company culture Archives

For a printable version of this 4-part series by Alex Hertzer, assistant director of Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition, click here.

A mentor of mine once told me that you should always know at least one thing about a person outside of the workplace.

This is something that has always stuck with me. It is something so small it could easily be seen as insignificant.

But it is something that can be so powerful.

It’s real simple. People want to be treated like people. Not a number.

Bringing “home” to work

Culture is built on small everyday moments.

We have all heard for years that what happens at home should stay at home and you shouldn’t bring it into work.

Well, I think we all know that this is near impossible. People are going to struggle with things outside of work that will always affect them in the workplace.

When you know what is going on in your employees’ lives, you can do a better job of setting them up for success in the workplace.

While changing and maintaining culture is found in these emotional moments, it’s also found in our daily operations.

Changing tired thinking

I once heard a story of a woman who always cut the ends of her ham off before placing it in the roasting pan and then into the oven.

When asked why she did this, she responded, “That’s how my mother did it, and that’s how I was taught.”

Then her mother was asked why she cut off the ends of the ham. She also stated, “That’s how my mother did it, and that’s how I was taught.”

Finally, when they asked the grandmother why she cut the ends of the ham off, she said, “My pan was always too small to fit the whole ham. So, I cut the ends off.”

You can see easily how this story relates to the workplace. Maybe that’s why Joe always sweeps the end of the line first when he is cleaning up. Or why Jill always cranks down on that last pass to make a good part even though that’s not how the task instructions read. Or however this concept plays out in your workplace.

There are many tasks and habits spread throughout a facility that were not originally intended to be done that way. But, over time and through tribal knowledge these tasks and habits are picked up. The operational culture is just as crucial to the business as the morale of the employees.

And what’s at the heart of operational culture? Training.

Read Part 4: Training for Workplace Culture, here.

For a printable version of this 4-part series by Alex Hertzer, assistant director of Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition, click here.

Culture. It’s a common buzzword in the world of workforce development. What is it? Why does it matter? How does it happen? Who’s responsible?

These are some of the questions employers should be asking if they want to exist in a post-pandemic job market. Which begs the question …Why now?

Is this something new to workforce development? The short answer is, no. Culture is a part of how we interact with other people and the world around us. Culture, whether positive or negative, is always present.

It is our responsibility as leaders to build a culture of top performers who are empowered to elevate themselves, those around them, and the company. The longer answer is that culture is built on everyday moments. And over a period of time.

Culture is built over time the same way an election is won through a well-thought-out campaign. It’s a series of events of engaging the workforce in big, small, and medium ways from the top down.

It’s not shaking one hand that wins an election. It’s shaking a thousand. Same with culture. It’s built over time and incrementally.

Agree but not sure where to begin? Here are 4 questions to ask yourself to help shape a positive and encouraging work environment at your organization.

What is Culture?

Culture is the sociological features of the workforce within your facility. Culture could be as simple as saying hello in the morning and goodbye at the end of the day.

Culture is measured by the way people feel while interacting, including yourself. Do they feel confident in their abilities and encouraged by their circumstances?

Alex Hertzer, MVMC assistant director.

Culture should be equitable, ethical, and moral. Culture is the DNA makeup of a group of people and cannot be built or broken by any one person, even if one person is the driving force.

Why does Culture matter?

Culture is what makes or breaks a workforce.

While in the past, workforces were able to be maintained through workarounds to culture. No longer can businesses rest on their laurels of wages, stability, and benefits. Job seekers have seemingly taken the driving wheel from employers. Job seekers want to be happy and fulfilled in their careers.

The way an employer can articulate how potential job seekers can find what they are looking for is through their cultures.

To be fulfilled, there must be something rewarding and fulfilling about the employee’s job. To be engaged there must be a sense of purpose to what they are doing.

None of this can be done if the stale cultures that once were manufacturing facilities remain.

While manufacturing may have some hurdles to the modern idea of work culture, it still begins with a first step in the right direction.

How does Culture happen?

Culture happens through a series of small changes in the way that we interact with the workforce in our facilities. It can only be completely invasive if started from the top down.

Culture happens similarly to the way an ice cube melts.

Imagine you have an ice cube sitting in a room at 26 degrees. Then you add one degree. 27 degrees. (Start changing the way you greet people) 28 degrees. (Free lunch on Fridays) 29,30,31. Still nothing has happened to the ice cube. Then you hit 32 and the ice cube begins to sweat. 33,34,35,36.

The ice cube is now a puddle. Sometimes even as we are taking small steps in the right direction it can look like nothing is changing and then all the sudden things can pick up speed. The key is to keep moving forward.

Who is responsible for the Culture?

Everyone!

While it should start from the top down, everyone plays a role in the culture within a facility.

Everyone is equally important in maintaining a sustainable way of treating each other and the facility.

Culture is what people do when no one is looking. Culture is doing things right and doing the right thing.

Everyone in the canoe has a different role, but everyone must be rowing in the same direction.

It’s simple. Culture may begin with a single action, but it is fully realized when the entire group is boldly singing the same song. Like a butterfly flapping its wings in India.

Read Part 2: Campaigning for Workplace Culture, here.