Creating a company culture from the ground up is one thing; repairing a broken culture requires in-depth exploration, a significant shift in perspective, and commitment. To see things from a broader perspective, you must release your stress and judgment and step back to view things from a mindset of curiosity–a quality that's innate to entrepreneurs but often underutilized. 

The exploration begins within you, the leader. 

Your values, integrity, commitment, level of confidence, and the effects of your overall mindset will trickle down into your organization. An evaluation of the current condition of your company culture is not about placing blame; it's about personal growth. Observe your thoughts and behavior. How have you contributed to a damaged or even toxic culture? 

Explore your values; what is most important to you? 

If you are living in integrity with your values (especially your top three), they should dictate just about everything you do. When there's an imbalance in your life, reviewing your personal values will typically reveal that you're not living in a way that represents them well. 

Which values will you introduce to your company culture?

If your ideal customer got an inside peek at your daily operations, what would they say to others about it? How do they respond when someone asks one of your employees what it's like to work for you? When people talk about your product or service, would you feel proud or embarrassed by their assessment? 

Thinking from your customer's point of view, write your ideal product testimonial or review. What values, actions, structure, and philosophies are required to live up to such a review? 

Your attitude runs through your culture. 

The stress of running a business that is not functioning well (because if your culture is imbalanced, it won't) is overwhelming. Add personal issues to the mix, and it can become more than you can bear. You have to be super-human to leave the stress behind when you come to work, but that's what a great leader does. Otherwise, you become a part of the problem, and your team follows suit. Much like a parent/child relationship, if you aren't safe and secure, neither are your employees. 

Don't shoulder the burden alone. Take steps to build an inclusive culture and work with your team to brainstorm and implement changes. Ask others for help: mentors and coaches are a great place to start. 

Culture is attention-grabbing. 

I have a client who is building a franchise operation in the restaurant industry. When we began working together, there was no intentional, healthy company culture in place. Employees were uncooperative, job candidates ghosted them, and customers were unimpressed with the service. 

As my client incorporated onboarding processes, employee reward systems, team meetings, and more, customers took notice. The average ticket price went up, and word spread in the community. 

What do your employees want?

Not everyone is motivated by money alone. A Gallup study showed that employees who receive praise and recognition are more engaged, committed, and productive. Some employees work best autonomously, others need frequent guidance. What benefits are most important to your team? For some, medical benefits are not important but a semi-flexible schedule will reward you with a loyal, hard-working attitude. Ask your team what is most important to them.

Your employees need things that you don't understand.

Entrepreneurs and employees have very different personality types. Business owners often tell me they don't understand why they need to hand-hold (at least that's how they view it) their employees. They wonder:

• Why do employees need praise? After all, they get a paycheck. 
• How come they can't follow instructions and do it my way? 
• Why do they have to ask so many questions? 
• Why aren't they more reliable?

The answers to these questions go deep, but to touch the surface, remember that if everyone were like you your company would not grow. Have you heard the saying about too many cooks in the kitchen? You are the chef and your employees perform all the jobs you are not good at or would waste your talents. If you listen to your employees and construct a culture that feeds and challenges them while appreciating their contribution, your company will thrive. 

Begin here to improve or repair your culture.

Once you've explored these insights, begin working on your culture by learning more about your team members. Countless assessments are available to identify their strengths, learning and communication styles, and personality types. Ensure that each employee holds a job that leverages their strengths and keeps them engaged. Don't set an employee up to fail by putting them on the wrong bus, keep them moving in the right direction by leaning into their skills. Lastly, encourage teamwork and camaraderie and offer incentives that mean something to them. 

Final thought: When you invest your valuable time, patience, and money you will be rewarded by reduced payroll expenses and employee turnover. It will improve your product and customer service. It can increase customer retention rates and improve your public image. And you'll love this: you will have fewer headaches and much less stress. 

The post How (and Why) to Transform Your Broken Company Culture appeared first on Marla Tabaka.

So I took the car back—again—explaining the issue to yet another person. And once again I was subjected to a five-minute monologue about how they were going to fix the problem. Guess what? I don’t care! All I care about is that they solve my problem, not how they solve it! I care about their customer service policy—how important is it to them that the issue gets resolved? What is their guarantee? Are they going to stand behind their work or will I have to deal with corporate red tape? I cared about their why, not their how.

The mistake too many small business owners make.

As I peruse the websites of many an entrepreneur, as I listen to a coaching prospect tell their story, as I experience misguided customer policies (or lack of), I see and hear entrepreneurs talk about their expertise—in technical terms that don't engage their prospects.

When you meet someone new can you describe what you do with the passion of your why driving your description? Do your marketing materials, including your website, convey a message that will resonate with your ideal customer?

If you have a difficult time finding the right words to pitch your company and close the sale, it’s probably because you don’t know your why. You may believe you do, but if that problem exists I assure you—you don’t. It’s time to dig deep down within yourself to explore your passion, and it’s not “I love helping people”. Not to dismiss the importance or significance of that, but there's more to it.

Finding your purpose: the why behind being an entrepreneur and doing what you do.

Finding your why can be a long process, or it can be delivered in a sudden “Ah Ha” moment as soon as you begin the process. It's not something people can often do alone, but this will get you off to a good start.

Begin with the following questions and, after each one, ask why? Why is this true? Why is it important to me? Why do I feel so strongly about this? Why, why, why? When you believe you have the answer, ask again–why? Use your feelings as the gauge; they will tell you when you finally arrive at the real answer.

• What is the most important thing in the world to me?
• When I lose all track of time, I am usually (doing what)?
• I get most excited and passionate when I talk about (what)?
• If money were not an issue, I would volunteer my time and money to do (what)?
• If there was one thing in the world that I could change what would it be?
• What world issue matters most to me?
• If I did a TED Talk, what would my core message be?
• What are my personal values? (This too goes deeper than you may believe. Another process that you may need help going through.)

An entrepreneur's coach can help.

Remember, to find the freedom that is so important to you, this is the single most important piece of information to wrap your heart and mind around. Devote the time, energy, and money if necessary, to find your real why! Please reach out to me to learn more about how I can help.

The post Why Your Why is Important to Customers appeared first on Marla Tabaka.