Every Monday Blogging4Jobs invites our resident Etiquette Expert, CareySue Vega (@Etiquette101), to share tips when it comes to etiquette in the workplace during our own Manner Monday segment. This segment is for the practitioner who is focused on creating a more etiquette-friendly environment.
Gardening and Tending to Company Culture
This past weekend, my husband was working hard around our house doing yard work. More than just the yard, he was tending to the hedges, crepe myrtles, trees, etc. They had gotten a little out of hand and a bit overgrown in some instances. During the summer, he takes care of the yard every week, but doesn’t always tend to those other items. Watching his hard work made me realize, I need to do the same thing with my business. With my company – it’s me, myself and I; along with my husband who helps when he can (in addition to his ‘real job’), a part-time assistant, and a few others like my webmaster and CPA to name a few. I know what my vision is for my business and what I want to accomplish. I know what needs to happen on a daily basis. But I have to admit; I haven’t done a good job lately of tending to company landscape, or ‘culture’. How do those who are helping me know where I’m going if I don’t tend to them? I also don’t want to stifle their creativity, but I also don’t want to wake up one day and realize they’ve grown out of control and are headed in the wrong direction.
His hard work and dedication this weekend was a great reminder to me of how I need to spend some important and crucial time with those who work with me, to ensure they understand what I want and need – they can’t read my mind. It’s not fair of me to assume they know what they should be doing.
Here are some things I’ll be adding to my to-do list in the next few weeks:
- When is the last time we talked about roles and responsibilities? Have I clearly outlined those things, and have they changed?
- Do they know what my vision, mission, and values are? Do they know what my company vision, mission, values and culture are? I sure hope they know my values; but has my vision or mission changed since last communicating it to them?
- Do they know how much I value them, or do I take it for granted they know? (I’m pretty sure I could do a better job of this for sure!)
Looks like I have some ‘professional gardening’ to do in my business. How do you tend to your company culture: weekly, monthly, or quarterly? I’d love to hear what works for you!
