

Remember and repeat: what's best for the company and what's best for the employees is the same thing - whatever nurtures one, nurtures both.

Managing through fear, intimidation, abuse of authority, or disrespect are all bad and will result in a minimally productive management environment.

Lance

Physical Facility - The Workplace

This is really the easiest element to control. While the least critical of the three, it is far from unimportant.

I'vd had offices with a 180* Pacific Ocean view and atop a high rise in downtown San Diego. They were great, but my most satisfying and fun time in my career was in an industrial garage with a loading dock in the back. That was with a software start-up that grew into an industry giant and household word.

You must consider safety/security first and then reasonable comfort for employees. Basic common sense.

Then add cleanliness.

Start thinking about goodies next, break area, coffee or snacks... What ever you can afford.

The overall idea is a safe, comfortable, clean work environment with a few goodies to liven things up.

After all, the workplace you provide tells employees how you value them.

FHRG (Father's HR Guy) Note: Be sure to include the Federal and State mandatory postings. There will be more about this subject on this blog and in the future on the HDHR website.

FACILITY CHECKLIST
Safety: You know what is specific to your industry and business; first aid kits; medical facility access.
Security: Guard service; controlled access to workplace; outdoor lighting; location.
Cleanliness: Cleaning service; expectation on employees to maintain clean, neat work stations.
Goodies: Dedicated break area; microwaves; vending machines; free coffee; and free pizza or lunch occasionally.

You Are the Architect of the Workplace

As the owner or General Manager of a small business you have the unique opportunity and privilege to build a micro-environment that is a very important part of working people's lives. That is the workplace where they spend a good portion of their lives and build identity, and receive compensation to support and nurture their families.

And you thought it was just a job.

You are the primary and primal force in building the environment in which people work.

I define this environment into three parts: physical environment
                                                            management environment
                                                            company culture

We'll talk about each this week.

Lance