In the 14 years I have spent doing career transition coaching, I have learned first hand what makes people unhappy at work and why they quit.

What I learned while I was writing my book is that much of what causes stress and disengagement in the workplace is more easy to fix than you might think, and doesn’t have to cost a lot. 

This is good news for budget-conscious small business owners! Creating a good corporate culture in your small business is totally possible. 

The place to start is minding your manners, just like your elders told you to do as a kid. Good manners and common courtesy can go a long way in a professional setting. Remembering to check in with team members and subordinates is easy enough to do and makes a big difference, as does acknowledging an individual’s contributions and saying thank you. 

At the conclusion of “The Little Things That Make Employees Feel Appreciated,” published in the Harvard Business Review, the authors wrote:

“At the end of the day, building a culture of appreciation comes down mostly to a lot of small commonsense practices: Not taking your people for granted. Remembering to say thank-you in a personal and sincere way. Making it clear that you’re interested in your employees’ growth and in them as individuals.”

Please note: None of this costs anything and it increases job satisfaction and productivity, and decreases employee turnover, which is very expensive. 

Recently, I got clear and prescriptive about how we can create great corporate cultures at both small businesses and large organizations. I have created a new talk for 2024 and am looking forward to speaking to leaders and organizations who want to evolve working so it works better for everyone. 

Below is the marketing copy for my talk. Please reach out if I can speak for your business, leadership team, or group. 

Easy and Effective Ways to Support a Great Corporate Culture

Having a great corporate culture in your small business will impact every function in the business – from hiring to marketing to sales to customer service, and overall productivity and profitability. Good corporate cultures are innovative and agile. Happy employees treat each other better and exceed customer expectations. Companies with good cultures have an easier time attracting and retaining employees and have lower turnover.

In this talk we will cover easy and effective ways to support a great corporate culture in your small business, including:

  • Why (un)common courtesy is the place to start
  • Why consistent communication is critical 
  • Why you must talk about what’s in the room during times of uncertainty (elephant!) 
  • Why you need to hire for fit and train for skills
  • Why asking one more question makes everyone’s work experience better 

These simple and incredibly powerful techniques will help you create a company people love
to work for. 

Bio

Catherine Altman Morgan is a Top Small Business Voice on LinkedIn and an experienced business consultant who has been employed by KPMG, Arthur Andersen, and Deloitte. She is the founder of Point A to Point B Transitions Inc., a virtual provider of consulting and coaching services, and the author of This Isn’t Working! Evolving the Way We Work to Decrease Stress, Anxiety, and Depression. Catherine is committed to evolving working so it works better for everyone. She speaks frequently on topics related to small business / entrepreneurship and workplace wellness. 

Photo by Kushagra Kevat on Unsplash