Boosting the Bottom Line by Immersing Employees in a Singular Vision
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In a recent article about Vera Wang, it was noted that everyone at the company adopts “the look”, which is monochromatic and slightly unisex. Stop into the Ralph Lauren offices, and you’ll immediately notice how much everyone there looks like an ad for the clothing giant. In fashion, you really can’t help but look the part. But ideally the uniformity in wardrobe reflects the employees’ deeper understanding of the brand and willingness to soak up every aspect of the corporate culture.
What’s your corporate culture? If you’re laughing as you’re looking to the left and right at the handful of people who work for your company, don’t. Every company has a culture whether you’re “corporate” or not. And it trickles down from the top, so if you’re an owner or in another lead position, whether you know it your not, you’re setting the tone. And culture extends beyond making your place of business a nice place to work or shop; it’s about steeping everything and everyone in your vision, values and product.
Infuse Your Ideas
While it’s certainly possible to have good employees who aren’t invested in your company, the most valuable workers are those who’ve bought into the vision. But in order for that to happen, you must know who you are — and more importantly — articulate it to your team. And it starts the minute you have the first employee, business partner, consultant or sales rep.
Knowing what the company’s about gives intention to each action. It means your employees will instinctively know what items align with the company, how to deal with customer complaints, how to speak to the press, etc in a way that’s on brand. And it puts everyone on the same page. For instance, if you’re a “quality first” company, you can’t have a sourcing manager that’s “price first”.
Absorb the Benefits
Too often, information drips down from the top infrequently and inconsistently, which allows discontent to seep in. And employees really don’t have a clue about why they’re doing what they’re doing — even if they’re doing a pretty good job. But ultimately, people want to connect with what they’re doing. Plus, it makes the company stronger because you never know where a great idea may come from.
When I was in publishing, one great story we ran came from an unlikely place — an art director. Of course our art department was talented and brimming with ideas, but usually they focused on the overall look of the publication or specific fashion shoots. But because our art director was included in discussions beyond aesthetics, she’d really absorbed our mission and understood our audience, allowing her to bring a fresh perspective to that month’s issue.
Sop Up More Sales
While you don’t need to pull everyone into every meeting and constantly flood them with information, there are times when the whole team should get together — and it’s probably more frequently then you think. Given the speed with which rumors spread, it’s amazing how long it can take for important information to leak out to the masses. And if people are involved in the decision making process, they can take ownership of concepts and new directions, making them more likely to fully embrace them.
I’ve had work experiences where the creative team was busily rebuilding the products to make them better and more useful for our target customers while the sales team lagged behind, mired in the old way things had been done. The biggest culprit was they hadn’t been living and breathing the new direction, energy and purpose as long as creative had. We’d met to discuss our ideas a million times before they were unveiled to the sales force. As a result, the message to the customers never changed — and neither did sales. Having a culture that’s more open and less siloed means ideas can permeate through the company faster.
This industry is filled with people who are passionate about what they create, sell, market and design. And this outpouring of excitement is often most notable from the companies that are built on a corporate culture that has a clear message. When everyone is immersed in a singular vision and purpose, the result is often better employee performance, better products and better sales.
About Caletha Crawford
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Read more about Caletha’s business, client updates, market insights and trade show standouts in her newsletter at http://calethacrawford.com/cccc-kidsbiz-newsletter
