Modern businesses have to think beyond profit and revenue models. While these are crucial for sustenance and growth, corporate culture matters a lot today. It boosts customer retention and employee loyalty, and both make a difference to the reputation of your business. Not surprisingly, organizations go the extra mile to build a positive work culture. A lean culture can set you apart as a customer-focused company and a great place to work. Let us explain how the lean culture can empower your business and why it is worth embracing.
Makes everyone happy
An organization that follows the lean management approach exhibits a positive environment that makes everyone happy. It focuses on maximizing customer satisfaction and employee engagement with trust and respect for everyone. Employees exhibit traits such as collaboration and teamwork. They also prioritize quality and timeliness. Such companies also have low levels of internal politics, turnover, and absenteeism. There are fewer safety incidents and departmental and functional silos. Overall, it is an ideal organization for customers, employees, and stakeholders.
Replicates customer-focused purpose
A lean culture replicates a customer-focused purpose. After all, customers are the reason why businesses exist in the first place. Focusing on them can have an immense impact on your business results. When people think lean, they have clarity about the organization’s purpose and go the extra mile to deliver better customer service. It translates into customers sticking around for the long haul and becoming brand loyalists. The business culture works for both employees and customers, driving long-term loyalty and retention.
Enables continuous improvement
When people believe they can do better, they actually step out of their comfort zone and give their best. It is exactly the mindset that lean culture drives for an organization and its team. Not surprisingly, more and more businesses are investing in lean six sigma certification and training for their employees to make it official. Trained employees speak a common language and follow a common practice that brings them together. Everyone works cohesively to implement improvement efforts at all times.
Facilitates enterprise alignment
A company thrives on the cohesive efforts of its team. But a group of people that wants to achieve a shared objective must march in the same direction. Thankfully, lean culture shows that direction and a clear roadmap to walk towards it. Everyone knows where the others are going because there are no communication lags. Things work seamlessly even in large companies with hundreds of employees and multiple departments.
Defines cultural enablers
Choosing the right cultural enablers can go a long way in creating a positive environment in your company. These include meaningful relationships, cohesive teamwork, and effective leadership. Together, these organizational characteristics drive a healthy culture where people can thrive. With the lean approach, businesses focus energy on cultural enablers, and everything gets better down the line.
A strong and positive culture is as valuable as profits and growth for a business. The lean mindset shows the way for building and sustaining such an organizational culture for the long haul.
