In the constant chaos of becoming an entrepreneur, founders and leaders are always thinking of how to drive their employees to perform at a higher level. Sometimes while in the process of starting your business you may forget that this environment is unique. Employees are generally working hard, have multiple job roles, are sleep deprived and feeling pressure on a daily basis. You may find yourself wondering how to set the tone for employees that are most likely already stretched to their limit. Well, believe it or not, it starts with you, the leader. As a leader, it us up to you to train employees and set the tone of the workplace culture.
With so much going on all the time, it is hard to determine what decisions are important and what decisions are just the flavor of the day while managing a startup. There are certain foundational elements of your business that must be established to create order, alignment and discipline among employees. Part of this is setting the company culture within which you and your team must operate. These “deadly sins”—especially when they come from the leader—send a warning sign that they become the type of culture you are trying to stay away from. With these behaviors, unless you eliminate them completely, they can set poor standards, establish values contrary to the interests of the company, and create a toxic culture that can be hard to clean up. Avoid these Company Culture mistakes at all costs.
“With so much going on all the time, it is hard to determine what decisions are important and what decisions are just the flavor of the day while managing a startup.”
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1. Speaking Negatively About Customers
When you or people in your organization say things like “our customers are clueless” or “we can sell that to them,” it sends a clear message not only of disrespect, but ignorance about the role customers play in your company’s success. If negative talk becomes habitual, you are more likely to think of your customers, not as allies—but scapegoats. After all, it’s easier (and faster) to blame the customer for everything that is going wrong with the company than to take a good, hard look at yourself, your product, your service and your employees. Speaking of customers in a negative light also sends a message to your employees that it is acceptable to blame customers instead of addressing the issue and troubleshooting a creative solution for the problem. Crafting new solutions not only strengthens your team’s ability to take responsibility and problem solve, but encourages stronger customer relationships—and your own success as an entrepreneur.
2. Speaking Negatively About Employees
If you or others in your organization speak negatively about employees, it sends the message that the company does not value people and is only in the business of advancing people when it serves the company’s needs. There will be times when the skill level of your employees is deficient or part of your team is underperforming. During these times, make sure that you speak to and about employees with respect. These encounters quickly become a part of your culture and an expression of your brand that reflects on you as a leader and on the reputation of your company. How you speak has a significant effect on employee morale, the efficacy of your leadership, and ultimately, the reputation of you and your company.
For example, when an employee leaves the company, your first reaction may often be a negative feeling towards the employee and an assumption that he or she didn’t value the organization. You might want to react with statements like “they were not that good anyway” or “it was time for them to go” or “we will be better off.” Speaking ill of individuals who leave your company (e.g.,It’s good that “Steve” is leaving. He was not that good anyway) sends the message that employees are not valued and that the organization lacks respect for those supporting it. This not only has a negative effect on existing employees, and as mentioned above, it can also blind companies to the root causes of that individual’s departure.
Regardless of how your employees leave, take the high road. Wish them well and strive for the reputation that your organization is one that employees want to work for, and how you treat individuals when they leave is an important representation of the culture in your workplace
3. Dismissing How Your Team Feels
Everyone understands that entrepreneurial ventures don’t succeed, or even exist, without hard work and dedication. With this being said, it doesn’t mean you can ignore the needs and feelings of those struggling alongside you. If you dismiss your employees’ state of mind when you communicate or make decisions, you undermine your company’s strength, resilience and dedication to the business and its customers. You must respect the dedication it takes to do everything from the simplest, tedious task to the most complex business transaction. If you are thinking, “I don’t have time to worry about how people feel”, your employees are thinking, “does our leader really understand the sacrifice we are making to make their dream come true?” This is usually followed by your employee wondering if their sacrifice is worth it. The effort and perspective of every single person matters. The organization cannot serve customers and its mission and make forward progress its individual gears aren’t well oiled and giving proper attention.
4. Making Exceptions for the CEO
One of the most damaging behaviors of a startup company is demonstrating preferential treatment for its leader. When your team believes that your needs come first, or at their expense, or that the rank and file’s needs are less important than the needs of the leader, it creates an undercurrent of resentment at all levels of employment. Similarly, when the rules apply to everyone but you, it sends the message the CEO is above the law, and undermines the faith that you have the team’s best interests at heart. On the other hand, when the CEO is the first person on the team to hold themselves accountable, or to be accountable to others, it sends a message that everyone is in this together. Remember, the company culture begins and ends with you – set the right example.
These Company Culture Mistakes aren’t just for you. They should be an operating agreement for your entire team. This means you must also have zero tolerance for anyone in the organization who exhibits these behaviors—including yourself. If these perspectives and behaviors develop, even for a short time, they become habits that will significantly undermine the strength of your team and the progress of your business for years to come. Getting your workplace culture right from the start is easier than trying to fix as the company expands.
Training in a corporate environment is one thing. Training in a startup or entrepreneurial venture is quite another. Even though there is a constant whirlwind of activity, if the leader doesn’t set the tone for behavior, the ability to guide employees to greater heights will stunt the progress of the business. When we learn to train ourselves first as the leader, we set the tone for learning and growing among the entire team. Now isn’t that a company culture you want to be a part of?
Bio: Michael Dermer founded the first company to reward for healthy behavior and after a decade, watched it almost collapse in 2008 financial crisis. Michael not only overcame this struggle to sell his company and become an industry pioneer, but also discovered The Lonely Entrepreneur methodology to help entrepreneurs with the 1 issue we all face – the struggle.
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