Creating an Impactful Company Culture

Jim and Jason both know the importance of fostering a great company culture within their businesses. Knowing where to begin and how to accomplish a thriving culture, however, can be daunting. In this insightful episode of MakingChips, Jim shares his personal experience building a company culture that won Carr Machine & Tool the Spark Award for Culture and Workforce Development.

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When your team embraces the core values of your company, the result is hugely impactful. Jim and Jason have both discovered that when manufacturing leaders take the time to pour into their team and employees, more is accomplished and business goals are not only met, but exceeded. Your people matter, and how you communicate the mission of your company to them is key. Jim explains that learning to listen to your employees and making structured room for conversation is the foundation for company culture success. The core values of your company should be honed down to just a few. They should act as the internal compass of your business and be the why behind what you do. When your people are united behind a common set of core values and know that they are each valued and have a voice, making chips becomes that much easier.

Every business should have a stated mission and vision. Jim took those building blocks and presented them to his team - with a twist. He sat down with his team and asked them what their mantra and motivation was. What was their why? He wanted to know what it was that inspired and motivated his employees to get out of bed every morning and come to work at Carr Machine & Tool. The process offered powerful insight that gave Jim the tools he needed to communicate effectively with his team and understand his employees on a deeper level.

Jim knew that not everyone would have the same why and not everyone would understand what the company does in the same way. Jim explains that people's answers change over time as well. For instance, not everyone on his team had the same answer for how the business actually made money. Jim encouraged his team to voice their differing perspectives so that he could better understand what areas he needed to clarify and unify his team. Structured round table discussions and reviews of the company's goals, structure, and mantra help Jim keep a pulse on the health and vision of his company culture.

Fostering a company culture where success is celebrated and failures can be discussed are aspects of investing in his employees that Jim deeply cares about. Group and individual successes should be noticed and celebrated, he explains. He also wants his employees to understand that mistakes will happen - and that is okay as long as everyone can learn something from them. "No one is perfect," he says, and the culture he has built is one where everyone knows that someone else has their back when something goes wrong.

Having fun together is also an important part of the company culture at Carr Machine & Tool. Jim organizes field trips for his team to conferences, IMTS, or group BBQs. Learning together and sharing a relaxed drink together helps build community.

For Jim, the emotional and physical health of his employees is vital. He explains that when your people are healthy, they will be able to put forward their best effort. As a leader, he fosters emotional health by talking with his employees and encouraging open discussion. Sharing is key. As for the physical, Jim likes to supply healthy food options to his team throughout the day.

For more tips on how to build up your people and create a thriving company culture, listen to the entire episode!

Growing a company culture takes time. Jim utilizes professionals in the areas that he needs help. He organizes standups with financial advisors and makes sure that his team understands the systems, investments, and decisions that the company is making. Uniting his team behind common knowledge of the company's net profits and sales keeps any guesswork at bay, and taking the time to discuss hiring decisions as a team helps build trust and unity.

But where do you start? Jim encourages manufacturing leaders to simply begin the conversation with team members and employees. Giving your people the opportunity to speak and share is the perfect starting point. Structured dialogue can help foster a thriving culture while also keeping the focus on core values and business growth. "Everyone has a voice," Jim explains, "and every voice is valuable." As a leader, stay true to the decisions you make, limit distractions, and make it clear to your people that you are invested in them. Listen to the full episode for more tips on how you can set the example to your company and keep the culture thriving.

• Why laughter is better than caffeine.
• The criteria that won Jim's company the Culture & Workforce Development Award.
• Manufacturing News: tips for company culture success.
• Empowering your team through strategic open communication.
• Crafting the mission and vision of your company.
• Encouraging emotional and physical health among your employees.
• Clarifying the why and how of your company.
• The importance of celebrating successes and discussing failures.
• Utilizing field trips to foster company community and learning.
• Hiring new team members as a team.
• Contributing to charity as a company.
• Utilizing professionals to help make sense of the details.
• The return on investment of pouring into your company's culture.
• How to begin changing your company's culture as a small manufacturing business.

• 10 Tips for Changing Your Company's Culture - and Making It Stick
• When the Workforce Becomes a Life-force w/ Tom Carmazzi

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