THE CULTURE OF COMMUNICATION:
Maintaining Company Culture with Multiunit
Operations and Cross-State Companies
by Kristen Perez
A
2016 Issue 1 |
THE
SCORE
14
s business owners, there are a multitude of aspects
to concentrate on concerning your employees. We
all have a goal of being diligent in efforts to keep
employee well-being a priority, as retention of top
talent translates to the overall well-being of the company itself.
From the efficiency of operations to maintaining a union-free
environment; employee satisfaction within the company cannot
be overlooked. Oftentimes, the main indicator or source of
employee satisfaction within the company comes directly from
the company culture itself.
However, when your company is expanding or you find
that your locations are geographically widespread, maintaining
company culture is no longer as simple as it once was when
operating one or two locations. This is why it is important to
dedicate thought and time to implementing a sophisticated
company culture system.
Too often we presume that company culture is created
by the mission, environment and personality of the company.
These factors do effect culture; however, they do not solely
create it. There is far more to culture and its maintenance than
these aspects can account for, especially in large multiunit or
geographically widespread operations. The
key is to create and implement a system
that will translate no matter your number
of locations. This can be accomplished by
changing your thought on where company
culture comes from, which is simply: communication. The
culture of a company is an evolving quality of the practices and
styles used by your company in its communication tactics. By
designing your culture of communication, you can keep the
culture you love as you grow.
Begin with the end in mind. There are a multitude of
organizational cultures to sort through and it’s imperative that
you acquaint yourself with the varying elements. You must
determine what type of cultural element you desire most for
your company. Is transparency most important to you? Or is
teamwork your ideal? First, define what type of element you see
as the most beneficial to your company’s health and longevity.
This will impact several factors for how you go about creating
your culture as each trait caters to certain characteristics. If
it is transparency that you are aiming for, your leaders must