Your Wedding Business Internal Culture: By Default or Design?

Photo by Mary Jane Weddings

In our last BLOG post, we touched on the importance of investing in training employees as a part of building your brand and business.  One of the top reasons included the fact that employees, almost more than customers, are more likely to poison your image by talking about their unhappiness with all those they know personally.  To ensure employees are content, is also considered an investment in your business image and longevity.

One of the best initial steps to take before starting any employee training is to look at your employee "culture".  This is the "feel" and "style" of your workplace that spills over into your brand and what your customers and guests are experiencing through your employees.   The Disney Institute trains their business students that employee culture is either by "default" or by "design".  Most companies are a culture by "default" (one that just "happens") and what we need to strive for is one by design.

When aiming for a culture by design, it is one that is intentional and grass-roots based, because it is tied in to who you are and is very deliberate.  Below are four top cultural elements to consider when building your employee and work culture by "design":

• Shared Core Values – What is the single most important thing to your wedding business? These core ideals and beliefs  make the foundation your business will use to make help shape desired behavior from employees.

• Tradition and Heritage– What is the distinct history to your organization? What are the stories
  that helped it come to be? At Engaging Inspiration, we help you uncover these and help convey these stories in part of our training plan as well as all social media and copy writing endeavors.   Whatever these stories are, they establish a foundation of pride and create a connection for employees that goes from the past , to the present and carries it into the future, which is why knowing and conveying these stories is so important. 

Photo by Mary Jane Weddings | Four Seasons Biltmore Santa Barbara

• Images  – What distinct  images and unique language will employees recognize to clearly understand who you are? When company images and symbols are developed with intent, the images will paint a memorable and lasting picture in the minds of your staff.

• Behavior Patterns – What specific behaviors showcase the qualities that you want your employees to bring to life? When the expectation is well-defined and communicated to all, this will help provide clarity and consistency to the statement, “here’s how our company does things.”

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Engaging Inspiration provides sparkling training, marketing and social media to the wedding business and hospitality venue. Designed to inspire and engage.