Are you a business leader looking to invest in long-lasting benefits for your organisation’s growth? If so, consider building a positive company culture. Creating a company strategy to develop a positive culture can result in multiple additional enduring advantages, including raising morale, fueling innovation, and boosting productivity.
Nate Mell founded a ceramic design and manufacturing studio that is known today as Felt+Fat. Felt+Fat serves both professional and at-home chefs with their unique and modern designs. As the active CEO of the Philadelphia organization, one of the keys to success that Mell attributes to the organization is building a positive company culture. Mell shares further details on why a positive culture is crucial for business development and reveals some actionable steps business operators can take to establish a strong uplifting company culture in the workplace.
Embrace the facts
When it comes to building a positive culture to help any business thrive, it starts with the people who operate the organisation. It is the people who make up the company, and it is the people’s work put forth that will make a company thrive. An example backing how vital a good workplace environment is for employees these days is when a LinkedIn survey found that sixty-five percent of participants would instead accept lower pay than have to put up with negative workplace culture. The same survey disclosed that forty-seven percent of employees would prefer to work at a company that embraces an environment that encourages employees to be themselves. In addition, 46% of people care that the company they work for gives back to society in a positive way.
From the other side of the table, the National Bureau of Economic Research shows through its research that eighty-five percent of CFOs and CEOs share the perspective that unhealthy or negative company culture will fuel unethical actions, mindsets, and behavior.
‘Speaking from personal experience as a Founder and CEO, going the extra mile to build a positive company culture sets everyone up for success, employees and all business factors included,’ said Nathaniel Mell.
Steps business leaders can take towards positive change
An uplifting and constructive work environment can stimulate better recruitment, job satisfaction, collaboration, employee loyalty, less daily stress, work performance, and employee morale. What steps can a business take towards creating a positive company culture?
- Start with gratitude. Not every company can start from scratch when evolving a company’s culture. That’s why a great place to start is simply showing more all-around gratitude for the employees who keep the business going. Distribute hand-written ‘thank you’ notes to employees who do a job well done or go above and beyond. Host a ‘gratitude night’ for employees and treat them to dinner to show an additional level of appreciation for the positive way they impact customers.
- Build positive connections. A company’s culture is significantly affected by day-to-day relationships, which is why leaders should foster relationships with others in a positive way. Team building activities that allow employees to laugh together are a productive way to instill positive bonds.
- Recognise proactive purpose. Leaders in any business should get to know their employees and what makes them tick. Matching employees with tasks and roles that align with an employee’s passion or talents gives purpose to any daily job that will drive meaning and care, which are positive features that will flow into the company’s culture.
About Nathaniel Mell
Nathaniel Mell is the founder and CEO of Felt+Fat, a ceramic design, and manufacturing studio based in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood. In 2013 Nate was asked to design a set of plates for what would become the award-winning restaurant ‘High Street on Market.’ Since then, the Felt and Fat studio and team have grown exponentially through Mell’s leadership to become a go-to manufacturer for design-conscious restaurateurs.
Dennis Relojo-Howell is the managing director of Psychreg.
