Recently we asked you to give us five words that come to mind when you think of Raba Kistner’s culture. More than 200 employees responded, contributing more than 800 words. Some of the most repeated words were caring, commitment, dedication, family, dependability, driven, excellence, friendly, growing, hardworking, honest, integrity, knowledgeable, team work, trust, professional and quality. There were also a few negative comments and areas for improvement. We appreciate all the responses and the valuable insights they provided as we launch the next step of our Raba Kistner Values Project
How Company Culture Helps Achieve Business Goals
Company culture is a shared set of workplace beliefs, values, attitudes, purposes and behaviors. It is the sum of all that we think, say, and do as we work together at Raba Kistner. Our company culture largely determines our organization’s reputation, both internally and externally. A strong company culture also has a big impact on many key business metrics. Research has shown that great culture strengthens an organization AND improves the bottom line with enduring benefits such as:
Everyone Is Responsible for Our Company Culture
Everyone at Raba Kistner plays a part in developing and maintaining a great company culture. Our leadership takes an active role in making sure our company culture continues to be strong and benefits our employees, our families, our clients and the communities we serve. The Raba Kistner Culture Committee meets monthly to discuss company culture initiatives and allocate resources to them. Recently, the Culture Committee decided to take a fresh look at the company’s values. While our Raba Kistner Purpose and Vision are defined and visible, we recognized that our company’s values are not as well identified across the organization.
What’s Next
Last week a focus group of 16 employees from across the company gathered for a day-long session with an external expert in values based leadership. The focus group included a cross-section of employees representing different service lines, geographic locations, job types and tenure with the company. They worked to define specific organization values, explored what Raba Kistner has looked like in living its values, and worked on developing follow-up initiatives to be implemented across the enterprise.
We’ll soon be sharing the values defined for our organization. Reinforcing values strengthens a healthy culture, which further reinforces values—a virtuous cycle.
References: The Definitive Guide to Company Culture, BambooHR