I recently spent a week delivering workshops for an organization, helping their staff and leaders create a better customer experience and build a winning team culture. I truly enjoy getting to know the employees and leaders while I observe them performing in the workplace to get an idea of their challenges, opportunities and successes. I then incorporate my observations and findings into the training to give them a greater real-life perspective of what their customers are experiencing. It tailors the training workshops to provide a more realistic and effective training outcome.
After each training session I like to speak to a few of the hourly staff members. I asked about leadership support, appreciation, expectations, teamwork and what they would like to see more or less from their managers and in the workplace. Many tell me that some of the managers are helpful and supportive, but others were just task masters. “Just telling us what to do.”
I find that many had no idea of any core value expectations, (what they are hired for and not just a job) or experienced any one-on-one coaching from their leaders. They also expressed lack of consistent accountability in the workplace. They believe that if they receive more support and appreciation, it would mean that their managers or company care.
Managers Drive the Culture and Experience
Helping your team or company culture evolve into a validating, consistently high performing and values aligned work environment doesn’t happen overnight. If you want culture change or refinement it should not be taken lightly with your leaders and staff. It must be seen as vital work that needs time, energy and intention to help create the customer and culture experience you want.
If you and your leaders are serious about culture change, which I know you are, all must accept it, embrace it and take responsibility for it to effectively guide their staff in creating better experiences.
Everything a leader does either helps, hurts, or hinders the creation of a great team culture.
Leadership is the single greatest lever a company has for driving culture, performance, more energy, engagement, and experience. Leaders need to model the culture not just communicate it. Are you creating clarity or just task mastering? Are you eliminating staff frustration or just accepting it.
When leadership shifts from “just performing tasks and getting the work done to “servant leadership” and excellence and demonstrating that they care, employees feel supported rather than supervised—dramatically improving engagement, retention, and performance.
Leadership is ultimately about giving people:
- Clarity– I (staff) know what success looks like
- Coaching – I (staff) feel supported and being developed)
- Care– My leader sees me as a human, recognizes me, appreciates me, helps me get better and I am not a headcount or an expense.
- Connection– I (staff) belong here. I have purpose, I love working with my coworkers, customers and making a difference.
When leaders consistently deliver these four experiences, employees don’t just stay—they become ambassadors to help you build and maintain the culture you want. If they don’t, they will spend much of their day constantly ‘babysitting’ their staff.
Do your leaders have the buy-in? Are they all in to create a better winning culture and customer experience? If not, then you may have a leadership problem not a culture problem. Beliefs are formed by what leaders say and do —repeatedly.
My workshops help Managers Follow the Disney’s Model: Hire Right, Train Right and Treat Right!
Workplace inspiration can be fragile. Creating a safe, inspiring, engaging, productive and fun work environment takes training, tending, observation, checking in, redirecting, coaching and appreciating every day. When your leaders embrace this, the results are “MAGICAL”!
If you or your leaders are struggling and not getting the results you want, you need to contact me today. I’ll help your Leadership and Team Employee Experience Strategy serve your customers better, so you want have to babysit them again.
Imagine working on your business instead of worrying about your business, leadership and team performance. Contact John today for a FREE Strategy Session Call to talk about specific affordable training solutions to help you achieve the results you want today. I will help you achieve the profits and goals you always dreamed of. Contact John at info@johnformica.com or (704) 965-4090.
John Formica is America’s and Australia’s Customer Experience Coach, team culture experience expert, keynote speaker, and Top 10 Global Thought Leader and Influencer on Customer Loyalty. For information on customer experience programs, leadership training, team culture, business growth, how to find and hire great people and tailored training programs just for you or to book John to speak at your next event, contact 704-965-4090 or visit our website at JohnFormica.com.