3 Strategies to Create a Positive Work Culture

Team relationships are among the most important assets the company you work for possesses. Easy to understand and take care of, right?

Right?

As I travel, I encounter a great deal of culture expressions that display how team relationships are treated. Such relationships reflect directly in the type of customer service that’s offered.

Travel with me now and observe some culture distinctives that emerge from team relationships. I found three.

Work to Listen

My assistant made reservations for my stay at a Marriott property. They asked questions like,

--“May we pick him up at the airport?”

--“Will he want a ride to his meeting?”

--“May we return him to the airport?”

It was if they anticipated my every need. “We care” was the message.

Can you imagine how wonderful it must be to work there? Their “we care” message reflects externally from their internal culture.

My experience with the airline was totally different. Four out of five flights changed schedule. There were only two notifications—a delay due to weather, and a flight attendant was late. The reasons for the rest were unknown to me.

I struggled to manage the changes alone. The message I heard was: “We don’t care. Get over it.”

Can you imagine what this company culture is like? Probably siloed, “me” oriented, and lacking any quality resembling emotional intelligence much less empathy.

There are patterns to team relationships that echo from the internal culture to the external customer.

Listen carefully around your culture. How do you care for one another? What qualities of emotional intelligence support your team relationships?

Discover them. Anticipate their expression. Ask questions based on them. What you do with the answers makes the difference in reducing team turnover and whether or not customers return.

The first strategy to create a positive work culture is to listen.

Work for Mutual Benefit

Going it alone to resolve my schedule changes, I approached the ticket counter and discovered a cancelled flight. There were no more flights indicated that night. When I asked, “What can you do to help me?” the response was, “Let me get my supervisor.” And the conversation went something like this…

Me:  “What can you do to help me?”

Him: “Nothing. It’s weather-related.”

Me:  “No vouchers?”

Him: “Nothing. It’s weather-related.”

Me:  “Is there anything you can do to help me?”

Him: “Nothing. It’s weather-related.”

Me:  “Do you realize I fly a lot, but will not fly this airline ever again?”

Him: “It’s weather-related.”

Contrast that conversation with the Marriott property, whom I called from the airport. She recognized my name immediately—“Hi Dr. Joey. Did you make it to the airport ok?” She moved into action when I told her my situation. Contrast this conversation with the airline’s…

Her: “I have a room for you. Let me take care of this, okay? I’ll turn Ronda around in the van to come back and get you.”

Me: “Thanks so much.”

She then discounted my room rate below the previous night’s stay without my asking and said she was sorry for my inconvenience.

A little empathy goes a long ways, doesn’t it?

Which culture accepts defeat from its employees at the first sign of adversity?

Which culture innovates to find solutions for their employees’ challenges?

You narrow the backdoor and widen the front door when team members, customers, and the company mutually benefit.

The second strategy to create a positive work culture is to work for mutual benefit.

Work the Golden Rule

I was greeted by name on returning to the Marriott with another expression of empathy for my situation. My bags were taken to a room much like my previous one. A complimentary glass of wine helped, also.

The airline booked my flight for the next day at their convenience which meant I set a 5:00 a.m. alarm. My assigned seat was on the last row—the loudest—and next to the lavatory. The engines would have seemed quieter and the lavatory smelled better had they simply asked about my flight or seating preferences even if this was the last available seat.

Which culture takes pride in the way team members treat one another? And reflects that pride into their customer relationships?

Which culture sees to company needs first, virtually to the exclusion of team members? And reflects such a navel-gazing attitude into their customer relationships?

The third strategy to create a positive work culture is remember that the Golden Rule works. So work the Golden Rule.

What I Did Next

I asked my assistant to avoid booking this airline again. Since that experience, I have yet to set foot on one of their planes.

I requested she choose Marriott properties whenever possible.

Create a Work Positive Culture as you:

• work to listen
• work for mutual benefit, and;
• work the Golden Rule.

Grow team relationships for a positive work culture and watch your profits soar!

What’s your question about how to create a positive work culture? Ask Dr. Joey here.