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Developing a
Reputation
The phrase "employee branding" might prompt the
image of a red hot poker burning a company logo on the employee's skin.
The marketing term suggests that in some communities a company has
developed a reputation for having a certain kind of employee and place to
work.the goal, of course, is to produce a
positive image of both. Last month, Wegmans
topped Fortune's list of best
places to work. The Lifetime Health Medical Group and Univera
Healthcare recently received the Buffalo Niagara Human Resource
Association's HR Excellence Award noting the value these companies place
on their employees. Other local companies have formally been commended
for creating positive work environments such as Working Mother's nod to Life Technologies (now Invitrogen), and Moog's inclusion in 100 Best Places to Work for in America
by Robert Levering and Milton Moskowitz.
Perhaps you know of other companies that have won similar recognition and
many others who certainly deserve it. We pause to salute and admire each of
them.
Although companies may approach the challenge in a different
way, they all share a belief that people are their most valuable asset
and they find ways to demonstrate this belief every day. One way is
asking employees what they think so they know their ideas are valued.
Soliciting employee opinions can be done informally in a department
meeting or while standing by the file cabinets, at an all employee town
hall meeting, or in a written survey. The best surveys are repeated so
that trends can be mapped. Motorola kept it quick and simple with seven
razor sharp questions asked quarterly. But remember, more important than
asking is both listening and acting appropriately to what is being said.
For further reading:
Love 'em or Lose'em by Kaye and Jordan-Evans
Corporate Culture and Performance
by Kotter and Heskett
For
more information, contact E. K. Ward & Associates at
716-626-1188 or please click
here.
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OI Partners - E.K. Ward and
Associates
February
2005 Newsletter
Sometimes it is hard to see the direct impact workplace
culture has on the success of your organization. Culture is a difficult concept
to grasp but is the glue that keeps your company intact.
This issue explores the
different reasons why it is important to have a strong corporate culture. First, we discuss how corporate
culture works, how it might improve productivity and performance and
even how it relates to employee retention. We also provide an article that
examines the value of experienced professionals in a changing workplace. Finally, learn how corporate
culture can prove to be your company's competitive advantage.
There is no such thing as
a "best practice" culture. Different companies have
different needs. The key
issue to keep in mind is making sure that your company has a solid and
visible culture that helps your company to achieve its goals.
Sincerely,
Anne Mahoney
Glose
OI Partners
(Williamsville, NY)
Please click on
the links below to read the complete articles.
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The Importance of Corporate Culture
Before discussing the importance of corporate culture, we need to
define it. A colleague once jokingly described it as like "the
air we breathe: It's hard to put your hands around it, but it's
everywhere!" Corporate culture refers to the environment and
personality of an organization, with all of its dynamic
characteristics. It is "how things are done at our
company," and takes on an aura of its own. It guides how
employees think, act, and feel. Corporate culture is a broad term
used to define the unique personality or character of a particular
company or organization, and includes such elements as core values
and beliefs, corporate ethics, and rules of behavior.
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Leadership helps
define culture
Did you know your company has its own "culture?" Your
customer interactions and brand touch points-the conversations your
employees have with each other and your customers; the business
systems you have in place; external representations of the company,
from signage to clothing to how the phone is answered-these and other
factors collectively represent and define your company culture.
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Steady Hands on
the Helm
The only constant in today's workplace is knowing there will be
change. This can be good for innovation but it can also create
enormous stress, and we all know the toll this can take in human
relationships, decreased efficiency, employee turnover, on the job
injuries and, certainly, bottom line results. The best antidote is a
good balance of generations, each bringing their unique cultural
characteristics.
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Culture's
Competitive Advantage
Sustaining a positive and effective corporate culture can lead to
long-term return on investment from your most prized assets-your
employees. Businesses, now more than ever, are searching for ways to
become more competitive in the global economy, especially those
manufacturing domestically. Libraries and book stores spill over with
publications on expert, novel approaches to maximize supply ...
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School Daze
Corporate culture can be a lot like high school. The popular kids
have the ear of a senior executive and get blatant or subtly
preferential treatment as a result. The unpopular kids find themselves
clustered around the fringes of the organization like their
pimply-faced llth-grade counterparts,
bemoaning the cards the fates have dealt them. The rank and file,
plugging away in the middle of the ...
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