"You want it when?"

"What do you expect in this place?"

"That'd be right."

Corporate culture is intangible, but it can wok with the force of a sledgehammer: most organisations live up to the expectations of their client-level staff.

Staff who are only there because they have to be, who think the company and the product is pretty average, will convey that evaluation to customers through their attitudes, actions, body language and often enough directly in words.

In low-morale businesses staff routinely ignore – or share jokes about – costly operating inefficiencies that are happening right in front of them and opportunities that are being let pass.

But then there are great companies, where clients are responded to enthusiastically, actions are adapted to specific circumstances, exceptional results are achieved regularly – and people are happy to be at work and value their jobs.

Leaders look good when they have a great team behind them, but no-one can lead a people who don't care.

How is positive corporate culture built? In our experience, the essentials are:

• Involvement (include being informed and empowered)
• Systems (clear roles, practices that reinforce positive culture)
• Appreciation (recognising contribution is the core of morale)
• Leadership (team, attitudinal, aspirational and by-example leadership – when managers are seen to have integrity, employees respond with respect)

Call on Glide Strategic if you want to start building a stronger organisation.