Apologies for the brief hiatus in posting.
Finding the time to blog isn’t easy, especially when planning a big launch
event. Thankfully all the planning paid off (thanks to Cultivate for all their
hard work) and the Shine launch was a big success. It was great to see the
building full of people and buzzing with energy. The event was crucial because
it is fine to have a nice building, but what makes it work is people.
In the few months that Shine has been open
the transformation has already been amazing and each week brings new people and
life to the place. The launch was a glimpse of the future, when the building is
fully utilized, and seeing that makes all the hard work worth it. So get
involved. If you haven’t seen Shine yet make a visit and if you have make sure
you spread the word.
This brings me back to a question about
culture that I left hanging a few weeks back. I talked about some of the
high-level things that a company needs to do to generate a positive atmosphere,
but there are a few straightforward practical steps that can be taken.
First and most important is the way people
are treated. The key is that everyone should be respected equally for the part
they play. This seems obvious, but in lots of companies your place in the
hierarchy denotes the respect you receive. When people are given respect they
feel valued and motivated, that in turn makes them work harder. Equally
important is that hard work is acknowledged and praised.
A further challenge is making work about
something more than the monthly paycheck. Getting staff to buy into the mission
of the company pushes them to go the extra mile. Camberwell is a great example;
its projects are not just about profit but making a difference to people’s
lives by giving them opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t have. Achieving this
has two parts; first having a mission and second communicating that mission to
staff and explaining their role in achieving it.
Getting these two practical steps right makes
a big difference to the culture of an organization – and eventually the bottom
line.
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