The right culture for your Virtual Assistant team

is the key to the successful development of your company

This is true no matter what industry you are in.  Without the right culture you will never harvest the right people.  Without the right people you will never attract the right customers.

High performers are far more likely to move on if the culture is not conducive to their ability to prosper.  This should be self evident; if someone has the drive and enthusiasm to contribute to building a better company for them to work within.  You need to ask the question why would they then be prepared to hang around if another individual is able to bring them down with negative, inappropriate or general bad behaviour.

The key to the right culture is being honest with yourself as a manager of other individuals.  If you can turn a blind eye to that member of staffs 5 minutes of tardiness, others will quickly come to the conclusion that it is acceptable behaviour.  Before you know it you’ll have other team members starting 5 minutes late.  Five minutes lost each day equates to an extra half week off each year.

Creating the right culture, will see you attract more of the right people.

1. Articulate your vision and mission.
   A company’s leaders must clearly understand its vision before staff can see how they contribute to its success.  This vision includes the company’s core values, its approach to customer service, and how it defines performance and operational excellence.  The challenge lies in being able to articulate these grand concepts in short, concise statements that every employee understands.
2. Communicate clearly and openly.
   In a dysfunctional culture where no information is provided to the staff, gossip and rumours rush in to fill the void.  Leaders aren’t obliged to share confidential details, but they should never be dishonest in what they do reveal.  Inaccurate or evasive communications generate distrust among employees.  When trust is lost, it’s very difficult to regain.
3. Invite new ideas and accept mistakes.
   Open communication is a give-and-take process.  Not all the best ideas necessarily originate at the top.  Invite employees to contribute fresh ideas and perspectives; after all, they interact with customers on a daily basis and are uniquely positioned to see what’s working and what’s not.  In the same respect, encourage staff to try new things, even if these efforts are unsuccessful.  In a dysfunctional culture, employees fear taking initiative because mistakes are punished.  When you improve your company’s culture, you encourage out-of-the-box thinking, with the understanding that every mistake represents a learning opportunity.

4. Address problems and concerns.
   Employees will see an improved culture when they can freely share concerns or issues that crop up in the workplace.  Employees need to feel that management is willing to hear about potentially serious issues or developments before management damages operations or causes customers to defect to the competition.  In a healthy culture, leaders promptly address these issues and keep staff updated on progress toward a resolution.

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5. Hire the right people.
   Having the right people in the company will generate a vibrant, productive culture.  Improve the selection process by focusing on candidates who best reflect the values and beliefs of the organisation, in addition to having the relevant skills and experience.  Modify the hiring process to evaluate a potential candidate’s passion and compatibility with the company.
6. Reward excellence and celebrate milestones.
   Once you’ve clearly defined the company’s culture, reward those individuals whose outstanding work exemplifies that culture.  Take time to celebrate the anniversaries of employees who have worked long and hard for the company.  Don’t ever ignore anyone’s contributions or take them for granted.

Communication about company objectives, performance, and new initiatives enables the workforce to perform at a higher level.  When people understand what’s expected of them and are given the information to fulfil those expectations, they feel they’re part of the bigger picture.  This gives a sense of ownership in the process, which helps develop more of a loyalty and dedication.  Helping employees feel this way can be done through regular stand-up meetings and/or question-and-answer sessions, where employees have the freedom to ask potentially difficult questions without fearing negative consequences.

We’d love to hear how you maintain a positive culture within your company?