Creating a Loving Culture in Your Business

Creating a Loving Culture in your business does not happen automatically. It’s takes effort and intentionality. It requires authenticity and the willingness to embrace people who are different from you – with varying perspectives and beliefs. What’s your score (from 1- 10) when it comes to having a loving culture? Ask a few people in your office and allow honest, anonymous feedback. Then, define your real culture and make the adjustments toward making it better.

Here are a few ideas to help you create a loving culture at work:

1. Start at the top. If employees don’t feel cared about from the top, that will define the culture. Instead of loving, they will see you and your business as self-centered, uncaring, and all about money. If you’re not intentional, the selfish environment will become the culture.
2. Listen to other perspectives. Try to understand what others are feeling and seek to do something about it. The people who work with you have feelings. They have families. They have health issues, relationship concerns, problems and personal challenges. They have reasons to celebrate, things they love, hopes, talents, and dreams. If you can’t answer questions about these issues for the people you work with, most likely, it’s not a loving environment. Either you don’t care about the people, or they don’t trust you enough to share their personal concerns. Both are counter effective for a loving culture.
3. Be passionate and authentic. If you try to fake it, they will know. If you act like you have it all together, they won’t trust you. Tell your real story and ask, listen, and care about theirs.
4. Eliminate Negativity. Criticism is toxic, even when it happens behind closed doors. Shape your environment to be caring even if you hear of something that needs to be corrected. You can correct a person without breaking a person.
5. Talk to everyone. If you are near the top of the organizational chart, be sure to talk to everyone on the chart, high and low. It’s amazing how far a little recognition and encouragement can go.
6. Implement specific ways to say, “I care” and teach your employees how to join you. That means birthday and holiday celebrations and gifts for special occasions. That also means caring about their future, talents, and personal growth, even beyond your organization.
7. Offer benefits, special programs, events, and team outings. Try to make costs affordable for everyone.

Every organization has a culture. It is established by the decisions you make as a business owner, how people are treated, and what you as the leader values. What you focus on, how you treat people, and what you care about will all show up in your organizational culture. With all the systems and habits that make up your business culture, there is one universal language that transcends business and personal life – That is love.

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