Football season is wrapping up with bowl games and playoffs—both college and pro. The business year, on the other hand, is just beginning for most of you. A commonality in both ventures is that it’s critical to work hard for the full four quarters. As my home team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, used to say: be 60-minute men.
I admit that when starting Next Gear Solutions, I thought the same thing. A family is much better than a cold business environment that cares only about the company’s needs and not about the needs of the employee, right? If faced with only those two options, I would continue to choose the “family business model,” but I believe there is another more optimal choice, which is the “sports team” business model.
According to Gallup, only 33% of employees are engaged at work. Based on OC Tanner research, 79% of employees who quit their jobs claim that a lack of appreciation was a major reason for leaving.
Guys, I’m really excited about this issue – and it’s truly thanks to some amazing contributors and industry experts who were willing to take the time to craft some solid, educational articles.
I believe you will agree with me that you want everyone in the company to be efficient, effective, and earning a profit for the company. The first place you start checking on is the job that each employee is supposed to be doing for the company.
Many of the articles you read provide insight regarding immediate actions to take or strategies to implement that will impact your business in the short term. This article is also about acting now, but for an impact on your business, and the restoration industry, that will be seen in the future.
We all know how hard it is to find good employees. We’ve all heard it: “People don’t want to work.”; “Don’t hire anyone younger than 30.”; “Everyone has an entitlement mentality.” Blah, blah, blah.
What is company culture? The best definition I’ve seen so far is the set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices that characterize an institution or organization. It’s that feeling you get when you walk through the company’s doors or interact with their staff. It’s the collection of priorities, values and beliefs driving the decisions that are made daily.
While the use of the internet increases daily, so does the sophistication level of cyber criminals. These criminals are stealing identities, hacking networks, and infecting computers with malware. Many business owners feel they are too small to be a target.
