Organizations that are able to attract and retain top talent have a competitive advantage. How can a small business compete with a large organization? Small businesses don’t have the same huge budgets, organizational structure or marketing budget. However, their people have the same emotional intelligence as those working for large organizations.
Capitalize on Emotional Intelligence
“The thing that motivated the person to come into work and actually want to be there, or get excited about the work they are doing, is emotional connection,” said Lacey Heels, Digital Marketing Manager at Plasticiy. Simply put, if your have a caring culture, your employees will also care and are more likely to work with you forever!
Employees Who Feel Loved Perform Better
Harvard University conducted a study, surveying 3,201 employees in seven different industries from financial services to real estate, and the results were the same. People who worked in a culture where they felt free to express affection, tenderness, caring and compassion for one another were more satisfied with their jobs, committed to the organization and accountable for their performance.
When your culture has an emotional element, you connect better with your staff. You don’t need to be a large organization. In fact, only in a small business can you touch everybody and really make the connections.
Broaden Your Definition of Culture
Of course, team-building, creativity, innovation and customer service are important. Emotional culture can be based on love or other emotions, such as joy or pride. Your culture statement can read: ‘we serve our customers with pride”. It’s that simple.
Most importantly, though, it is the small moments between coworkers — a warm smile, a kind note, a sympathetic ear — day after day, month after month, that help create and maintain a strong culture of companionate love, and the employee satisfaction, productivity and client satisfaction that comes with it.
A culture with an emotional spin attracts people who will want to work for you. It also retains your employees because they will develop a sense of belonging and pride. Don’t worry; this smoothness doesn’t come with tears. It comes with the joy of coming to work every day. You will not need tissues. I promise.
