What happens when an employee is with a group of clients, prospects or industry friends and misbehaves? Two things occur. The employee loses credibility and his or her attitude or missteps also discredit their employer and its brand. (And the permanent evidence of visibly poor behavior is guaranteed thanks to social media channels that etch our actions in stone (and eyeballs) for all to see.)
As an independent business person (or “solopreneur”) I am my company’s brand.
When prospects assess the potential value my business can bring them, a key indicator is the level of professionalism I extend to them. If I misbehave or am simply difficult to be around, you can bet I’ll get no business from those who witness my lack of professional presence or just plan bad manners.
The need to live your company’s values on a daily basis extends to larger business or business departments with 20 or 200 employees as well.
Here are ten tips based on my experience as a business coach and communications consultant designed to help limit embarrassing situations that can damage the company’s brand.
- Company brand leadership and values start at the top. When owners and senior management conduct themselves professionally in business and social situations, they are setting a good example for employees.
- Team success outweighs personal success. Do you have a powerful personality? If you dominate conversations and talk about your business success as if you are the only one in the room, you are taking the spotlight off your employees who prospects also see as key to supporting the business. Few gravitate to a “one-person show.” Bring a couple of employees with you to your next networking event and show some real bench strength – and humility.
- Share the spotlight within the walls of your business. Set a schedule whereby one employee at each morning meeting describes something they did to demonstrate the company’s values to people outside the company, such as a prospective customer or other person within the industry.
- Each employee is a potential ambassador and sales generator for your business. Empower them to get out there – with confidence. To help everyone enhance their social skills, bring in a trusted third party expert to lead an interactive workshop to help enhance business etiquette and interpersonal communications skills.
- When the company has a big win, such as industry recognition, invite employees to share the news with their friends, families and industry colleagues. Some owners try to keep business successes a secret either for fear of being expected to raise salaries or because they just don’t care about their employees.
- Recognize the efforts of employees who go above and beyond what’s expected when it comes to showcasing the company’s values. For example, they could be volunteers in the community or achieved distinction in sports or short story writing. This is especially valuable for earning the loyalty of millennials, who seek meaning in their employment as well as a pay cheque and practical experience.
- Selectively sponsor community teams, environmental and health-related projects. Get a team together to participate in corporate sports and other fund-raising events. The team building value will last long after corporate T-shirts and running shoes are put away for the winter.
- If you are an owner or senior manager, promote mentorship within your company and fully commit to helping in the professional development of younger employees by becoming a mentor.
- Develop a mission statement, if you don’t already have one. Involve employees in its creation for a valuable team-building exercise. Mine their knowledge and listen carefully to what they have to say.
- Promote trust among employees. It is vital for them to feel that they truly have each other’s back, especially in uncertain economic times when intense job competition and closely watched budgets may be top of mind. You can promote trust by holding events that bring employees together. Some see company events as a thing of the past as stress and staff turnover conspire to lessen company pride and loyalty. Owners can change that in their company. They just need to be sure to show up and participate by making an effort to speak with everyone there. Including employees’ families can make the event especially memorable.
Bonus tip: Generosity is a wonderful personal and corporate value. It can be tempting to spontaneously reward employees after a great business quarter. I saw an owner hand out envelopes containing cash to his employees at a company holiday celebration at his home. The grandiose gesture backfired when a handful of employees felt short-changed compared to their fellow-employees and left the party in a huff. If you are going to bonus employees, do it in a systematic way and consider any repercussions in advance.
This article was originally posted on LinkedIn.
