Creating a workplace culture where everyone feels valued, welcomed and respected is vital to the success of any business, but it’s something that doesn’t happen unless you work at it.
US-based Keller Williams’ advisor, Julia Lashay Israel, said every savvy business owner recognised a strong company culture is a competitive advantage.
“Benefits span from being able to recruit top talent to retaining current team members, influencing performance and increasing productivity,” Ms Lashay Israel told Inman.
“But building a culture that no one wants to leave isn’t easy.”
Ms Lashay Israel said creating a strong culture starts with a company’s mission statement.
“Culture is unique to each organisation, and it needs to be defined by your company’s purpose, mission, vision, and values and be aligned with your brand,” she said.
“When developed and implemented in a thoughtful and deliberate manner, these statements guide the day-to-day operations of the organisation, communicate to external stakeholders the core services the brokerage provides and motivate agents toward a common goal.
“With these foundational attributes, people know what to expect when they choose to associate with you, and, as a leader, decision-making becomes easier as you can quickly see if your decisions fall in or out of alignment.”
She said a company must build and cultivate psychologically safe environments for their employees.
“Psychological safety is the belief that you won’t be punished or humiliated for speaking up, sharing ideas or raising questions, concerns or mistakes,” she said.
“Psychologically safe environments allow agents to be themselves, show up as themselves, ask questions, disagree, obtain/give feedback, and speak up if they see or hear something concerning.
“Creating an open dialogue is the best asset in building an environment that helps agents feel secure, accepted and supported.”
Ms Lashay Israel said it’s also important to create an environment of shared decision-making.
“Team members and agents need to feel like they belong to something they value — and that they have the power to bring about change when it’s needed,” she said.
“Shared decision-making is a process that draws on the combined knowledge of many stakeholders to make smarter, more effective decisions.”
She said leaders must also recognise and reward team members for their contributions.
“According to Gallup, about half of the workforce is actively seeking other jobs,” she said.
“The good news is that 42 per cent of workers who quit last year said their manager or organisation could have done something to prevent them from leaving.
“Recognition is an essential part of making team members feel valued in the workplace.”
According to Ms Lashay Israel, leaders need to be a bridge to guide team members toward their goals.
“Just like brokers know whether their company is on track to meet its monthly, quarterly and annual goals, each agent must know whether they are on track to meet their own goals,” she said.
“Help agents set goals by sitting down with each person and asking them what their goals are.
She said leaders must regularly discuss their team member’s values, aspirations and how they fit into the organisation.
“Provide a level of accountability by consistently meeting and providing coaching,” she said.
“Make sure to place the focus on progress, not perfection.”
