Author: Varg_Admin

I am always on the lookout for great customer experiences. Whether in a restaurant, my bank, or any retail environment, I look for individuals who make a difference. A new Mariano’s grocery store moved into my neighborhood in April of 2014. I like Mariano’s. It is where Whole Foods meets Jewel. The one near my house features fresh produce, delicious prepared foods and even boasts a wine, oyster and sushi bar. Oh yes, and there’s fresh flowers and a gelato bar downstairs. Pretty fancy stuff.

Every organization goes through change. Perhaps yours is:

Emerging from a merger or acquisition
Recovering from a crisis
Preparing to enter a new market or re-branding
Whatever the change, it is essential not only to manage the immediate logistics and requirements inherent in that change, but to also bring your employees and the organizational culture along with you.

As a business consultant and corporate communication strategist, I consider myself lucky. Before leaving the C-Suite and going into my own practice I was fortunate to work for a corporation who believed good communication was paramount to their success. I was able to see how consistent, relevant and engaging communication can rally employees, foster pride and drive results. I saw how we put theory into practice and it worked. We were able to make the list of FORTUNE’s 100 Best Places to Work and surpassed all anticipated business results in terms of revenue, customer engagement and corporate citizenship. Our efforts were not always perfect but we did a pretty good job of delivering a unified message that helped build a cohesive culture.

I often hear leaders in organizations say things like: “We want to build a culture of accountability” or “We’d like a sales-driven culture” or “We want to create a culture where the customer comes first.” It is one thing to identify the kind of culture you want to develop and another to fully integrate it into the DNA of the organization.

To be effective, insist on internal communication practices that ensure mission-critical messages that define the culture are cascaded to 100% of employees.