Carrie Kerpen recently wrote an article for Inc.com titled “3 Simple Ways to Vastly Improve Your Company Culture: How to Be a Great Boss, Even During the Tough Times.”
Kerpen’s 3 simple ways:
1. Mistakes Happen, But Learning Does Too
Kerpen is basically saying here that people make mistakes, but sometimes not terminating an employee for a mistake and instead giving them another chance makes them an even more loyal employee.
2. No Sour Grapes
If an employee finds another position somewhere else, think about the way your reaction effects the employees who have stayed. A negative reaction is very telling and leaves a sour taste in everyone’s mouth.
3. Soar With Your Strengths
Kerpen’s interpretation here is powerful. Rather than trying to get your employee’s to improve their weaknesses, allow them to “soar” with their strengths. Give them tasks, roles, and positions that allow them to play up to those strengths. Everyone wins.
We would add to Kerpen’s list:
4. Invest in your employees’ professional future with a corporate mentoring program.
A corporate mentoring program tells your employees “We care about you. We care about your professional and personal development and would like to invest in you, because you matter!”