Don’t be an “Average” Company: The Power of Prioritizing Team Happiness

My wife, April, and I recently went out to dinner, and the word we both used to describe our experience was “whelming.” It wasn’t a bad dinner, but there was nothing that stood out or impressed us. The service was fine, the food was good and the pricing for what we received was fair, but we both felt like there was no reason to go back to that restaurant.

In the comedy movie 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), Chastity Church asks, “I know you can be underwhelmed, and you can be overwhelmed, but can you ever just be whelmed?” When demand is high and there is ample business at your door, it can be easy to default into a mode of mediocre. We can gravitate to a new normal where impressing every customer and exceeding expectations is not necessary to win or stay in business.

However, when economies shift and business becomes scarcer, this is where the reputation of “awesome” companies distance themselves from “average” companies. Having built a loyal following, companies that never settle for mediocrity continue to stay relevant and find ways to thrive in a wide variety of economic conditions. Often when this occurs, it’s too late for an “average” company to simply improve their offerings, so they begin to lower prices to win business, which leads to additional stress of shrinking margins, creating a downward spiral within their organization.

So how do companies avoid the trap of providing “whelming” experiences for their customers? I find too many companies spend most of their time and energy focusing on how to serve their clients, and not enough time focusing on how they can serve their own team.

It has been proven that when people love their jobs, they are more productive and successful. They learn faster, make fewer mistakes, and make better business decisions. They take pride in what they do and are inclined to provide higher levels of service. In other words, by prioritizing your team first, they will then in turn serve your clients.

Stand out

To create a company culture that isn’t “whelming,” start by understanding what makes your company unique. What differentiates the employee experience in your organization compared to that of others? If nothing comes to mind, you might have some work to do. Sometimes we resist the temptation to be different for fear of not fitting in, and we resort to “what everyone else does” — the standard holiday party, the basic benefits, the minimum of what is mandated in terms of employment laws. I believe that companies that can attract top talent have an edge. At Footers Catering, our annual holiday lip sync battle and five-year anniversary culinary learning journeys are examples of unique culture benefits that push the limits and help us retain and inspire our top talent.

Show the love

How can you expect an employee to go above and beyond for a customer when they don’t feel respected or appreciated for the work they do? Leaders should be spending time each week praising the efforts of team members, writing notes of gratitude, and asking thoughtful questions to get to know the people they work with. These intentions cost little to no money but require an investment of your time — and that investment in your time is what shows your team that you care about them. When team members feel loved, cared for and supported, they are much more willing to go above and beyond for the company and your clients. They also build stronger relationships with their coworkers and are less likely to leave the organization.

Continuous improvement

Companies that are known for wowing customers continuously push themselves to “make it better every day” or MIBE. They don’t settle for the status quo or how things have always been. They encourage everyone in the organization to look for ways to improve efficiencies, the services they provide and the client experience. They celebrate small incremental improvements, not just major breakthroughs. This energy becomes contagious and team members are inspired to put in extra effort as opposed to looking for the path of least resistance. 

Leaders help employees understand the big picture and how their individual work contributes to the efforts of the team. They put meaning behind the work their team does and provide a path for them to make significant contributions. When companies don’t take their team members for granted, their team members don’t take customers or business that comes in the door for granted. Resist the pull to “just get the job done” and push through to create awesome employee experiences so your team can create client experiences that are overwhelmingly awesome!

Heart Leadership Summit

If you’re looking for ways to build a more awesome company culture, join us at our MIBE Summit Conference on January 21^st-23^rd.  Our annual gathering of heart leaders from across the country will be filled with inspiration and takeaways to improve the well-being of yourself, your team and your community. More information at TheMibe.com.

Anthony Lambatos grew up in the hospitality business working for his father and founder of Footers Catering in Denver, Colorado. Anthony and his wife, April, purchased the business in 2010 and have successfully made the transition to a second-generation family business, expanding into their new event venue in 2021, Social Capitol. Anthony is passionate about helping other companies create great places to work, and inspires business leaders nationwide through his consulting company MIBE (acronym for make it better everyday), which provides heartled leadership and intentional culture coaching.