Many organizations make it their mission to surpass competitors, increase profits, and maximize

shareholder value. And those businesses may experience success. But the brands we all admire, or even
love are not the profit chasers, but the select few who make it their mission to benefit all their
stakeholders. These are the brands who deliver value to customers, invest in their employees, deal with
suppliers in good faith, and support the communities they belong to. We call these companies “positive
organizations”. And, coincidentally, these are the businesses that bring in the most shareholder value as
well.

In this article we’ll discuss the competitive advantages that result from building a positive culture, the
path to a healthier organization and how customer advocacy and employee advocacy are indicators that
you’ve succeeded.

WHAT IS A POSITIVE ORGANIZATION ?

Positive, healthy organizations are based on thriving corporate culture, focused on customer
satisfaction, career development, mentoring, diversity, communication and conflict resolution. A
positive organization is not just a place of high performance, it’s where people are flourishing through
their work. It’s an entity where customer concerns, feedback and support are constructively
acknowledged by the brand.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BUILDING A POSITIVE ORGANIZATION ?

According to Deloitte, culture and engagement are top of mind for leaders around the world. In a
worldwide survey, respondents were asked to rate their organizational problems in terms of
importance. A staggering 87% of organizations cite culture and engagement as one of their main
challenges, and 50% define the problem as crucial.

Culture, engagement, and retention have become key issues for business leaders in times of increased
corporate accountability, enhanced workforce mobility, and severe skills shortages. These problems are
not only pertaining to the HR department. Companies who choose to create a culture of profound
employee engagement, meaningful work, job and organizational fit, and strong leadership are
outperforming their peers and, as a result, attract and win the top talent over their competition.

But the benefits go beyond finding the right talent. Once they are immersed into the business culture,
engaged employees are putting effort into making their company thrive by advancing the projects and
producing innovative ideas. These behaviors translate into concrete impact on the company’s bottom
line. A study published by Gallup shows that a strong positive culture can boost customer ratings by
10%, sales by 20% and lead to an overall 21% increase in profitability.

In addition, a positive organizational culture reduces employee turnover and decreases the cost for the
management, as the individuals are motivated, confident and are willing to advance your product. As a
result, the team becomes more innovative and committed to improvement. The Gallup study also
indicates that engaged employees frequent their job and work more. The companies that invest in
culture realize a 41% reduction in absenteeism and a 17% increase in productivity.

HOW CAN YOU CREATE A POSITIVE ORGANIZATION ?

A healthy and positive culture starts at the top:

  Bring your leadership team together and uncover the mission and values of your organization.
Get your team’s feedback on how those values can be implemented and executed. Discussing it
with the team and getting buy-in on your plan is the first step in creating a positive workplace
culture.

 Create a working environment inclusive to everyone. Value individual differences and the
growth opportunities they bring. Different points of view resolve a challenge faster, and while
not every opinion will be acted on, it’s important that your team feels heard and accepted.

 Establish a clear goals and rewards system for your team. Recognize and celebrate their results.
Ultimately, all their achievements lay the foundation for a better company and workplace for
everyone.

A positive organization also focuses on how people are treated outside the company:

 Providing great value to customers: Clients are not willing to compromise on quality anymore.
90% of customers reading online reviews prior to contacting a business, thereby quality has
become the key differentiator for today’s demanding and educated buyers.

 Helping your customers throughout their product adoption journey: Organizations that make
their customers a priority experience significant increase in customer lifetime value and a
reduction in churn.

 Responding promptly and thoroughly to their support requests: The difference between “great
customer service” and “good customer service” is significant. You’re either doing the minimum
to keep you customer satisfied or bending over backwards to retain their loyalty and to
encourage advocacy.

 Engaging their opinion when establishing product direction: The key to remaining in business
long term is adopting to the rapidly changing technology-driven environment. Stay ahead of the
market by tapping into the experience of your customers and learn directly from them how to
design and deliver user-friendly, accessible and delightful products. This can help to drive
growth and move towards a mutually beneficial relationship.

 Supporting the community that you belong to: A growing number of clients and employees look
beyond product and experiences when choosing a brand. They pay close attention to the
choices that brand makes, such as respect for environment, support of local communities, as
well as sustainable policies and fair business practices.

I have learned a lot by reading the books of Patrick Lencioni and Richard Sheridan. As it turns out,
organizations can increase profit for investors, have talented employees, and bring value to society at
the same time if they take a healthy approach to business.

HOW DOES CUSTOMER ADVOCACY REFLECT ORGANIZATIONAL HEALTH?

Customer advocates are clients motivated by great products, excellent service, and loyalty to the
brand’s values. They thrive on sharing those positive experiences with the social group that they are part
of. They fuel your brand marketing by actively participating in events or creating content, boost your
revenue by giving referrals and nurturing prospects. Customer advocates improve your product quality
through feedback on existing features and suggestions for the new ones. They complement your
support services by participating in communities and mentoring newcomers or unsatisfied customers.

Industry leaders and pioneers that have made a name for themselves in their industry, such as Tesla,
Uber, Netflix and Apple have done so by engaging with their customer base, making them feel unique by
setting them apart from other users of similar products, technologies or services. Their customer
advocates are not merely early adopters, but evangelists within their community, seeking to educate
their network on the benefits of becoming a customer, in addition to improving the lives of other people
and becoming a part of the larger solution.

If your brand is a shared passion of your followers, you should actively participate in their advocate
community by supporting them, benefiting their enthusiasm, and encouraging them to share their
thoughts.

HOW DOES EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT REFLECT ORGANIZATIONAL HEALTH?

The three key internal and external aspects of company’s growth are connection, communication and
engagement.

In today's competitive marketplace employee engagement became key component of business success.
Potentially, this engagement can significantly contribute to employee retention, productivity and loyalty
and play key role in customer satisfaction, company reputation and overall stakeholder value.

A positive organizational culture is easily noticeable - employees are engaged in social channels and they
leave positive reviews on recruitment websites. They amplify customer’s voice by sharing content with
their networks, help the sales process by attracting leads and contribute to human resources by bringing
in referrals.

Companies of today live in the era of Glassdoor. Every corporate move is instantly exposed, and the
public debate is inevitable. Private issues of every current and protentional employee are now posted
online and accessible to everyone. Company’s culture, also known as “the way things work around
here”, is open for the world and is escalating.

Engaged employees are more likely to do a high-grade job which leads to the production of qualitative
work. Based on Harvard Business Review, that transforms into the doubling of the success rate, in
comparison to less engaged businesses

HOW CAN YOU ENCOURAGE HAPPY CUSTOMERS AND EMPLOYEES TO JOIN YOUR PROGRAM?

When someone praises you or thanks you for a job well-done, don’t you feel highly motivated to keep
going? That applies to your employees and customers. Here are a few ways in which you can encourage
their program participation:
  Thoughtful appreciation and recognition
 Transparency and honest communication
 Motivating, yet ethical rewards

KEY TAKE-AWAYS

 Positive healthy organizations are composed of thriving corporate culture with focus on
customer satisfaction, career development, mentoring, diversity, communication and conflict
resolution.

 If your brand is a shared passion of your followers, you should actively participate in their
advocate community by supporting them, benefiting their enthusiasm, and encouraging them to
share their thoughts.

 Engaged employees are more likely to do a high-grade job which leads to the production of
qualitative work. Based on Harvard Business Review, that transforms into the doubling of the
success rate, in comparison to less engaged businesses.