It’s not every day that you can walk into a company and immediately sense a culture rich with excitement, energy and effectiveness. In fact, most companies are still just beginning to piece together the necessary components that allow for such a culture to exist in the first place. Tailored Brands is not one of those companies.
Instead, Hector Pena, Senior Director of Strategic Sourcing & Procurement at Tailored Brands, tells me that the pillars of their culture - customer service, belief in the people, communication, leadership and respect- have been helping the company to see success- especially through recent acquisitions in the last few years. Tailored Brands calls these cultural pillars L.I.O.N.: Lead with the Customer. Inspire the Change. Own it Together. Nurture the Community. If it’s working for a company with over $3 billion in annual revenue and more than 20,000 employees across North America and Europe, I think there are some words of wisdom that every business owner can benefit from:
Lead with the Customer
“First and foremost, lead with the customer. Without our customers we have nothing” Pena advises. To his point customer service is often a make or break situation for many companies, especially in a day and age of social media. When a company’s actions can be exposed in a matter of seconds, it’s more important than ever to continuously work towards the goal of having superior customer service from the top down. At Tailored Brands, the mantra is to start every conversation by asking "What does the customer want?"
Inspire the Change
You’ve built a team to this point that you feel is capable and dedicated- now trust them. While this may be easier said then done, there is success to be found when micromanaging ceases to exist. Showing your team members that you have faith in their abilities and ideas goes a long way towards empowering them to think outside the box while building a culture that inspires high achievers. Encourage curiosity, innovation and smart risk taking that creates breakthrough growth.
Own it Together
How we work together matters, and respect, trust, and inclusivity are performance multipliers.
● Communication
It’s not just HOW you communicate- but WHAT you communicate that makes the difference when nurturing a culture. Pena suggests being as transparent as possible to “build strong relationships that allow everyone to work together cohesively.” When the team understands the entire scope of a project- from successes to pitfalls- it helps to make everyone feel that “they’re a part of the process from the decisions that need to be made to the final solutions that get the job done.”
● Leadership
“To help your employees believe in your leadership, you must stand behind your words,” says Pena. There’s nothing more distracting to a healthy company culture than a leader saying one thing and doing another. It’s the responsibility of the CEO, leadership team and direct managers to all lead through example if they expect their employees to show long-term commitment to the values and goals of the company.
● Respect
According to Inc.com, in a survey of over 19,000 people conducted by the Harvard Business Review, only 46% of those surveyed felt they were respected by their leaders. Of those that felt that they were treated with respect, “56% claimed better health and well-being, 89% greater enjoyment and satisfaction with their jobs, and 92% greater focus and prioritization. They also reported greater meaning and significance, and a higher level of trust and safety.”
The implications are obvious: not only does respect for your employees likely gain their respect for you, but the overall environment and wellbeing of the employees is drastically affected as well. Pena gently reminds us that, “many times it’s simply in the way we interact with our co-workers that improves the culture around us. It’s the small things that make big impacts.”
Nurture the Community
Tailored Brands employees understand we have a corporate responsibility and that we do well by doing good. Whether it be raising awareness for breast cancer, helping veterans transition back into the workplace or helping our own employees in need, our employees are energized and our corporate culture is strengthened when we give back to our community.