Creating Community in the Workplace: Welcome to the Culturestone Newsletter!

Who am I?

Here it goes, my first leap into writing.

If you and I are unfamiliar or have not had the pleasure of meeting, my name is Tanner Bengtzen. I currently reside in the Salt Lake area with my wife of over three years. She and I enjoy traveling during the offseason of her floral business.My wife has been my rock and biggest fan. She has constantly pushed me to chase my ambitions and pursue my career goals. To put it simply, she is my main source of motivation.

As newlyweds, she supported me throughout the rigors of college. We didn't have a lot of money or time together, but we shared a vision and did not deviate from our goals. During this time, I worked as hard as I could in the warehouse of what is still my current employer, a rapidly growing technology company. Each dollar I earned was put towards food, rent, and school. Upon graduating with a business degree, we felt that the investment of both time and money would be worth it to pursue a master's degree. Sure enough, it did! By the time I had graduated with my MBA, I had transitioned through multiple departments in the company. Within two years of personal progress, I was provided an opportunity for an advanced role of managing our strategic resell partners throughout the nation. I am blessed to influence the development of our business and I am honored to work with tremendous individuals.

Among my passions (many to do with the outdoors), one of my favorites is self-improvement. I enjoy reading books, listening to experienced professionals, and undergoing one-off college courses surrounding a single topic or skill. I particularly enjoy learning about business development and the inner workings of what makes a company great.

I have always shared with friends and family that I aspire to write about my findings, perhaps in the form of a book in my later years. Each time I share this with others, I am asked the same question, "Well what's holding you back?". Time and time again I have nudged these notions with the excuse of "Because I don't know enough yet". Years have passed and I still receive the same question from my close circle, "What's holding you back?". To their credit, it's a fair question. Although I have heard it on countless occasions, it finally resonated with me, "What is holding me back?" So here it is, my first attempt to put my thoughts and findings into words. Although I am no expert and will certainly never know 'enough', I am ready to take the steps necessary to write about a particular topic of study that I share a great passion for: Company Culture.

What is Culturestone?

As I began discussing my intention to start writing with others, I was encouraged to begin with a newsletter. So first and foremost, thanks for being the first readers of my newsletter! The purpose of this platform is to be a permanent record of my impressions, observations, suggestions. It will contain my continued education revolving around the development of company culture. It will be an active journal if you will.

I have developed Culturestone to act as an avenue for everyone to understand better the concept of creating community in the workplace. Culture within the workplace is vital to overall success. Culture CAN be created within the company and certainly CAN be reinforced, but not without a proper understanding of how to influence a conglomerate of working professionals.

Just like any other company project, the creation of culture requires a plan, implementation, and maintenance.

Why having a strong workplace community matters

A cohesive team is not just a group of individuals working together; it is a support system, a network of trust, and a driving force for success. When employees feel connected and valued, productivity soars, creativity flourishes, and morale reaches new heights. A strong workplace community fosters innovation, improves communication, and creates a positive environment where everyone can thrive. I have worked with individuals and executives from several companies who take pride in the corporate culture they have created, yet are oblivious to the fact that their employees feel there is indeed no culture within the trenches of the workforce.

There is a common disconnect between upper management, middle managers, and employees. Oftentimes, sub-cultures are created within management tiers or departments, ultimately resulting in the creation of silos.

These silos can be detrimental to an organization. One thing leads to the next:

—> Decrease in trust

—> Less communication

—> Lack of coordination

—> Limited innovation

—> Decrease in morale

—> Common turnover

Employees will feel less impact on the organization and possibly lose sight of the company vision or common goal. As things progressively get worse, an employee may begin to feel a complete disconnect with their employer. When this is lost, employees may succumb to entering the early stages of the common-day problem, 'Quiet Quitting'. According to Teambuilding.com, this issue is especially prevalent in the United States today.

What are the seven principles of creating community in the workplace?

Each time I attend a family gathering or a large group setting, we always seem to arrive at the inevitable topic of "How is work?". I consider myself fortunate to share about recent accomplishments or activities within my profession. However, there seems to always be someone in attendance who feels a sense of inadequacy or being underappreciated by their employer.

How can this be so common? What can be done to implement change? How is it that so many people whom I deeply care for spend their entire professional lives feeling as though their efforts aren't recognized?

I believe in cultivating a sense of belonging and camaraderie among all team members, including executives. I also believe that hard work ought to be celebrated by managers. In preparing for the creation of Culturestone, I spent a great deal of time determining areas that can increase trust, complete participation, and drive results for company growth. This has resulted in seven separate principles. The seven principles for creating community in the workplace are:

●Community - Do your employees or teammates feel a sense of belonging?

●Engagement - Are your employees or teammates participating in company activities or projects?

●Diversity - Is your organization properly utilizing the skills of individuals with different interests, backgrounds, and perspectives toward a common goal?

●Balance - Are you enabling work-life balance and allowing ample time to reset?

●Vision - Does the organization have a mission or vision that everyone understands and believes?

●Opportunity - Is there an existing perception of personal growth and development within the organization?

●Intrapreneurship - Are your employees given creative freedom and entrepreneurial encouragement to assist in the growth of the company from within?

This newsletter will be dedicated to diving into each of the seven principles that enable and reinforce company culture that will ultimately yield results for overall organizational and revenue growth.

Learn alongside me!

As mentioned before, my goal is to have the Culturestone newsletter act as my continuous journal of learning. If you also have an interest in becoming a better leader, increasing your understanding, or creating community within your workplace, please join me! Your participation in this project will allow for mutual growth. Together, our growth just may lead to the benefit of many others!

I truly appreciate your time today. Now go make someone else's day!

Citation: https://teambuilding.com/blog/quiet-quitting.